Author Solutions, LLC

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for conveying Mr. [redacted]’s concern that he had yet to receive the funds we returned to the credit card he used to make the purchase. We reviewed his account and confirmed with our credit card processor that his credit card company received and accepted a total of $2,053.75 in two transactions. on 3/12/18, they accepted transaction ID [redacted] for $1,638.80; on 3/14/18 transaction [redacted] for $484.95. If either of these transactions have yet to appear on his card, he should contact his credit card company. Sincerely, Elaine H[redacted] Manager of Author Satisfaction

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Regards,
[redacted] I am happy with the proposal that was offered by the company to market my book for the sum of $6,000 which has already been paid.  I do understand and appreciate that I owe not a penny more going forward, however I am not happy that there is still a hold on my book and it is not being released to buyers.  One seller who is Amazon in particular has reached out to customers via email to let them know the book will not be made available and has apologized and cancelled their orders for it.  I know because I personally spoke with a Amazon representative who told me they have no control over when the book will be made available to them and iuniverse never made my book available to them (Amazon) so they could sell it.  I want the hold taken off my book now that it has been settled that I do not owe any more money to iuniverse publishers.  I want their billing department to stop sending me emails requesting payments.  Now I have been asked by Red H[redacted] to ignore those emails but I would appreciate an email from the finance or billing department stating the accounts is now paid in full as I have not ordered any additional services since our last agreement was reached.  Lastly, I would like to see the proof that what was promised in the last agreement reached is actually being done.  As far as I can tell now it is only a promise as I see no evidence that any work or action was done to date (in regards to promoting my book) on my behalf.  The $6,000 payment however is not just a promise because their company is already in possession of it so I want to see what I have paid for and have been promised.  I would ask that the Revdex.com keep this complaint open until all terms of our agreement have been fulfilled by both parties.   Furthermore, if I am required to sign any more documents I will have an attorney review them prior to providing my signature. Sincerely, [redacted] [redacted]Author

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 10368422, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I have not received three direct deposits from Wesbow Press. I checked my banking information and I do not have any direct deposits from them. I did receive the one check they mailed me for about $17 after taxes were taken out. I have not received any direct deposits to my bank. That is not true, and I can verify that.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I have been promised on two separate occasions (over the course of 2017) I was promised a check after waiting the specified 90 days. I never received a check. I have followed up over twenty times and have been ignored. I have signed all the appropriate papers on line to receive a 1099, no taxes should have been taken out of my 2017 royalties! I also called about that and was assured there would be no taxes taken out. As you have read the above statement, they took taxes out.I would like:The 2016 royalty monies paid in full immediately. An email sent to the Revdex.com proving they have sent the money. No taxes taken out.I would like the return of the 2017 tax money that was incorrectly withheld in a separate check, again a verification sent to Revdex.com that the money has been sent.I would also like a written apology for the way I have been treated and ignored over the past year and a half. Thank you very much,
Regards,
[redacted]

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to Ms. [redacted]’s concerns. On September 19, 2015, Ms. [redacted] purchased the Starter Black & White Publishing Package from AuthorHouse for $1299.00. She signed the Self-Publishing Services Agreement on September 21, 2015 and her book...

became published on December 30, 2015. Her complimentary author copy was ordered on January 5, 2016 and on January 12, 2016, Ms. [redacted] spoke to her Marketing Services Representative (MSR) via e-mail and requested information on getting her five (5) free copies. The MSR provided the contact information for Ms. [redacted]’s Book Consultant, Heather [redacted], as she would be the one to place the order. Heather [redacted] attempted to contact Ms. [redacted] via phone on January 8, 13 and 15; however there was no voicemail set up, so there was no way to leave a message. On January 27, 2016, Ms. [redacted]’s Post Publication Associate provided information on the resubmission process, indicating that there may be changes to be made to the book. It is customary to wait to order any free books until a resubmission is finished, so the free books were not ordered at this time. On January 29, 2016, Ms. [redacted] responded via e-mail stating that she would just like her five free books and would not be doing a resubmission. The Post Publication Associate then sent contact information for Heather [redacted] (book consultant) again and also copied her on the e-mail response. On March 2 and 11, 2016, Ms. [redacted] e-mailed her Book Consultant requesting the five (5) free copies and they were ordered on March 14, 2016. Regarding her services, we would be happy to investigate if Ms. [redacted] could provide us with more specific information about what has not been completed.  We are also unsure about the extra charges to which Ms. [redacted] refers and again, would be happy to look into this matter once more specifics are provided. In closing, we apologize that the five free copies due with Ms. [redacted]’s publishing package were not ordered in a timely manner. As a gesture of good will, they were ordered with free shipping on March 14, 2016 and shipped March 17, 2016, via UPS (tracking number: [redacted]). Sincerely, Elaine [redacted] Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to explain the fulfillment of Ms. [redacted]’s Hollywood Coverage.  Ms. [redacted] purchased the Hollywood Coverage marketing service as an add-on on January 30, 2015 for the discounted price of $601.30.  The service was paid in full the following month. A full description of the service can be found on the iUniverse website at:  https://www.iuniverse.com/Servicestore/ServiceDetail.aspx?ServiceId=BS-1097.  The fulfillment of marketing services cannot commence until the book is available for purchase and the service is paid in full.  Ms. [redacted]’s book was made available for purchase on March 17, 2015.  Once the book was available for purchase, a copy of Ms. [redacted]’s book was printed and shipped to the professional reader who developed her book’s coverage using the standard format of the movie and TV industry. The reader has 8-10 weeks to read the book and write the Coverage.  The Coverage was completed and the post-fulfillment report email was sent to Ms. [redacted] on July 20, 2015. Copies of the email and the coverage are attached.  The Coverage is currently available to production companies and producers thru our Hollywood Database. The work remains there until picked up or Ms. [redacted] requests iUniverse remove it.  Because the Coverage was written, sent to Ms. [redacted], and stored in the database, two years ago, the service is considered fulfilled.  Therefore, no refund can be given on the service. In closing, the Hollywood Coverage marketing service was completed as described on the website.  The post fulfillment report, along with the Coverage was emailed to Ms. [redacted] in July 2015.  Subsequently, since the service has been fulfilled, it is no longer eligible for refund. Sincerely, Elaine H[redacted] Manager of Author Satisfaction

