Complaintsfordraft2digital

• Initial Complaint

  04/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a loyal faithful customer of this Business since around 2015. I have diligently improved myself and my products day after day. I would like to think I work very hard with my Small **************************** so I'm constantly creating new products and employing new marketing strategies such as AI.This company declared a "permanent probation" on my account today. I did not deserve this. I have been loyal to them. Furthermore, it's not a crime to use AI, which they say they oppose They did not ***** me due process. They did not give me OFFICIAL warnings to improve. They did not give me a chance to stop this. I'm a ************************* so I don't have millions of dollars to hire translators, therefore AI enables me to get our empowering messages such as helping people with learning disabilities out to as many languages as possible. Americans who speak English are no more worthy than speakers of Thai, Malayalam, Filipino, Norwegian, Turkish, Romanian and other languages to get empowering self help materials for people with learning disabilities among other products.They are being too rigid. I am willing to negotiate a better solution. I am willing to negotiate, so they should too. I offer my free time to negotiate a solution that benefits all for this.They could at the least impose less severe sanctions like a week probation, but no they do the most draconian thing. They make mistakes everyday, yet people give them mercy, so they should also give others mercy.

  Business response

  05/01/2024

  Our company does not accept low-content mass-produced materials. We prioritize high-quality, original content that provides value to our readers. This policy ensures that our offerings do not include materials that are hastily produced or lack substantive content. Furthermore, we strictly prohibit the distribution of any books that promote, glorify, or encourage illegal activities, including but not limited to drug use. Additionally, we do not accept books that encourage activities that could potentially endanger the safety or well-being of individuals. This includes content that *** be considered harmful or dangerous.
  Prior to sign up, we require all users to acknowledge and confirm our Terms of Service page ******************************************************
  Part of our ToS informs users of content we do not accept: unlawful, obscene, defamatory, libelous, threatening, pornographic, harassing, hateful, racially or ethnically offensive, or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, violate any law, or are otherwise inappropriate. Further, it informs authors that violations of our ToS that their account will be terminated. 

  Customer response

  05/02/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1.  Draft2Digital does not have to take this drastic action of complete suspension.  I offer that I can cease the Publishing of AI related materials and still Publish my other works, if that works.

  2.  In this complaint, this is the fist time Draft2digital objected to the Publishing of Let's Use Free Speech to **************************** seems that Draft2Digital is looking for an ad hoc way to justify the spurious account suspension, as

  Publishing AI material that many customers like is not grounds enough alone to warrant account suspension.

  3.  These AI translated works include self help material like 29 Ways to Succeed with Asperger's Syndrome which help people with learning disabilities who don't speak English as their mother tongue.

  4.  Let's Use Free Speech to ****************** is a tongue in cheek satire.  I regret I have to say that, yet any cursory look at this work would cause someone to conclude the material is satire.  Last I knew Draft2Digital allows Satire.

  5.  If this is the first major issue, which is essentially a non-issue, in my 8-9 years with Draft2Digital, all those years of faithfulness should count for something.

  6.  Small Publishers cannot afford to pay $100,000s for translators, so AI serves as a way to help the little guy.

  7.  Many major companies support the use of AI.
  

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

  Business response

  05/07/2024

  Our platform doesn't accept low-content, mass-produced material. We empathize with the challenges faced by small publishers and appreciate the role of AI in bridging language barriers, however none of the vendors we work with allow machine or AI translations as the results produced are not adequate for native speakers. If you are seeking to distribute low-content, mass-produced materials, and have other sites that allow this type of content,  we encourage you to explore these other platforms as they may better align with your publishing needs.
  While many companies utilize AI technology, it's essential to recognize its limitations and potential risks, particularly in sensitive areas such as content creation and distribution. And as a reminder, we are limited by what our vendors will accept. None of our current vendors wish to receive low-content, mass-produced materials nor do they allow machine translations.
  

