ComplaintsforLulu Press, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  12/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On December 2nd, 2023, I wanted to self-publish my first book through Global Distribution. I've purchased my own **** via ******, and wanted to use that **** for my first book.In the segment where I input all of my information for the ***** Lulu claims that the **** was already in use, thus, halting my progress in self-publishing. However, the **** I purchased was never used, and I contacted ****** to confirm that. ****** told me to contact Lulu, but they [Lulu] do not provide convenient service via phone call for customer support; only the flawed ticket system. I am unable to start my first book due to this false claim that my **** has already been used. I just need a more reliable and faster way to contact Lulu to resolve this issue.

  

  Business response

  12/05/2023

  Thank you for reaching out to Lulu via the BBB.

  Our support staff is available via email or chat Monday - Friday. We found a support ticket that was submitted on Saturday, December 2nd and see that an agent responded to you on Monday, December 4th.

  As it appears that the agent was able to help with the issue you described, we will consider the matter resolved at this time. If you have further questions, please reply to the email from the agent and they will be happy to assist you.

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  11/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I discovered Lulu and have since recommended Lulu to friends wanting books published. I have done layout for books for 2 friends in particular. Interestingly, 1st set of books for both friends were defective. I didn't leave Lulu; Lulu has guarantee: "If you receive damaged, defective, or incorrectly packaged items, we are happy to provide a replacement copy.... Providing digital images with your initial support request will speed up the resolution." I trusted that guarantee. Interestingly, the guarantee doesn't require digital images; it just says that digital images will "speed up" the request. I nevertheless sent digital images for all of the errors.I decided not to demand that Lulu replace the first book. The error was undeniable (color scale printed on the cover over the cover picture). But we made other changes to the book.But I have asked for the other 4 books to be replaced. We ordered 18; the 4 defective books included multiple errors including white patches on the cover, a third of the book missing, misaligned pages so that the book wouldn't lay flat.We first asked for the books to be replaced in May. Lulu has most recently said they'd offer a coupon. A coupon is not of value if we separate orders, which is sometimes necessary. And we don't know how many more books we will need. Honestly, we'd prefer simply that the 4 books be replaced, but we're open to Lulu deducting the cost of the books from a previous order. Lulu won't do that either. That isn't to our benefit, though, b/c then we'd be covering the shipping.I've tried working with Lulu but I'm tired & I don't appreciate the insinuation that Im not telling the truth. There have been documented errors with the 1st 2 orders placed, and I still stayed loyal. I believe that mistakes don't define an org, it's how you handle those mistakes. And we have kept placing orders, even with additional books. I just want the first 4 errors replaced. Can you please make that happen?

  

  Business response

  11/21/2023

  Thank you for reaching out to Lulu via the BBB.

  We see that a member of ********* team is currently working the ticket that you submitted.

  Please note, defects, damage, or incorrect packaging must be verified by a member of ********* team. If a defect is verified, usually via images provided by the customer; we will replace those items. We do ask that communication is initiated and images are provided within a timely manner to allow us to best diagnose and correct any issues that *** have occurred.

  That being said, the agent handling your ticket will be replying by the end of the day with additional details about your books and a resolution to the concerns you have addressed.

  Thank you for creating with Lulu and we look forward to your future projects!

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

  Customer response

  11/21/2023

   
  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.  Thank you BBB and Lulu for helping us reach a resolution!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I've constantly asked about my revenue earnings that I earned from the purchasing of my books directly through their website. I've watch people purchased the book right in from of me and it doesn't show that the book was purchased on the website shortening me of my earned revenue that I'm ***********. When I question the matter I was told to call back and it would be all cleared up and now every number I call no longer works and I've email multiple people within the company and still no response. But they're still able to accept my money online as well as my supporters.

  

  Business response

  09/27/2023

  Thank you for reaching out to Lulu via the BBB.

  We were able to locate the support ticket that you submitted yesterday and see that an agent responded to it this morning.

  If you have any further questions or concerns, please reply to the email from the agent and they will be happy to assist you.

