Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/04/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Authors Press scammed me out of $25000.00. They took advantage of me when I was sick and going through cancer treatments to fight leukemia. Even worse, they havent paid me any of my royalties for over a year now. My book is selling on ****** and they are keeping all of the profits. They dont answer phone calls or emails. I blamed the Better Business Bureau because Authors Press boasted that they are backed by the Better Business Bureau, I thought that being the case, they were a good publisher. I paid $6000.00 to produce my childrens book with them and another $6000.00 for on location interviews which they printed the final version of the book with a spelling mistake in the title and numerous spelling errors throughout the book. When I pointed out the spelling mistake on the front cover of my book, they took down the U-tube On Location video that they charged me $6000.00 for. The book was also in the website that they made me. When I pointed out the error in the website they stroked the book out of the website. They pressured me to pay for various book fairs and $3500.00 to list the book in ***************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/02/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I published a book through this company (Author Press) four years. I was receiving royalties at the beginning. I havent received a royalty check in the last two years. When I speak to someone about the issue. I get the run around. I have been calling lately but they will not accept my calls

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/27/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I published my book "Meet Beans and ********************* Puppies" with Authors Press and they have not paid me the royalties owed for 2024 thus far. They do not answer the phones and all email attempts have been returned undeliverable. *********************, the owner said she was reorganizing the company and never replied to my constant email request.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/25/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In late 2023, a **** from Authors press called me about my ********** search results on amazon. The *** explained that it had been marked as a possibility to be included in their bookstore in California & that they also had relationships with bigger publishers who could help get my book more exposure. The *** asked if I had heard of the international book fair in ****** that helped put lesser known books in front of industry professionals. The *** said Authors Press could ***resent me & feature my book in their booth at this event. On 2-5-24, I paid authors press $500 to participate in the London event. The cost would include paper copies of my book on display in the booth & in their store. I paid an additional $75 to send those copies to them. The service also boasted a social media campaign & presence for my book on all their pages & channels. They said I would get a link to their live feed during the event as well as a post fulfillment ***ort within a month of the event showcasing what they promised. The london event took place in mid March of 2024. On 2/27/24 I paid Authors Press $200 for author materials to be handed out during the event specifically business ************ marks that Authors press would design & print with my approval. I explained to ***************************, that I wasnt told about this added expense sooner & that it was an imposition on my budget as a single mother. The same week of this event in ****** I was contacted about participating in a similar event in **. They said this would put books on the radar of producers of films or tv shows based on books they find at this event. I paid $500 to participate in the LA event. After I received the ***orts, I see displays did not feature the books I sent or the materials I paid for. Then came a cryptic email about having to fire ***s who mis***resented Authors press by saying they had relationships with publishers. My *** was fired, but now I cant get in contact with anyone at all.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/16/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Authors Press (AP) contacted me by phone on July 25, 2023, introducing themselves as a literary endorsement agency offering to promote my self-published book. They told me my book had been endorsed by their in-house panel of book reviewers and wanted to help me get it endorsed by a traditional publishing company. This email said AP was a BBB-accredited company and included other resources to reassure me they were a legitimate and upstanding organization. July 27, AP notified me that ********* had agreed to have my book be a part of their top 16 recommended books for one of the Friday Weekend Editions. I was told the only thing it would cost me was $3500. I paid for the service on August 1 by credit card. August 31, ** told me a traditional publisher was interested in my book, but I needed four professional reviews written. I was told that the reviews would help me get branded. They listed four professional book review companies whom they would use. I researched these companies to see if they were legitimate, and they were. September 28, I paid $5600 for the four reviews. By the end of October, neither the ********* feature nor any reviews were completed. ** kept telling me not to worry and that they were working on completing the projects. I was told that ********* would feature my book in the January publication.When I looked into each of the four professional review companies, their websites stated that the turnaround time to have your book reviewed was between three weeks and two months.December 18, 2023, I started asking for a refund. I have asked multiple times with no response. In January I was assigned a new agent, *********************, who promised to complete the projects. However, I discovered that the reviews had yet to be initiated. I have informed the agent that it does not take seven months to complete a book review and that the ********* campaign has never happened; it was promised to run in January. I have not received the services.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/07/2024