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to Ms. [redacted]’s request for a refund of her publishing package. On February 8, 2018, Ms. [redacted] purchased the Premier Publishing Package from iUniverse for the special price of $1,359.20. She elected to pay in monthly installments which...

added a non-refundable payment plan fee of $30 for a grand order total of $1,389.20. She signed the Services and Distribution Agreement on February 7, 2018 and the Installment Payment Plan Agreement on February 8, 2018. After examining Ms. [redacted]’s account e-mails and call reports, we found that while regular communication occurred with her original Check-In Coordinator during February 2018, it may not have been as often as Ms. [redacted] would have preferred. She made us aware of her concerns and was assigned to a new Check-In Coordinator on March 2, 2018. It appears as though her new Check-In Coordinator was calling during times that Ms. [redacted] may have been at work and almost always had to leave messages. While they were more successful reaching each other via e-mail, it was apparent that their schedules did not match up in a way that made communication easy. The last phone message left by the Check-In Coordinator was on April 5, 2018. The call reports show that Ms. [redacted] returned the call and left a message but did not receive a call back. On May 8, 2018, Ms. [redacted] sent an e-mail requesting a refund of her publishing package. On May 10, 2018, Ms. [redacted] spoke on the phone with one of our supervisors who has agreed to be her point of contact and explained everything that needs to happen going forward, including the required page count and image quality. Per this phone call, Ms. [redacted] has elected not to cancel her publishing package and to finish publishing her book with iUniverse. In closing, we apologize that Ms. [redacted] felt that there was a lack of communication from her Check-In Coordinators. Going forward, she will be dealing directly with one of our supervisors and has agreed to finish publishing her book. We trust this information illustrates the steps taken to address Ms. [redacted]’s concerns. Sincerely, Elaine H[redacted] Manager of Author Satisfaction

Tell us why here...Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to investigate the editing and technical concerns Ms. [redacted] has expressed in her letter to your office.   Ms. Susan [redacted] signed up with Xlibris September 27, 2014 to publish her book entitled “Be Fit to Ski”. Ms. [redacted]...