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This was, from beginning to end, nothing short of the least professional series of interactions I've ever had the misfortune of having. /Re: Support Ticket #****** filed August 15, 2023 /I paid for printing 11 copies of my book. I was shipped unprofessional print-quality products: the pages were printed skewed as though the cutting process was misaligned, and there were irregular white bars on every page despite my properly formatting my book for full-bleed printing by Lulu Press's specifications. /I complained; Lulu Press eventually, after 3 days, got back to me by summarily terminating my account without sufficient explanation, implying that I had violated another entity's copyright. That is untrue; I immediately replied upon receipt saying I had not, and I received no response. There was no challenge process provided. I needed these books by a certain deadline, but the clear impression this left on me is that they didn't want to deal with their own mistake, but rather just pin it on me. /So, ********************** left me high and dry having missed an important deadline, still out money despite being told I'd receive a refund within a "few business days." I haven't even received that yet, either, despite it now having been longer than merely a "few" business days by this point.

  

  Business response

  08/29/2023

  We are sorry to hear about your poor experience with Lulu.
  
  Our ** teams interactions generally do not contain the same level of service with potential infringers as the rest of our support team; however, if the other party demonstrates they were within their rights to publish the material, then the normal level of service should return. We do apologize as in this case that did not occur.
  
  There does appear to have been a problem with the refund that was issued when the email was initially sent; however, we were able to fix that and get the refund processed. Please check with your bank or card company for fund availability.
  
  We also asked ********* team to review the files and they were able to confirm that the printing was defective from the images you submitted. As you have already received a full refund, we are not able to do a reprint; however, if you would like to order the books again, we would be happy to provide you with a coupon for 20% off your order and refund your shipping to try and help get things back on track.
  
  Please reply to the email with the ** team if you would like us to generate the 20% off coupon for you as we will not be able to post it here on the BBB.
  
  Again, we apologize for the poor experience. We hope to hear from you so that we can begin moving things back in the right direction.

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

  Customer response

  09/02/2023

   
  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,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Dear Better Business Bureau,I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the products and customer service I have received from **********************. I placed an order for 11 journals on 7/25/23 (Order #******), which I received on 8/5/23. Upon reviewing the order, I discovered numerous issues including double-sided printing, bleed-through, and color variations.After filing a support ticket with Lulu on 8/6/23, I received responses starting on 8/8/23. I provided photographic evidence of the quality concerns on 8/10 and 8/11/23. Lulu acknowledged the problems on 8/11/23 and agreed to reprint the journals. However, when I received the reprinted journals on 8/22, I was dismayed to find that they exhibited the exact same quality issues as the initial order.I promptly contacted Lulu again and provided additional photos as requested, but I received explanations for the quality issues and suggestions for using different paper and ink instead of a resolution to the problem. On 8/23, I questioned why Lulu would pass the reprint through a quality check that clearly did not address the existing problems. I have documented evidence of these interactions.Today, on 8/25, I received a response from Lulu stating that they are unable to meet my printing specifications for this order. Their proposed solution is a mere 20% discount on my next order. This is both unacceptable and insulting, as I am left with unusable products that prevent me from fulfilling my customers' orders. I have spent weeks attempting to resolve this matter with no satisfactory outcome.I now find myself with materials that are not fit for purpose and a complete lack of viable solutions from Lulu. As a result, I am seeking your assistance in obtaining a postage-paid return label to send back these defective materials and a full refund for my purchase.

  

  Business response

  08/28/2023

  Thank you for contacting Lulu via the BBB.

  We were able to locate your support ticket (******) and see that a member of our print team has been assisting you.

  While a reprint was ordered for you to see if another variation of the Standard Color would work for you, we see that ************** has consistently recommended making changes to your project in order to get it to print more consistently and the way you are expecting. The printed journals were not found to have quality issues from the manufacturing process, but rather from the options chosen during the creation of the book.

  As per the email from August 11, ************** recommended choosing either Standard Color with 80 lb. paper, or changing the ink type to Premium Color with the 60 lb. or 80 lb. paper. The uploaded files have high ink coverage which is not recommended for Standard Color printing. We are providing the link to the article again here that explains more about this: ******************************************************************************************

  Printing books and choosing the best options for your work is part science and a little bit of print, revise, print again. This is why we always recommend that creators purchase a single sample copy before making a purchase of multiple copies. This way if any changes need to be made, they can be done at minimal cost to the creator.