  Customer response

  05/09/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This doesn't have to be all or nothing.  I could stop Publishing AI content, yet continue Publishing regular content through your platform.  I trust this solution will satisfy you.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  03/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My account get terminated for Draft2Digital closed my account without any warning, leaving a sense of injustice and frustration. Without prior explanation, this action feels arbitrary and leaves a bitter taste. The trust I had placed in this service has eroded, and I am now faced with the task of finding a reliable alternative for my publishing needs.

  Business response

  03/18/2024

  Prior terminated account holders are not permitted to open new accounts on our site, per Draft2Digital's. ******************************************************
  We would encourage complainant to review our Terms of Service as well as all of the communication sent to them outlining our Terms of Service, specifically the emails sent during account closure that states: Under our Terms of Service (TOS), since your account has been terminated you are prohibited from establishing a new account.

   This was sent to them after their original account was closed on August 4, 2022. 

  The communication was sent again after the second account they opened on our site was closed on September 22, 2022. 

  The communication was sent again after the third account was closed on April 17, 2023. And a fourth time after their 4th attempt to open an account on our site was closed on March 18, 2024. As a reminder, any future accounts opened on our site will be closed as well, as we do not permit terminated accounts from establishing a new account. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  draft2digital sell my books since june 2023 and never pay me my royalties and nobody respond, they are scammers.

  Business response

  01/12/2024

  I am writing in response to your inquiry regarding the decision made by Draft2Digital to terminate our working relationship with a client named ***************************, whose account was initially opened on June 13,2023, and terminated on September 18, 2023.  The client was notified in writing that the tax details and banking information provided was incomplete on July 13, 2023. The client immediately started sending threatening emails that threatened to harm or kill our employees, and the decision was quickly made to terminate the account.
  Attempts were made to issue a final payment to this client,however the clients bank rejected the payment due to missing bank details.Before we could notify the client of the issue of missing banking details,typically an easy problem to solve, the client sent multiple emails threatening to attack our families and kill our staff.
  
  Due to the conduct of the account holder, we shut down all communication with this client and permanently closed the account. The communications from this individual were highly inappropriate and threatening. These communications included explicit threats of physical violence against our employees and their families.
  
  Given the severity and nature of these threats,Draft2Digital made the decision not to pursue any further engagement with this individual. The safety and well-being of our employees are of utmost importance, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for such threatening and abusive behavior.

• Initial Complaint

  12/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The tax verification process is ridiculous. I filled in the tax interview in 13th October. I then, although Ive been an active client for years, had to get a certificate of residence from inland revenue. I sent that and could not get a response to the many emails I sent chasing it. Then it expired so Id did the whole thing again. Again, no response to the emails asking if the matter is now concluded. 22nd December, I finally get an email from tax identity solutions saying to re take the tax interview (for a third time? ) and not to contact them unless there is a different question and that my current tax for w something will expire in a few days. The whole system is flawed. Firstly, do you really think my identity has changed in the last couple of years? I need a certificate of residence, fine. Its be quicker to explain what that is in the first place and to answer clients emails. How many times is it necessary to do the same thing and send the same documents? Is it really so hard to hit reply in an email?

  Business response

  12/27/2023

  The tax verification allows organizations in highly regulated industries to know and validate their customers, as well as ensure compliance of laws and regulations governing the taxation of **** sourced income received by foreign individuals. This client has a particularly complex situation, where they are filing as a foreign individual while at the same time claiming one or both parents are ** citizens.
  Filing for proper tax status when one or both parents are born in the ************* can present complexities primarily due to the rules around **** citizenship and tax obligations.
  The client indicates in their complaint that their tax situation has not changed, however, legally, our tax team cannot simply take a client at their word when validating their citizenship and residency for tax purposes. Accuracy of reporting the tax status of individuals, particularly with cross-**************** activities, is legally and professionally necessary. Failure to adequately verify a client's information can result in penalties, fines, and other disciplinary actions against Draft2Digital, as well as potential legal implications for the client.
  On October 13, 2023, the client was asked to supply specific documents for validation (see attached email ****** between tax team and client).
  Documents requested:
  Birth Extract
  Foreign Passport Photograph and identity page only
  Certification of tax Residency for Tax Treaty Purposes
  Documents supplied:
  marriage certificate
  Certification of tax Residency
  Still not supplied:
  Foreign Passport
  a Birth Extract
  Im very sorry that this client has found the tax verification process so complicated, but when dealing with a complex situation,that may be the case. It is unfortunate timing in that both Draft2Digitals Support and Tax Client Support has been out for the Christmas Holiday, making communication slow, but communication is still happening, and the tax team continues to wait for the client to supply the documents requested. 