purchased a Full-Color Executive Package, took advantage of a promotional rate and opted to use an installment payment plan which added a $30 non-refundable surcharge to her total. Ms. [redacted] made the first payment that day with the remaining two payments set up for auto-charge on the same day of the two following months. We initiated an investigation into Ms. [redacted]’s project and will be addressing her concerns in the order that they were raised in her filing. Technical issuesEndnotesXlibris requires that manuscripts be submitted in a digital file preferably as a Microsoft Word document. When submitting manuscripts with endnote citations, authors are expected to use the endnote insertion feature of MS Word to insert the endnotes in their manuscript. The endnote feature is found in the Micro Soft Word Reference section of the toolbar.   Ms. [redacted] submitted her manuscript using the superscript feature to tag endnotes in her manuscript instead of the aforementioned endnotes feature. The superscript feature creates small letters above the line of text. As a result some citations failed to be picked up properly during the preparation of her book.  We apologize to Ms. [redacted] if our instructions were vague, unclear or misinterpreted.  We thank her for bringing this opportunity for confusion to our attention and have stressed with our check-in coordinators the importance of conveying proper instructions for endnotes and other specialty items for technical manuscripts. We are working with Ms. [redacted] to remedy the situation and have agreed to fix the citations at our expense.  Arrangement of Interior Figures and Images Ms. [redacted]’s manuscript was endorsed to the editorial team on December 26, 2014.Prior to the editorial process; all figures, images and non-textual content which do not require editing were extracted from the manuscript to be returned after the editing is completed and approved. The edited manuscript was sent on January 8, 2015 and approved by Ms. [redacted] on January 28, 2015.  We would like to apologize for the wrong sequence and placement of the images during the design and layout stage. Our investigation confirmed that this was an unfortunate human error during the process of preparing the files for production. To ensure immediate resolution of her production concerns, we have assigned one of our Production Supervisors to assist Ms. [redacted] until the completion of her book.  Operational LocationXlibris is a supported self-publishing services provider which offers complete services to authors making it possible for them to self-publish, promote, and bring their books to the marketplace. Xlibris’ corporate information, business process and terms and conditions are published and readily available online on our website http://www.xlibris.com.  Xlibris has offices in both Bloomington, Indiana and the Philippines. As a global business, both offices work hand in hand in delivering the different services that Xlibris offers. This entails maintaining staff in both offices depending on their functions. Xlibris also has a customer support hotline with customer service representatives available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to provide around-the-clock support. In summary, we apologize to Ms. [redacted] for any inconvenience caused in the preparation of her book for publication.  We have identified the causes of her concerns and allocated managerial resources to work with her in resolving her concerns. We trust this information illustrates the steps we have taken to assist Ms. [redacted] in completing the production of her book. Sincerely, Elaine H[redacted]Manager of Author Satisfaction

I do not have anything from the Revdex.com that says I had to respond to Abbott Press. There is a statement saying it is closed and to await further word, but nothing about responding.
 
Abbott Press and their so called ‘PR’ firm, got $6500 from me and essentially wrote one press release, that I wasn’t thrilled with as well as the timing, but went along because they told me they were experts at what they do. All they did was send out one press release to a bunch of media that gets enormous amounts press releases like the one they sent. Not one article was generated. I’m in advertising and for $6400 I could have bribed a newspaper reporter to run the story. I could have got more publicity if I had thrown $6500 cash out in a big crowd.
 
The point is, the PR campaign that they offer is nothing but a scam. I’ve been in marketing and advertising for over 30 years and I can tell a phony when I see one.
 
I am going to continue to go to online sites for writers to warn them of this scam, despite the Revdex.com bowing to a local company over an out of town sucker.
 
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Dear Revdex.com,
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address Ms. [redacted] concerns regarding the marketing of her book.
On June 19, 2015, Ms. [redacted] purchased the Fundamental BW publishing package from AuthorHouse for $1399.50 to publish her title, “[redacted].” She elected to...

pay in installments which added a $30 Payment Plan Agreement fee for a total cost of $1429.50. On June 23, Ms. [redacted] returned to us the signed Self-Publishing Services Agreement at which point we began work on her title which went live (was published) with her approval on August 26, 2015.
With self publishing, the primary responsibility of promotion of the book falls to the author; however, AuthorHouse offers a wide variety of marketing services for purchase that aid authors in the promotion of their titles. Section 6.1 of the Self-Publishing Services Agreement (attached) signed by Ms. [redacted] in June states:
“6.1 General. Upon Final Approval of Your Work, We will make the Work available through the distribution channels with which We contract, including, but not limited to, physical, online and electronic distribution channels, such as wholesalers, bookstores, traditional retailers, and e-retailers ("Distribution Channels"), in a manner consistent with the Services purchased by You. We do not warrant that any particular Distribution Channel will offer Your Work for sale, as this is up to the sole discretion of the Distribution Channels.”
During the last few months, Ms. [redacted] has purchased several of these marketing services from AuthorHouse including the following:
Press Release –Essential Edition: (Purchased August 18, 2015) a professionally written press release distributed to at least 500 media outlets, plus one month of news tracking. Attached are the approved final version of the press release from September 2015 and the post fulfillment report sent to Ms. [redacted] December 1, 2015. 
Standard Website Setup: (Purchased August 18, 2015): set-up of a personalized Web site to increase visibility for a Ms. [redacted] specific title.  Her website may be viewed at: http://www.luci[redacted].com/
Advertising and Giveaway on Goodreads: (Purchased September 9, 2015): the set-up and administration of a 30-day Ad campaign and Giveaway Program on Goodreads, the world’s largest online community for book lovers.  This service encourages Goodreads members to enter to win a giveaway for one (1) of ten (10) free copies of Ms. [redacted] book (books are included with the service) within a defined timeline.  Ms. [redacted] campaign spanned from November 13th to December 12th and can be found at: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/161802-romance-the-real-estate-spy 
Online Book Ads via Google (30 day package): (Purchased November 12, 2015): creation and placement of web image ads, text ads and mobile ads in various formats via Google. 
All of these services have been fulfilled except for the Online Book Ads via Google which will be fulfilled once Ms. [redacted] completes her payment plan and we receive full payment for the service (please reference Section 2. The Services; Subsection 2.1 Payment Precedes Fulfillment of the Self-Publishing Services Agreement).
The services agreement also states that AuthorHouse maintains no control over the subjective purchasing decisions of wholesalers, booksellers, or consumers.
Ms. [redacted] queries why we have not contacted Target and Walmart to carry her book.  The solicitation of stores such as these and other large chain and big box stores to buy our titles is not an inclusion of the self-publishing agreement. The buying decisions for these entities are regulated by corporate buying offices and self-published authors are responsible for submitting their title(s) to the store’s headquarters to be considered for approval as an orderable title.  Once on the list the individual stores may place orders thru their distributor or our Channel division.  It is important to note that for consideration, a title must have returnability (a service secured by the author allowing booksellers to return unsold copies for the book for refund).
Ms. [redacted] questions how many books she has sold. Sales and royalty information is always available to her by logging onto her AuthorCenter on the AuthorHouse website at the following link: http://www.authorhouse.com/AuthorCenter/SalesRoyaltiesOverview.aspx.  There she will also find a FAQ section with helpful information regarding royalty payments, personal book orders and tax information.
In closing, three (3) of Ms. [redacted] add-on marketing services have been fulfilled.  The remaining service is scheduled for fulfillment on February 2, 2016 once the payment plan is completed.
Marketing services provide exposure of a work to the marketplace. AuthorHouse makes no guarantees that the service will result in either the media printing a press release or reviewing the book or the consumer purchasing the title.  These decisions are at the discretion of the media outlet and the consumer.
Sales and royalty information is readily available on her password protected AuthorCenter account on the AuthorHouse website.
Sincerely,
Elaine [redacted]
Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to investigate the circumstance regarding Ms. [redacted]’s Author Learning Center subscription and to issue her a refund.   Ms. [redacted] initially published her full color book with Xlibris entitled “[redacted]” on November 27, 2012. ...

