This story was posted on January 15th and today is the 23rd, so that makes it NINE days, not over a month. Using your version of math, the couples 8 month (240 days) delay would be more like 720 days or almost two years. 5 On Your Side did do a follow-up the next evening and said the couple was given a refund. I agree the case is now closed. As for the math, just keep working on it.

UPDATE!!! this story has been on here for over a month!! It's no longer news WRAL.

SE Perhaps you can suggest to them that they answer email on a timely basis. Refund any money for items they cannot deliver within 90 days. It just aint about their being slow it is about not keeping people informed on progress and giving them the opt to get their money back. I am happy they are able to support their family but keep in mind they are holding thousands of dollars in deposits and it is taking months to deliver the merchandise. Just isnt fair to their customers. Not answering mail and keeping people informed is not a mistake-- that is deliberate.

I am a personal friend of the Utt-Grubbs, so I can't speak to the specifics of the business, but I think it is important to say that these are really good people. They have done something that I think is pretty amazing, building a business from scratch in these tough economic times that is already, not only providing for their family, but is providing work for others in North Carolina and enabling them to provide for their own families. They value family above all else and so its not surprising that I've heard Kelly talk over and over again about how happy it makes her to know that their hand crafted pieces are going to homes all over the country where they will be a part of the everyday lives and celebrations of other families. Yes, they have apparently made some mistakes and I'm sure the lessons learned will be put to good use. It is tough to be out there starting a business, so I just think that part of this discussion should be bravo and Godspeed!

If they are 5 or 6 months behind on their production there must be a "lot" of people who are unhappy. I was a high school teacher for many years. At the end of the school year I sent every parent a letter in which I tried to say something positive about their child. I admit some letters were very difficult to write. I found it is a good idea to always compliment people for a good job. Last year I had some trees removed from my yard. I tipped each of the 6 workers $50. Their work was outstanding and I was well pleased. I almost make it a point to let people know when their performance is not so good. It works both ways with me.

I can appreciate growing pains and being overwhelmed. That's why you underpromise and overdeliver. Tell the truth at the very least. If you lose a sale, oh well. But you will lose MORE sales if you make promises you cant keep and/or lie.

"but the show wasn't about you." - btbt

No it wasn't but it was a one-sided and biased piece. "both sides were presented" is tchnically true, but patently false: WRAL clearly has a dog in the fight, so to speak. And I admit to leaving off an extra "probably", but I thought from the context I had implied the "probably".

You point is still wrong: "far from universal" is accurate. If you unfilter the results on yelp, you see several positive comments that don't show on the main page (because that business is not a "Premium Partner". Websites that make their money off of ad revenue and what essentially amounts to bribes (in the $$ paid for :Partner" status). That is hardly an impartial forum. The fact that some praise does exist means that your complaint is NOT universal.

I'm a Political Science major who has taken a few public opinion, sociology and statistics classes.

Using "yelp's own numbers" is not scientific nor particulrly helpful. People ARE more likely to complain. As far as yelp and other online sites, false and duplicate entries are EXTREMELY common.

Here's just a few peer reviewed journal entries and scientific publications on it.

Moyer, M.S. (1985), "Characteristics of Consumer Complainants: Implications for Marketing and Public Policy," Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 3, 67-84.

Munson, J.M. and S.H. McIntyre (1979), "Developing Practical Procedures for the Measurement of Personal Values in Cross-Cultural Marketing," Journal of Marketing Research, 15, 48-52.

Pfaff, M. and S. Blivice (1977), "Socio-economic Correlates of Consumer and Citizen Dissatisfaction and Activism," in Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, Ralph L. Day, ed., Bloomington: Department of Marketing, Indiana University, 115-123.

The company agreeded to a refund. How slow are they in sending a check? Will it bounce?

Despite Miss Laliberte's best efforts, this is still a non-story. I'm looking to get those 4 minutes of my life refunded…

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