  Authors Press (AP) contacted me by phone on July 25, 2023, introducing themselves as a literary endorsement agency offering to promote my self-published book. They told me my book had been endorsed by their in-house panel of book reviewers and wanted to help me get it endorsed by a traditional publishing company. This email said AP was a BBB-accredited company and included other resources to reassure me they were a legitimate and upstanding organization. July 27, AP notified me that ********* had agreed to have my book be a part of their top 16 recommended books for one of the Friday Weekend Editions. I was told the only thing it would cost me was $3500. I paid for the service on August 1 by credit card. August 31, ** told me a traditional publisher was interested in my book, but I needed four professional reviews written. I was told that the reviews would help me get branded. They listed four professional book review companies whom they would use. I researched these companies to see if they were legitimate, and they were. September 28, I paid $5600 for the four reviews. By the end of October, neither the ********* feature nor any reviews were completed. ** kept telling me not to worry and that they were working on completing the projects. I was told that ********* would feature my book in the January publication. When I looked into each of the four professional review companies, their websites stated that the turnaround time to have your book reviewed was between three weeks and two months. December 18, 2023, I started asking for a refund. I have asked multiple times with no response. In January I was assigned a new agent, *********************, who promised to complete the projects. However, I discovered that the reviews had yet to be initiated. I have informed the agent that it does not take seven months to complete a book review and that the ********* campaign has never happened; it was promised to run in January. I have not received the services.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/22/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company needs to be charged with false advertising. They add a hidden one time fee after clearly showing the price. Then they send an email with ebooks immediately and then claim they cannot refund the money. Its a complete scam.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/01/2024

  Response to Complaint Regarding False Advertising

  Hi ***********************,

   We have recently received your complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau regarding false advertising and additional hidden fees. We take customer concerns seriously, and we appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention. However, upon reviewing our records, we are unable to locate your information or any corresponding transactions. 

  
  We want to clarify that our company does not engage in false advertising practices or add hidden fees after clearly displaying the price. We strive to maintain transparency and ensure that our customers are fully informed about the costs associated with their purchases.
  
  Furthermore, we do not initiate automatic charges without the customer's explicit consent. If you made any purchases through our website, we urge you to provide us with your name and any relevant information, so we can investigate the matter thoroughly and assist you accordingly.
  
  In order to address your concerns effectively, we kindly request you to provide us with your full name, contact information, and details of the transactions in question. This will enable us to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter and provide you with a satisfactory resolution.
  
  Once we receive the requested information, we will promptly review our records and reach out to you with further assistance. We are committed to resolving this issue and ensuring your satisfaction as our valued customer.
  
  Thank you for your cooperation, and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
  
  Sincerely,

   

  Authors Press

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21179153
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  the fact that they are stating they have no record of my transaction should be enough to tell you they are dishonest. You just look for my name and you will see exactly what I purchased. You advertise the price and then tag on a one time fee. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/10/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear BBB,My complaint with Authors Press is simple. I have a new publisher and I want to end my contract with them henceforth, but they seem to not want to let me go. I've continually called them about this end of contract and they reply with the same message that they will 'get back to me' but never have. They have also given me the excuse that my chief consultant is on "leave'. They gave me that excuse with my first consultant that they were on "leave". I am done. If I have to take legal matters to ensure that my writing is no longer tainted by Authors Press then I will. I'm not even demanding the refund of the Movie book trailer for "White **** Part II" which was never made, even though I am legally owed that refund considering I made the investment of $4,000, which would bring my refund to the amount of $1,250. My writing deserves better

  Business Response

  Date: 01/10/2024

  Dear BBB,
  
  We would like to address the complaint filed by Mr. ****** ********************* regarding his contract termination with Authors Press. We understand his desire to end the contract and would like to clarify the steps we have taken to address his concerns.
  
  As soon as ************** requested contract termination, our Chief Executive personally reached out to him to discuss the matter. We value ************** as one of our esteemed authors and wanted to ensure his satisfaction. During the conversation, we presented him with options for a 50% refund, taking into consideration the work that had already been done on his behalf.
  
  It is important to note that the refund cannot be provided in full as it has already been utilized to purchase the videos used in ****************** Book Trailer and compensate our film editors.( This was explained to him).  Our team has dedicated significant time and effort to create the video, and ************** had already made multiple corrections to ensure it met his expectations.
  
  Despite our efforts to find a resolution, ************** declined both the 50% refund and the alternative option of a Book Exhibit in the ****** Book Fair. We respect his decision, and in response, we informed him that our legal department would contact him to provide the necessary documentation for contract termination.
  
  While we regret to see ************** go, we understand and respect his decision. We have always strived to provide the best services to our authors, and we are disappointed that we were unable to meet ****************** expectations in this case.
  