  On January 9, 2017, Xlibris offered and Ms. [redacted] accepted a (3) three-month trial membership to an affiliated author education community site, the Author Learning Center. The Author Learning Center features content on writing, editing, publishing, and marketing from a variety of industry experts, agents, best-selling authors, publicists, and editors. In addition, to hosting live webinars where one can interact with the experts, the site provides unique tools such as the Book Launch Tool and the Author’s Circle.   Once the trial period is over, the Author Learning Center membership becomes a month by month option with a monthly subscription fee of $9.99.  Should the author desire to discontinue their access to the ALC site, they must contact the Author Learning Center prior to the end of their trial period or the subscription renewal date for the next month to avoid any future charges.   Ms. [redacted]’s (3) three-month trial subscription began on January 9, 2017 and ran thru April 8, 2017. She contacted the Author Learning Center on March 31, 2017. In order to maximize the benefits of her ALC account, Ms. [redacted] was offered a 30 day extension of her (3) three month trial subscription, taking her free use of the site thru May 8, 2017.   Although the extension offer was intended to cover her subscription from April 9 to May 8, due to an oversight, the extension was not properly processed by the assigned representative and she was charged $9.99 for the April membership. This error was discovered on May 1, 2017 in a routine audit; however, instead of contacting Ms. [redacted], the ALC team logged the free month subscription extension for the next period--May 9 thru June 8. Then since no request for cancellation had been entered, when billing for the following month, June 9 thru July 8, came due, her card was charged the $9.99 fee for June. In summary, she was charged the subscription fee for both April and June with May becoming the additional free month.   We thank Ms. [redacted] for calling this to our attention. As a result we have been able to identify additional training needs and address follow-thru and customer courtesy concerns with our staff.   We apologize to Ms. [redacted] for the system recording error for the free month promised her and for not notifying her when we discovered the error. Had the staff contacted her when the discovery was made, the charges to her account could have been dealt with immediately or avoided altogether.  We regret that we were unable to provide her with exemplary customer service. We apologize for any inconvenience, frustration or disappointment with Xlibris or the Author Learning Center that arose from her experience.   Upon receipt of this complaint, the Author Learning Center processed a refund of the two (2) subscription fees charged to her card. Please reference the details below:   Charge of $9.99, on 4/16/17—refunded 6/13/17, reference #[redacted] Charge of $9.99, on 6/09/17---refunded 6/20/17, reference #[redacted]     We trust this information illustrates the steps take to address Ms. [redacted]’s concerns.   Sincerely,   Elaine H[redacted] Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com,   Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and for the opportunity to present our side of the case.   Ms. [redacted] and Ms. [redacted] signed up with Xlibris on February 1, 2010 to publish their book entitled “[redacted]...