  Customer response

  12/27/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: these items were ALL sent to you . Repeatedly. Above screenshots are just a few examples of emails from September, November and December, not including the forwarded original documents sent to you on account opening or the Dropbox attachments.

   

  You have ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT previously. Twice. How can they have suddenly disappeared? 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  12/27/2023

  As noted by the tax team in September, the passport supplied expired on March 16, 2015. IRS guidelines stipulate that documentation must be valid and current to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) laws. Using valid documents helps in mitigating risks associated with identity theft, fraud, and other illegal activities. Expired documents do not meet the standards set for validation processes due to regulatory, compliance, and risk management considerations. If ******************** could please supply the tax team with a non-expired passport, this is necessary for account validation. The tax team also requests ************************ birth extract, which I see was provided to the Better Business Bureau but was not submit to our tax team as requested during the 2023 update. The other document requested, a certificate of tax residency, has been received. With a valid (non-expired) passport and the birth extract, I know the tax team can move forward with account validation, but those two items are still required. Please note, sending documents to the Better Business Bureau in no way supplies those documents to Lilaham, the tax team in charge of account validation. I do not want there to be any confusion on that. Our tax team does not have access to any communication or documents sent by a client to the Better Business Bureau. If ********************* would like to move forward with account validation, we must ask that they supply the birth extract and a non-expired passport via the email requested by our our tax team at Lilaham. If ******************* would email support at Draft2Digital once this has been done, I will ensure the tax team has the documents and work to expedite the validation process. 

  Customer response

  12/28/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  please check your emails (!) and you will see that everything provided here was a screenshot of emails sent to you on the dates given.

   

  Upon checking your emails, you will also find, resent yesterday, an email from 15th December that includes:

  passport*
  driving license 

  birth, marriage and residence certificates.

   

  *yes, the passport is expired. I dont own another one and yes, it was expired the first time around on account opening and you accepted it then. This is why I have also sent my driving license and marriage certificates since they are in a different name.

   

  Please note that my complaint is absolutely nothing to do with the *** or their procedures, but your total lack of responsibility in collection administration and dissemination of the documents.

   

  If, as you claim, you have not received any of the many emails (or Dropbox) documents over the last several months, it suggests a catastrophic failure in your technology. If, you have in fact received them, but dont want to hold your hands up, that is unacceptable and unprofessional. If you have received them and human error is involved, you have a very serious training issue to be addressed.

  Either way, since I can clearly demonstrate an email history of sending the documents on many, many occasions, it points to a total failure of duty of care on your part.

   

  Further more, if this is the stance you wish to peruse, I would like to request all of my data from your company, including any and all emails received from myself. 
  

   

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

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Draft2Digital (D2D) is a self-publishing platform. I uploaded an original book, and D2D published it. Their platform apparently allows "public domain" books to be uploaded and sold as well -- as does Amazon, *************** and many other platforms. Books like The Great Gatsby ***** in Wonderland, etc. that have expired copyrights can be published and sold on these platforms. I uploaded Gatsby and ***** to D2D, just as I have done successfully on Amazon and other platforms. D2D's online system specifically asks whether each work is original or "public domain" -- just as Amazon and others do. Nowhere in this uploading process does D2D state that "public domain" works will result in account termination -- in fact, their platform seems to encourage that type of book. However, after uploading Gatsby and *****, I got a NASTY email from D2D informing me that its partners don't want public domain content and therefore my account has been permanently terminated (including my original book). They could have just told me. Rather than take responsibility for their failure to make this policy clear, they just implied that I had done someting wrong and terminated by account without any notice, explanation, or opportunity to resolve the matter.