  If you wish to see the price differences between what you currently have created and the recommendations ************** provided, please check out our Pricing Calculator here: ******************************************
  There you will be able to put in your book size and page count, and then choose the Premium Color option as well as see the different paper types and costs.

  As the books thus far have printed within specifications, they are not considered defective. While we are not able to offer a refund at this point, the member of ************** who was assisting you before will be happy to answer additional questions about the printing process or help you understand more about the selections offered in the book creation tool. In addition to the future discount on an order of 20%; we will also add the following. If you choose to revise your project and take advantage of our Premium Color option (with either the 60 or 80 lb. paper, we will send you a single sample copy free of charge so that you can see if it better fits your needs. Please reach out via your ticket to take advantage of this offer.

  Thank you for your understanding and for creating with Lulu.

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

  Customer response

  08/28/2023

   
  Complaint: 20523716

  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I appreciate your response and the effort your team has put into assisting me. However, I find myself questioning the logic behind your recommendations to change the paper and ink color in order to eliminate color variations and double-sided printing. If these changes were indeed necessary to achieve the desired quality, it raises concerns about the integrity of the initial printing process.

  Your suggestion to reprint the journals with different options, while simultaneously indicating that these options would result in poor quality, strikes me as a contradiction. It's challenging to comprehend why there would be an attempt to rectify quality issues with options that are already deemed to be of lesser quality.

  This situation seems perplexing and raises doubts about the consistency of your quality control and decision-making process. I strongly believe that if these recommended changes were the only solution, creating a sample based on these suggestions would have been a more prudent approach. This would have provided a tangible way to assess the viability of the changes without resorting to a full reprint.

  While I understand your points about purchasing sample copies and selecting appropriate options, I would like to reiterate my request for a postage-paid label to facilitate the return of all the defective journals. Given the apparent discrepancies in the quality standards, I believe it's fair to expect a resolution that includes a full refund for the purchase.

  I kindly request a clearer explanation of the reasoning behind these recommendations and the decision to proceed with the reprint despite acknowledging potential quality concerns. This clarification would greatly help me understand the situation and address my concerns about the process.

  Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to your response.

  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business response

  08/29/2023

  We forwarded your message to the agent handling your support ticket and see that she responded fully to your concerns regarding the print quality and explained why she took the steps she did to try and assist you.

  At this point, to get the quality product you are requesting and avoid bleed through you will need to revise the product and use Premium Color and 80 lb. paper as outlined in the agent's last message.

  As we are a print-on-demand service, every product is custom printed only when an order is placed. We do not accept returns; however, we will replace products that are defective. While your products were not defective, the agent has offered to send you a free sample copy if you update the book to Premium Color and 80 lb. paper and provide you with a coupon for any additional copies you may wish to purchase after that.

  Please let the agent know if you have additional questions and she will be happy to assist you.

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

  Customer response

  08/29/2023

   
  Complaint: 20523716
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I remain perplexed by the fact that the original issues weren't identified and addressed before the journals were reprinted.

  Given the circumstances, I would like to continue exploring potential solutions that uphold the level of quality I expect for my customer commitments. As of now, our only viable options seem to be a refund for the problematic journals. This would allow me to seek alternatives that align more closely with my standards of quality and customer service. Please understand that my persistence in this matter stems from the fact that I am currently in a difficult position. I haven't been able to fulfill my commitments to my customers due to the poor quality and unusable products provided.

  Unfortunately, the path I'm now takingescalating this issueis not one I typically prefer. Your responses and apparent lack of consideration have led me to this point where I feel compelled to take further action. My aim, however, is to arrive at an equitable solution.

  Your understanding and assistance in resolving this matter are greatly appreciated.

  Sincerely,

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

  

  Business response

  08/30/2023

  When you first created your support ticket regarding original order USD-*******, you indicated concerns with the bleed through and color. Our support staff indicated it was likely due to the heavy ink coverage contained in your files and recommended that you make changes to the format of the books you were creating (from 60 lb. paper to 80 lb. paper and from Standard Color to Premium Color).

  Upon receipt of additional documentation from you regarding a request to review the color, the print agent agreed to create a reprint to see if the color would improve, but did not indicate that it would change the issue with bleed thru. Upon receipt of the images from the reprint, it was determined that neither order was defective and they are a good representation of the project that was uploaded to our site.

