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Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) advises consumers to use caution if considering doing business with Great Writers Media LLC, a Palmyra, Missouri-based book marketing business. Consumers reported to BBB the company failed to deliver items, provide refunds, or communicate with them about their orders.
Great Writers Media LLC has an “F” rating, the lowest on BBB’s scale, due to unanswered complaints. The business also has received several negative customer reviews.
It is one of five businesses operating out of 116 E. Lafayette Street in Palmyra. The other businesses are 411 Socials LLC, Writer’s Nest Enterprise LLC, Cornerstone Literary Solutions LLC and Book Builder Studio LLC. BBB has received complaints about Great Writer’s Media LLC and 411 Socials LLC.
A woman from Highland Park, Illinois, told BBB she was contacted by a Great Writers Media LLC representative in April 2024. The company wanted to help her market a children’s book she recently published. She told BBB she paid the company just over $1,800.
The woman said she quickly cancelled the deal. She said she lost a dispute with her credit card company and that Great Writers Media LLC would not issue a refund.
“Nothing ever happened,” she said. “I realized it was all bogus after I looked into it a little bit.”
A Newark, N.J., man told BBB he paid Great Writers Media LLC $1,500 to reprint a book. He said he was to receive royalties from sales through the company. He said that the book was published, but he never received any royalties.
“This has turned out to be a big waste of money,” he told BBB. “I’d go months without hearing from them.”
A San Antonio, Texas, woman told BBB she was contacted in September 2024 by a representative with 411 Socials LLC. The person claimed a large publishing house was offering her a deal. She said she paid 411 Socials LLC $6,000 for marketing. She said that once she made the final payment she never heard from the company again.
“They just kept stringing me along week after week, month after month,” she told BBB.
According to Missouri secretary of state records, Great Writers Media LLC registered with the state in April 2024. Missouri secretary of state records show 411 Socials LLC registered in October 2024, Writer’s Nest Enterprise LLC in February 2024 and Cornerstone Literary Solutions LLC in November 2024. BBB could not find state registration for Book Builder Studio LLC. Nemelinda Albe Rediske is listed as the registered agent and organizer for those businesses registered with Missouri secretary of state.
Great Writers Media LLC did not respond to a BBB letter emailed to it regarding how it plans to address its pattern of customer complaints. It also did not respond to a call made to it by a BBB investigator.
BBB offers these tips on finding trustworthy marketing agencies:
- Research any business and its owners carefully before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at BBB.org or by calling 888-996-3887.
- Be wary of extraordinary claims. If a company makes claims that it can make you rich quickly, you need to investigate their claim before agreeing to do business with them.
- Try contacting several different vendors and getting estimates. Remember that the lowest estimate not always be the best for you depending on your situation.
- Know what is in the contract. Before paying any money, get the company’s refund and exchange policies in writing. Understand any cancellation policies if you decide you need to cancel.
- If you feel like you have been wronged, file complaints with BBB and the state’s attorney general’s office.
BBB St. Louis contributed this article.