  Business response

  09/13/2023

  Account holder received notice of our policy regarding not accepting or publishing public domain books on September 3, 2023 after uploading The Great Gatsby.

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

  Account holder went on to upload 4 more public domain titles, and it was at this time that the account was closed. Unfortunately, due to the inconsistencies and complexities of international public domain laws, we do not accept or publish public domain books.

  
  

  Customer response

  09/14/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I admire Draft2Digital's consistency. They insulted and penalized me for violating a policy they never notified me about, and then they falsely stated in their BBB response that I "received notice" of this policy. The link and the uploaded screenshot that they submitted as "evidence" that I "received notice" consist of information that is buried on their website. In other words, to know about that policy, I would have had to search for it. That is not "receiving notice" in any meaningful way. And Draft2Digital knows that.
  

  I filed this complaint specifically because Draft2Digital never informed me of their "no public domain works" prior to sending a very rude and non-appealable notice that the were permanently closing my account. They could  have just as easily sent an email informing me of their police and telling me that my public domain submissions were being deleted. Then, if I h ad violated the policy again, they could have closed my account. That is a reasonable approach.

  It's not a reasonable approach to blame and penalize someone for something that the person didn't know. And as I pointed out in my original complaint, their submission form SPECIFICALLY ASKS whether the uploaded work is original or public domain. Why even accept the upload of public domain works? The fact that they allow public domain works to be uploaded contradicts their well-hidden policy and completely undermines their disingenuous response to my complaint..

  This could have all been avoided if they'd simply sent an email informing me of their police and advising me not to do it again. But no. They had to be ash wholes.
  

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

  Business response

  09/25/2023

  Draft2Digitals FAQ link is at the top of every webpage on Draft2Digital.com. Our policy on Public Domain is outlined clearly in bold on the Knowledge Base, which has easy to search features, to help identify topics as needed:  **********************************************************************************************************************************************
  We dont expect every user to notice or read every topic posted, and will inform a user of topics such as public domain on their initial upload.
  And email was sent informing this user of our stance on Public Domain after they uploaded the book project titled: The Great Gatsby on September 11, 2023. The account was not terminated until after 3 more public domain books had been uploaded. I sincerely apologize that we are unable to accept and publish such content. Due to the inconsistencies and complexities of international public domain laws, we do not publish public domain works via our service.

  Business response

  09/25/2023

  Draft2Digitals FAQ link is at the top of every webpage on Draft2Digital.com. Our policy on Public Domain is outlined clearly in bold on the Knowledge Base, which has easy to search features, to help identify topics as needed:  **********************************************************************************************************************************************
  We dont expect every user to notice or read every topic posted, and will inform a user of topics such as public domain on their initial upload.
  And email was sent informing this user of our stance on Public Domain after they uploaded the book project titled: The Great Gatsby on September 11, 2023. The account was not terminated until after 3 more public domain books had been uploaded. I sincerely apologize that we are unable to accept and publish such content. Due to the inconsistencies and complexities of international public domain laws, we do not publish public domain works via our service. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I posted my book to draft 2Digital. I had some trouble uploading so I contacted them. The man i spoke with had a bad aggressive jerk dont bother me attitude. Once I finally put my book up for distribution i went to bed. When i got up that next morning I logged on. To my dismay I found that my book had been delisted across all platforms. I disclosed that I used Chat GPT to write the book. I have since gone with another company. I emailed my complaint and got an email that basically got DELISTED. This has caused me financial harm. The complaint has 1.0 reviews on Trust ****** and and Sitejabber. I want this fixed. I didn't deserve this horrible treatment. They need to print me 20 books for my stress, grief and trouble. My son ***************** is a *********** Combat Vet and also an author of this book. My family co-olaborated on this book. Its a shame how veterans are treated.

  Business response

  09/01/2023

  Client was notified that their content did not meet the standards needed to publish. Client responded with multiple angry and threatening emails. Our company prioritizes the safety and well-being of our staff, and consistent negative interactions violate our terms of service.

  As I've already let the client know, we'd be happy to work with them, but only if they can respond in a courteous and professional manner. We suggest the client work with a proofreader capable of helping them to structure their product in a manner that is readable to buyers. I would also suggest the client review the terms and conditions to which all our clients agree.