  If you require any further information or documentation regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We appreciate your attention to this complaint and will continue to work towards resolving any outstanding issues.
  

  Please see attached form. 

  
  Sincerely,

  Authors Press

  Information Department

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/11/2024

   
  Complaint: 21118222
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have not yet received the legal documents for me to sign in order for me to terminate my contract with Authors Press.

  Only then will I accept their response.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/25/2024

  I was told by the chief executive director ********************* that the legal department of Authors Press would be sending me the contract termination documents for me to sign. This was January 10th. Authors Press cannot hold my contract hostage. I make the decisions and I am the boss when it comes to who I want as my publisher. Legally Authors Press must adhere to my demands of contract termination or I will have to take further legal actions.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/22/2022

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Sept. 22, 2022 I received 2 phone calls from Authors Press telling me my book has been chosen. I'm not a published author. Both calls I have been hung up on before I could tell them to remove my number from their system. Both calls were done by a someone who's second language was barely English, it was very difficult to understand the person on the other line.... this company is a scam set-up and should be shut down

  Business Response

  Date: 10/05/2022

  Hi *****************,

   

  First, we apologize for calling the wrong person. When you called back, one of our customer representatives told you that you would be put on our DO NOT CALL LIST as you have mentioned that you are not one of our Authors and not an Author. 
  
  Please note that our customer representatives speak bilingually. We speak Spanish and English. Again we will put you on our DO NOT CALL LIST, and we apologize for the inconvenience. Have a great rest of your day. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/08/2022

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I contracted with Authors Press to market my book (100 Years of Deception). The primary element of this campaign was to run a Labor Day weekend ad with ********** Prior to Labor Day weekend, I asked Authors Press to let me edit the ad they created for my book. They always had an excuse to not do this. In any case the ad ran on weekend in question, but there was a critical problem; the ad provided the Author Press website (www.authorspress.com) as the place to purchase my book, instead of my book's website (www.alanadaschik.com), the problem being that my book did not appear anywhere in the Author Press website, making it impossible for a reader to purchase my book unless they took the initiative and do a ****** search for my book. In other words, I paid Authors Press $3,500 for an ad in ********* that discourage readers from purchasing my book, all because they refused to allow me to proof my ad.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/22/2022

  Consumer called on 9/22/22 to state that business has agreed to rerun his add and he considers the matter resolved.

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/09/2022

  From: ************************* <******************>
  Sent: Wednesday, November 9, 2022 8:41 AM
  To: *************************** <****************************************>
  Cc: ********************************** <**********************************>; ********************************* <*********************************>; pats@bbbemail <pats@bbbemail>; info@bbbemail <info@bbbemail>
  Subject: My Long Lost Ad

   

  Dusitin:

   

  I paid your company $3,500.00 for an ad in USA Today.  When the ad appeared, it failed to provide readers with the *** of my book's website.  What appeared, was the *** of your company's website, the problem being that my book does not appear on your website.  This being the case, the probability of a potential buyer conducting a web search is not likely, thus my losing this sale.  Compounding this situation is the fact that I pleaded with you and other Authors Press employees to allow me to proof my ad before it went to publication.  Inexplicably, this never happened.

   

  Because of the above transpiring's, I reported your company to the Better Business Buerau.  Subsequent to my doing so, *************************** called me and gave assurances that Author Press will re-run my revised ad at no cost to me.  In light of this new commitment, you asked me to suspend my complaint with BBB, which I did.

   

  My complaint with the BBB occurred in early september.  Now here we are, two months later, and you still have not provided me with a publishing date for my revised ad.  Furthermore, you have not provided me with sample ad to proof, once again, despite the fact that I have asked you to do this several times.

   

  At this point, I have lost faith in your company's commitment to make me whole.  This being the case.  I am requesting that the BBB re-file my complain.  I am sorry that it has come to this, but your intransigence has left me with no choice.

   

  Yours in disappointment,

   

  *************************

  100 Years of Deception

  Business Response

  Date: 11/09/2022

  Hello ********************,
  
  
  It is unfortunate to hear back from you through this complaint, I understand your sentiments and as per what we informed your author advisor as well as what I mentioned in my response to your previous complaint; we will run your ad again for free and have it featured again in the upcoming release of the ********* ad with your correct domain name. And this is for one time courtesy. If you don't mind, send your correct domain name/website to your consultant.  
  
  As soon as we will get the final date of release from USAToday Newspaper advertising, we will let you know. 
  
  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/11/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************