[redacted].” They purchased a Black and White Basic Publishing Package and were able to take advantage of a promotional rate of $400, discounted from the regular $500 price. The package was upgraded to a Black and White Custom Package with Ms. [redacted]’ approval on February 9, 2010. Please refer to the transaction details below:   Date Item Purchased Amount Payment Details 2/1/2010 Black and White Basic Package $ 400.00 Cardholder's Name: [redacted]
[redacted] 2/9/2010 Black and White Custom Package $ 1,229.00 Cardholder's Name: [redacted]
[redacted]   The book completed its publication process and was made available for sale with both authors’ approval on April 20, 2010. We have attached Ms. [redacted] and [redacted]’ approval for your reference.     Sales and Royalties   In response to her sales and royalty inquiry, Xlibris reviewed the sales and royalty data from the book’s publication date until its cancellation. Based on our audit, “[redacted]” earned $54.65 for the third quarter of 2011 and $45.50 on the first quarter of 2012. Please refer to the royalty check details paid to the authors below:   Quarter Check Number Check Date Amount Earned Tax Withholding Check Amount Q3 2010 [redacted] 11/15/2010 $212.45 $0 $212.45 Q1 2011 [redacted] 5/11/2011 $55.99 $0 $55.99 Q2 2011 [redacted] 8/15/2011 $45.11 $0 $45.11 Q3 2011 [redacted] 11/10/2011 $54.65 $0 $54.65 Q4 2011 [redacted] 2/15/2012 $41.91 $11.73 $30.18 Q1 2012 [redacted] 5/15/2012 $45.50 $12.74 $32.76 Q2 2012 [redacted] 11/14/2012 $2.00 $0.56 $1.44 Q4 2012 [redacted] 11/14/2013 $2.00 $0.56 $1.44   These checks were sent to Ms. [redacted], the primary name on the account. We have attached a copy of the sales and royalty report since Quarter 2 2011, when we changed to our current accounting system, for your reference.     Cancellation   Xlibris received a signed cancellation request from Ms. [redacted] on February 8, 2012. The cancellation request was proceed and completed with the cancellation in Xlibris and Ingram distribution’s database on March 26, 2012. Attached are screen captures from the Ingram ipage for both the hardcover and paperback formats, indicating that neither format is available through Ingram.  While there were two sales after the cancellation in 2012, these were residual copies that had already been printed before the cancellation was processed, and the authors were compensated for their sales.  There have been no sales since 2012.   Xlibris would like to assure Ms. [redacted] that per her request, we did cancel their book in Ingram’s distribution system in 2012.  It remains searchable through some online resellers because not all resellers remove listings from their databases.  We would like to assure Ms. [redacted] that Ingram will no longer print new copies, even if there is a demand for the title. Upon receipt of this complaint, Xlibris also sent a special request to Amazon to remove the book’s listing on their website. This request is subject to Amazon’s review and approval.   In summary, we understand and acknowledge Ms. [redacted]’ request for refund. However, our records indicate that all services contracted for her book have been fulfilled. Fulfillment of services forfeits their eligibility for a refund.   We hope the information provided illustrates the steps we have taken to address Ms. [redacted]’ concerns.

[redacted] Global Director-author satisfaction Author Solutions A Penguin Random House Company

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Thanks for your prompt response in reviewing my 7/30/2017 claim against Author Solutions; however, their stated solution to the claim was only transitory.   I am pleased that the Manager of Author Satisfaction, Elaine H[redacted], recognized that the charges made for my book order No. [redacted] on 6/24/2017 were excessive and in violation of previous contracts made with Trafford Publishing. In recognizing this error, I noted that a refund of $157.91 was posted to my American Express Account. However, this was only a “band-aid” type solution and unless a permanent correction is made the problem will exist in future book orders.   In February 2003, I purchased a publishing package with Trafford Publishing for my first book “[redacted].” The contracted agreement stipulated a cover price of $19.95 and after the book is published an Author Exclusive price of $9.37. This resulted in a discount of 53.03% from the cover price for 1-49 books.   In April 2006, I purchased a publishing package with Trafford Publishing for my second book “[redacted].” The contracted agreement stipulated a cover price of $31.95 and after the book is published an Author Exclusive price of $15.24. This resulted in a discount of 52.30% from the cover price for 1-49 books.   In January 2009, I purchased a publishing package with Trafford Publishing for my third book, “[redacted].” The contracted agreement stipulated a cover price of $22.95 and after the book is published an Author Exclusive price of $10.23. This resulted in a discount of 55.42% from the cover price for 1-49 books.   From early 2003 until March 2017 (fourteen years), my cost when ordering books was based on the above listed contracted Author Exclusive price. However, to my surprise, and in violation of an established Trafford Publishing contract, the charges on my 6/24/2017 order were based on a 30% discount, from the books cover price, not the average of 53.58% used for previous orders.    The Trafford FAQ Book Sales and Ordering instruction sheet states that publishing packages purchased on or after Sept. 1, 2015 will be authorized an Author Exclusive discount of 40% from the cover price, for 1-49 books, but publishing packages purchased prior to Aug 31, 2015 would only be authorized an Author Exclusive discount of 30%, for 1-49 books. I believe that this new uninformed price change was in violation of my established contract with Trafford Publication. Additionally, the price change does not make sense. The printing costs should be the same for books published before or after the established cut-off dates listed above. I am an eighty-nine year old retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and after   twenty-two years of active service, was a captain for Japan Airlines for five years, a charter pilot in Iran during the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, 1976 to 1979, and twenty years as an FAA pilot inspector. My non-fiction books capture my exciting life and provides interesting reading. I attend local air shows and book signings as a hobby and enjoy sharing my experiences as long as I’m physically able. However,  maintaining a completive price for my books is becoming difficult. Increasing the purchase price will make it more difficult to continue in this pursuit. I believe that Author solutions should, for future book orders, continue to honor the Author Exclusive price established in my publishing packages with Trafford Publications. Considering that my three books have generated the printing of more than 5,500 books I believe this would be the equitable solution to the problem.   Sincerely,    
Regards,
[redacted]