  As every item that is created on Lulu is custom printed only for the order that is placed, we do not accept returns. As the items that you received were not considered defective, and a second set of books was already printed at no charge to you, we are unable to provide additional accommodation for this order. 
  Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information about these policies: *******************************************************

  We truly believe that the quality you are looking for could be obtained by making the recommended changes to the project (Premium Color and 80 lb. paper), and have offered a free proof copy and a discount off of a future order as consideration. 

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  08/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I tried to create an account with ********************** on 8/21, but never received a confirmation email to finish the registration. I clicked the resend confirmation email button, but I didn't receive anything in either my inbox or junk email folder. I also submitted a ticket, but have not heard back from anyone.Getting a little depressed that I can't create an account with this company.

  

  Business response

  08/25/2023

  Thank you for contacting Lulu via the BBB.

  We were able to find your Ticket (******) and see that you are working with an agent to assist you with your account setup and access. Please note, you should always be able to reply to an email from an agent without logging in.

  Please be sure to check your spam, junk, marketing, or promotions folders. If you are still not receiving messages from Lulu, please add us to your safe senders list and reach out to your ISP to ensure they aren't blocking messages.

  If you have additional questions or concerns regarding your account, please reply to the last email from the support agent and they will be happy to assist you.

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

   

  Customer response

  08/27/2023

   
  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,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  While atttempting to resolve an issue with Amazon regarding the spine of my book, The Cloud of Unknowing in Light of the Unborn (ISBN 979-8-218-21237-7), LuLu agent ************** stated to me that to resolve the issue I had to create a new cover file in which to do so before resubmission to Amazon. What he neglected to inform me was that after revisement I had to "purchase a new proof copy" before any updating to gloablization could occur. I have already purchased five such revisions of this title and will not do so again as this has become most costly for me; this was only a revision of the spine text! He has not gotten back to me. Please resolve this without having to recourse to new purchase. Once again, I would not have revised the cover if I knew before hand of this re-cost issue. Also, does this mean that the prior globalization with Amazon and ****** and *****, ect is now void?Thank-you,-******-

  

  Business response

  07/31/2023

  Thank you for reaching out to Lulu via the BBB.

  We have reviewed our ticketing system and see that you are currently in contact with ****** via Ticket ******. While he was out of the office unexpectedly Thursday, we see he responded to you on his return Friday and was able to take care of your concerns.

  If you have any additional concerns, please reply to your ticket via email and we will be happy to assist you.

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

  Customer response

  07/31/2023

  
  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.Please be informed that LuLu Press has complied with my request.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Ive published five books with Lulu ****************** (LuLu.com) and have not received any author revenue. When I try to reach out for customer support, I get the runaround by bots with no humans to contact in customer service.The five books are as follows: SOUND VIEW oISBN-10: ? ********** oISBN-13: ? 978-1435712324 GETTING INTO PRINT oASIN: ? B005D2QE64 POLISHING THE MIRROR oISBN-10: ? ********** oISBN-13: ? 978-1435713697 CRACKING UP oISBN-10: ? ********** oISBN-13: ? 978-********** LOVING LIFE AS IT IS oISBN-10: ? ********** oISBN-13: ? 978-0615168623 I have not been able to access my account due to old email sign ins not working nor being responded to by your customer service bots. When Ive reached out by your three customer service phone numbers they say, no longer in service or answer then hang up. See attached screenshot for numbers.Please point me to my old account associated with ************************* or ******************** (both are not what I use now). The bank affiliated with my earning is no longer used by me. Please help me update my account info because I've NEVER seen author revenue for any of the books I've authored through LuLu.com

  

  Business response

  07/25/2023

  Thank you for reaching out to Lulu.

  Lulu no longer offers phone support and any phone numbers taken from third party sites should be considered invalid. We do offer chat and email support and after reviewing our ticketing system see two tickets that you submitted to us. Both of these tickets have been responded to by agents who await your reply so they can assist you further.

  If you have not received either of these responses, please check your spam or junk mail (promotions, marketing, etc) or contact your ******** Service Provider to ensure Lulu.com is a safe sender. I am providing more information about the tickets and times below to help you locate them.

