North Little Rock business sued by Arkansas Attorney General

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A North Little Rock business has been targeted by the Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge with a lawsuit.

Bourbon & Boots got off to a hot start, but is now mired in a glut of consumer complaints.

Seven-On-Your-Side first warned you about Bourbon & Boots four months ago.

But KATV first told you about the North Little Rock company in 2013. It was a profile piece on a company showing a lot of promise.

Bourbon & Boots was helping to bring artisan vendors crafting goods with a southern charm or flair to people all over the country.

150 vendors, with over a million dollars in sales, customers in every state and 14 countries. What wasn't there to love?

Over five years later the answer is plenty, at least according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the Arkansas Attorney General.

The Attorney General has received 55 complaints against Bourbon & Boots and the Better Business Bureau has received nearly 300. Most come from people paying in advance for products they never received. The A.G. believes about $20,000 in restitution is owed to Bourbon & Boots customers by former owner Rodney Ford.

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission knows how hard it is to get money back from Ford. In 2013, another Ford business venture, nGage Labs, received a $1 million investment from the AEDC.

The Scottsdale, Arizona start-up failed and none of the taxpayer money given to Ford has been repaid to the state.

It is unclear if Bourbon & Boots is still in business, but Seven-On-Your-Side has received new complaints this year.

Unhappy customers of Bourbon & Boots are encouraged to call the A.G.'s Consumer Protection Hotline. That number is 1-800-482-8982.

Air date: April 2nd, 2019