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for the opportunity to explain the payment history and refund for Ms. [redacted]s project. On July 22, 2016, Ms. [redacted] purchased the Discover BW publishing package for the discounted price of $675.  She chose to pay for the package using a three installment payment plan...

which added a non- refundable $30 payment plan fee, making her purchase total $705.  On that day, Ms. [redacted] verbally agreed to the Payment Plan, the payment amounts and auto-installments occurring on the same day of the month in the following two months, as well as the terms of the Services Agreement. The initial payment of $255 was taken that day securing the package price.  Ms. [redacted] returned the signed Services Agreement that day. Ms. [redacted] called on August 17, 2016, asking that the second payment, due to be taken on August 22, 2016, be delayed until September 3rd.  However, payments are automated and cannot be delayed or moved, as stated in the Payment Plan Agreement, section 4. Payment Schedule, “You may not skip or change payment dates.”  Because of this, she mentioned cancelling her package. Her publishing consultant, Justin C[redacted], spoke with her and explained that if she proceeded with cancellation, she would have the $150 set up fee withheld from the amount paid as is stated in her services agreement.  In their conversation they talked about letting the second payment decline and incurring the $30 payment plan default fee and then calling us to make the second payment on September 3rd as she had wished.  However, the second payment was allowed by her bank for its full amount on August 22, 2016 as scheduled and did not decline.  According to Ms. [redacted], this overdrew her account.  The rules governing the management of her bank account are private and between her and her bank.  We recognize that this situation is stressful to her, however, we have no prevue over how she manages the monies in her account and cannot accept responsibility for any bank fees that are incurred due to insufficient funds at the time we process payment through the payment information supplied to us by our clients. On August 26, 2016, the payment plan department spoke with Ms. [redacted] about the second payment.  She asked that it be returned, which she was told cannot be done.  She decided that she would cancel her publishing package.  A refund request was submitted at that time. Under the section “Termination and Refunds” section of Ms. [redacted]s signed Services Agreement, copy attached, it states: For Publishing Packages: Prior to submission of Your Manuscript ? 0-90 calendar days after the purchase: 100% of purchase price, less $150 or 10% of the purchase price, whichever is greater ? 91-180 calendar days after the purchase: 50% of purchase price ? More than 180 calendar days after the purchase: No Refund         The non-refundable payment plan fee is outlined in the Payment Plan Agreement, copy attached, in section 3 as follows: 3. Non-refundable processing fee. A one-time, non-refundable processing fee of $30.00 (Processing Fee") will be assessed and added to Your first payment under this Payment Contract. If You later seek, or become eligible, for a refund pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Processing Fee shall not be refunded and shall be deducted from the amount of any refund issued to You.   Ms. [redacted] had made two payments when her refund request was made--the initial payment of $255 and the second payment of $225, totaling $480. Subsequently, the $150 set up fee was withheld from the monies paid along with the $30 non-refundable payment plan fee, making her eligible for a refund of $300. Her refund was approved on September 1, 2016 and paid by the finance department on September 6, 2016 to the credit card used to make the payments.  The refund was made in two transactions on the same day; transaction IDs: [redacted] for $225 and [redacted] for $75. Ms. [redacted] states that her calls have not been returned.  After running a call report for the phone number on file, report attached, it appears that Ms. [redacted] either speaks with someone at the time of the call or her voicemail is returned.  There is no evidence of calls not being returned. In closing, Ms. [redacted] was refunded according to the refund schedule stated in her signed Services Agreement.  The eligible refund amount was returned on September 6, 2016 to the credit card used to make the purchase. A review of incoming and outgoing phone call activity for her phone number found no deficiency in our response to her calls. Sincerely, Elaine H[redacted] Manager of Author Satisfaction

Dear Revdex.com, Thank you for giving us the opportunity to address Mr. [redacted]’s publishing package refund concerns and to complete his request. On June 27, 2016, he purchased the Video Plus Publishing Package from WestBow for $3499.50. Also included with this order was our Data Entry Service for $84. He...