  Ticket ****** which was submitted on July 19 at 1:21 pm was responded to the same day by an agent at 2:48 pm to the me.com email that was provided when the ticket was created.
  Ticket ****** was submitted today (July 25) at 2:09 pm and responded to by an agent at 3:31 pm to the same email address.

  Please reply to ticket ****** with ****** and he will be happy to help you regain access to your account and answer any questions about updating your payee information.

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

  Customer response

  07/26/2023

  I cannot access the account used when I published this books. I need help accessing that old account NOT the ***************** account but the gmail accounts given those old gmail emails no longer work.

  I never received pay for my books affiliated with that old account. Please send me a link at *************** to access my old account (NOT the gmail ones that aren't working).

  The five books published between 2007 and 2014 are as follows: 
  
  SOUND VIEW
  oISBN-10: ? 1435712323
  oISBN-13: ? 978-1435712324
  
  GETTING INTO PRINT
  oASIN: ? B005D2QE64
  
  POLISHING THE MIRROR
  oISBN-10: ? 1435713699
  oISBN-13: ? 978-1435713697
  
  CRACKING UP 
  oISBN-10: ? 1435706552
  oISBN-13: ? 978-1435706552
  
  LOVING LIFE AS IT IS
  oISBN-10: ? 0615168620
  oISBN-13: ? 978-0615168623
  
  

  Customer response

  07/26/2023

   
  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,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  06/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This is for ************************* Re: ISBN: ************* I requested a review copy of my book when I joined the organization in 2019. The copy I got had outstanding paper and color quality. I recently received a different book that I had bought for review, and you can definitely tell the difference in quality. It seems flimsy! The book is fragile, and the paper is thin. The quality is not the same. Stop selling my book if you can not restore its former quality. I want all of my rights back!

  

  Business response

  06/12/2023

  Thank you for contacting Lulu via the BBB.

  We are sorry to hear that you received a book that did not meet your expectations. With the thousands of book options available on our site, choosing a book with different paper or ink can change the appearance and/or "feel" of the book being produced. It is possible that the book you recently purchased contains different paper than your previous purchase. In addition, due to the nature of on demand production, there may be some variation from printer to printer.

  With that being said, Lulu takes great pride in the quality of the books ********* **************** and we would like to ask you to provide us more information regarding the two orders you are comparing so that we can better assist you. Please create a support ticket on our website and provide the order numbers for the two books you are comparing. Please include images of each book (if applicable) that shows the differences you have noticed. 

  Please see the link below for detailed information on what we are looking for in these digital images: *************************************************************************************************************
  
  These images will allow us to confirm the problem and provide a timely resolution.
  Note: Please do not upload any individual images larger than 10 MB, or multiple attachments totaling more than 20 MB. Our system will remove attachments that exceed these size limits and the email may not be received. Please send no more than 10 images.

  As the copyright owner, you are solely in control of when and how your book is sold. Please see the information in our knowledge base or ask in the support ticket if you have any questions about how to remove your book from sale on Lulu.

  We look forward to assisting you further.

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

   

• Initial Complaint

  05/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I ordered 17 self published books from Lulu on May 1, 2023. The money went through on May 2, 2023. I paid $1,059. 96. With a **** credit card. The books arrived on May 15, 2023. There were two boxes. I opened both boxes to inspect the books. Every book from both boxes had loose pages, only partially connected to the binding. I have called every number I could find and there is a hang up sound. I also submitted an email complaint. I have gotten no response. I have contacted our bank to try to help. I expect Lulu to replace all defective books, and send replacement books as soon as possible. If they cannot do this, I expect a full refund.

  

  Business response

  05/26/2023

  We are sorry to hear you experienced a problem with your order and for the delay in responding to your email.

  I see that a member of ********* team has reviewed your message, placed a complimentary reorder, and responded to your message.

  Please reply to the email from ************** member should you have any additional questions or concerns and to provide the requested images so that we may share them with our printer for quality control.

  Again, our apologies for any inconvenience this has caused. We are working to correct it as quickly as possible.

  Kind regards,

  ****************
  Lulu Press, Inc.

  Customer response

  05/30/2023

   
  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,
  
  *****************

*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. ↩