elected to pay in installments which added a non-refundable $75 Payment Plan Fee for a grand total of $3658.50. On June 28, 2016 we received his signed Self-Publishing Services Agreement and Installment Payment Plan Agreement (copies attached). An initial payment of $970.86 was charged to Mr. [redacted]’s credit card at the time of the order with the remaining three (3) installment s scheduled for auto-charge on the same day of month in the following three months. Per the terms of the arrangements, a second payment of $895.88 was charged to Mr. [redacted]’s credit card on July 27, 2016 leaving an open order balance of $1791.76. Refund Request On July 29, 2016, we received this filing and initiated a review of his concern. We found the following: On June 30th he contacted us asking to cancel his project. The operator advised that he would need to speak with his Publishing Consultant, Kate L[redacted], to facilitate his request; however, she was not available at the time.  On July 1, 2016, his refund request was entered into our system by his Check-In Coordinator, Lauren H[redacted] for review by the Publishing Consultant. The steps to complete the refund were not followed causing his refund to be unfulfilled. On July 29th, upon receipt of the complaint, we made every effort to expedite the refund request and were able to complete it that day. Per his signed Self Publishing Services Agreement (section 8.2), he is eligible for 100% of the amount paid in for his Publishing Package less a $150 setup fee and the $75 payment plan fee. He made two payments totaling $1866.74. As of this writing, $1641.74 has been returned to the credit card used to make the purchase. The remaining two (2) payment of the payment plan have been cancelled. In closing, we apologize for the delay in processing Mr. [redacted]’s refund. On July, 29, 2016, $1641.74 was returned to his credit card, transaction IDs [redacted] and [redacted]. Sincerely, Elaine H[redacted] Manager of Author Satisfaction

Thank you for the opportunity to describe thesteps we are taking to complete Mr. [redacted] resubmission of his book. Mr. [redacted] seeks either the completion ofthe revision of his book project, “[redacted]” or a refund for the publishing services he...

purchased in 2005 and2006 from Trafford Publishing, a Canadian company located in British Columbia.  In 2009, Trafford Publishing was acquired byAuthor Solutions, a US company. Refund EligibilityWe acknowledge that in August of 2010 Mr. [redacted]contacted your office and a year later in August of 2011 the Attorney General’soffice.  Both of these filings requested therefund of monies paid to Trafford Publishing of British Columbia prior to theacquisition by Author Solutions. Copies of both our responses are attached foryour reference.  Both your office and theAttorney General closed the files offering no recommendations.   In June 2010, his book project was cancelled athis request and he requested a refund then.  According to the terms of the acquisition AuthorSolutions can honor cancellation requests; however, any refund requests for purchasespaid to Trafford prior to the acquisition are to be addressed by the BritishColumbia Trafford.  InAugust 2010 he decided to reinstate the project and proceed with revisions tohis book, stating that his changes would be provided with instructions by theend of 2010.   Almost five (5) years later, in Mary 2015, Mr.[redacted] revised manuscript was received.   Book Preparation Timeline FactorsInterior and cover design layout are normallycompleted within 10 business days after the receipt of the manuscript. We haveexplained to Mr. [redacted] that the length of time it takes to create theproofs is also dependent on factors such as the usability of the manuscriptwhen it is received, clarity of the instructions, complexity of the layout anddesign specifications, and use of images (graphics, photos, tables, charts, maps,etc.), indexes, bibliographies, endnotes, and footnotes.    The preparation of Mr. [redacted] book hasseveral special considerations:·        Mr. [redacted] published manuscript had195,549 words.  The revised rawmanuscript he sent has 984,147 words, an increase of over five (5) times thewords. ·        Mr. [redacted] also requested a two-columntext layout per page which is a non-standard layout requiring additional timeto prepare.  A sample of the submittedlayout is attached for reference. ·        The distribution network does not support the7x10 trim size of the original book.  Heagreed to change the trim size to a similar size, 6X9 that does accommodatedistribution.     Thepublication timeline is also dependent on how long it takes the author toreview the galley proofs and the number of corrections they make.  Considering the number of words involved theauthor review will also be time consuming. Galleys As ofthis writing, our Production Team has yet to receive Mr. [redacted] feedbackon the cover galley which was initially sent for review on July 8thand again on July 10th and 14th. The most recent emailrequesting feedback is attached for your reference.   Our production team is still creating theinterior proofs and his Publishing Services Assistant (PSA) is in touch withhim regularly regarding its status.  Asof Friday, July 24th, with 80% of the manuscript formatted and a 9.5point font, the page count has reached 1,401, a number which exceeds theprinter page limit of 1200 pages. To accommodate the page count parameters, Mr.[redacted] will need to make a decision on whether to separate the work intoseveral volumes or eliminate text to meet the page limit. Although he may alsoto choose to increase the trim size to 8.5X11, the page count will still exceedthe maximum.   Marketing Offers Throughphone calls and emails, Marketing Consultants bring information and extend marketingand promotional service offers to authors to assist them in generatingawareness of their work.  The choice toinvest in any offer is solely at the author’s discretion which Mr. [redacted]states he exercised.  Should Mr.[redacted] desire to no longer be informed of these offers, he may request aDo-No-Contact designation be affixed to his file. Areview of the conversations between Mr. [redacted] and his marketing consultantfound that in a discussion of the Gold Seal Program, the consultant offered anincentive of up to $1000 off revision costs for his book with the purchase ofthe Gold Seal Program.  We found norecord of acceptance or rejection of the offer.  A description of the Gold Seal Program may beviewed on the Trafford website at http://www.trafford.com/Servicestore/ServiceDetail.aspx?ServiceId=PKG-834  In summary, in 2010 Mr.[redacted] refund request was denied. He chose to submit revisions and proceed with the project.   Traffordhas allotted the necessary resources to complete Mr. [redacted] resubmission.  The timeline exceeds the norm due to the shearlength of the manuscript and other special considerations.  Should Mr. [redacted] desire to no longer becontacted with marketing offers, he may request the Do-Not-Contact status formarketing opportunities be placed in his file. Sincerely, Elaine [redacted]Manager of Author Satisfaction

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
This response is unacceptable. I have attached the paperwork that was sent to me and my word that sales person Adrian R[redacted] explained the 100% program. Never did he mention it goes into effect the following quarter. I would not have spent the additional cost if that was explained to me. As with any new product the initial introduction is important capitalizing on the freshness. I did a faceBook media blitz in the hopes of attracting more buyers. I realize my sales were not huge, however they were acceptable to a new author as myself. My son and I have a book signing scheduled for later in May to generate more buzz and hopefully more sales. In the Services Agreement 7.1 D it staters 100% royalties for books sold. The explanation of my accepting the up sell to the !00% royalties is in writing by Xlibris on August 30,2016 yet it is mentioned this agreement went into effect on Dec. 12, 2016. My book was released the first week of December. Why would a royalties package be introduced an signed after the book is released. If you notice on the sales agreement that I signed there is no date listed, where did it go? I find the explanations vague and ambiguous. Something it seems they are hiding behind. The negative reviews they will receive by me could cause more damage then the dollars im seeking to make me happy.
Regards,
[redacted]

Dear Revdex.com,   Thank you for the opportunity to review our offer for making modifications to Mr. [redacted]’ book.   First, we would like to restate two statements made in our original response. On August 3 while his Publishing Services Rep was conducting a QA check of the cover and interior title page she found that the middle initial was on the cover but missing from the interior page. She contacted Mr. [redacted] to confirm that he preferred the middle initial be used. We had previously stated, in error, that he contacted her.The second set of approval forms signed that day also reflected the suggested retail pricing change we were able to obtain for him at his request.   Per the terms of our publishing services agreements, during the preparation of the book, authors are responsible for reviewing the galley proofs of their work and alerting us to any modifications, additions, changes or deletions they desire to have implemented. Approval forms are sent with each galley and clearly caution the author to carefully review the formatting and text of the proofing file before authorizing the work for print. As noted in our original response, Mr. [redacted]’ actions in requesting multiple rounds of changes for the interior of his book before approving it, indicates that he recognized the importance of reviewing his work.   The form also states that any corrections requested AFTER the work has been released will incur fees. With his signed approval Mr. [redacted] released his book’s files to print exactly as they appeared.   Recently Mr. [redacted] provided a list of the errors he states were not in the final galley but appeared in the printer copy. His list of concerns included misspellings, run-on words, use of an apostrophe, capitalization of first letters or whole words, use of bold text within stanzas, existence of extra punctuation, missing quotation marks, a line of text in a quote that should not be there, a missing blank page and the readability of red text on last the page.   To determine where and by whom these errors were introduced we compared the original manuscript he submitted, the first galley we prepared and sent him and the final (sixth) galley which he approved and was used by the printer.   We found the following: The misspellings, run-on words, apostrophe usage, capitalization and use of bold text, extra punctuation, missing quotation marks, and the line of text that should not be there---all appeared in his original submission, in the first galley and all subsequent galley files including the final one sent to the printer..The blank page was part of the original manuscript and the first, second and third galleys. It is not in the fourth, fifth or final galley. Mr. [redacted] approved the final galley with the page missing. In the final galley on the last page, the placement of the red text and the scripture notation moved upward on the graphic, affecting its readability. He approved the galley with the placement moved up on the graphic.     We agree that it is unfortunate that the vast majority of these “errors” began with his original submission and carried forward thru all six (6) galleys without him discovering them in his review of any of the galleys.   Because all of the elements on his list are found in the final galley he approved, we feel our offer of a 35% discount is more than equitable.   Sincerely,   Elaine H[redacted] Manager of Author Satisfaction