  Business response

  09/06/2023

  After asking this client if they'd be willing to correct the issues related to the content uploaded so that we could continue to work together, they declined and responded that they no longer wish to maintain an account with our website. 

  Business response

  09/11/2023

  After asking this client if they'd be willing to correct the issues related to the content uploaded so that we could continue to work together, they declined and responded that they no longer wish to maintain an account with our website.
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  they shut my account down without warning. holding my royalties hostage and wont pay them to me, these people are deranged because they knew i had added my tax information as i was not the one who set the account up for myself, they knew this was a thing we corresponded about it in 2021 or 2020 so if tax fraud is something which royalties on my level are TAX EXEMPT ..someone please tell me why these people think this is acceptable? kind of unprofessional to harass me this way, i should *** for all kinds of is***s but i NEED MY MONEY. i have cats to feed i want them to publicly on social media apologize for this mostly in causing my feline friends distress and pay me what is owed. which i know its a lot.

  Business response

  07/17/2023

  This client committed tax fraud, joining our site under one name/SSN then changed it to someone else's name and SSN, while certifying under penalties of perjury that they are that person. Tax fraud is a clear violation of Draft2Digital's Terms of Service and does result in immediate account closure. Clients cannot join our site using false identities or impersonate any other person or use a username or password they are not authorized to use. See ToS: **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  We have records of them using two separate names and THREE separate Social Security Numbers on our website, while certifying under penalties of perjury that they are providing their own name/TIN.  We can provide that information in its entirety, however given that this is public facing it would not be prudent to do so.

  This client has since opened another account with **********************, which is a second Terms of Service Violation, and that account has also been closed. See ToS: ************************************************************************************************************************************************

  The client has been notified that supplying someone else's Legal Tax Reporting Name and Social Security Number, while certifying under penalties of perjury that they are that person is illegal, tax fraud, and grounds for account termination. Engaging in a financial transaction with someone who has committed tax fraud or provided false certifications will have both legal and financial implications. Clients committing tax fraud will not receive payment from Draft2Digital. This client was notified of the termination and the reasons behind the termination directly via email in June 2023 (attached). 
  

  Customer response

  07/17/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  if they claim this to be true then why did this email come last year and it took them this long to close my account. literally these people was always late paying me, sometimes forgetting. e entirely & always always me having to reset my password. the business seemingly- committed tax fraud by closing my account. taxes on those royaltieswhich are tax exempt have NEVER been filed as they are not relevant in that matter. so the question is where  my last 2 months of royalties they have their cutrefusing to pay me . is this not tax fraud?? these people even emailed allowing me to change the person in charge of the account and helped me fix it i have emails. TOS NEVER SPECIFICALLY say when agreeing tthat you cant change your account holder tax info w your spouse side by side on the page  it never says it has to be ME or him? this seems antigay and hateful, seems -but opinions. 
  as far as 3 diff socials  go, explain to me how that works, literally have 2 names. 3 socials i guess i mistyped my social but the fact that they accepted it and didnt flag it YEARS ago is pretty fraudulent to me. 
  i cannot violate TOS a second time opening up a second account of my account is open with the same email login as the previous account you deleted. 
  tax fraud implies that taxes were filed. they were not. they did not meet the amount that is needed to be mandatory filings. wyd?
  As far as tax fraud goes, have i been charged with anything. no. slander  is what this is, or defamation. 
  
  if i engaged in tax fraud i guess you did too by keeping the money. . xoxox pay what is owed please its not that much. the only persons suffering in this are my feline pets, my cats. i use this money to buy their food and litter and take them to the vet. but if you are heartless , just silently admit by not paying no need to comment  
  talks to yall later , my partner in crime& co-defendants xxx
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business response

  07/19/2023

  The client attempted to provide information, namely names and Social Security Numbers which did not belong to them. This, while certifying under penalty of perjury that the information was indeed their own. This act contravenes not only our internal policies but also national regulations related to Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, identity verification, and tax laws. This client did not simply switch account details from the original creator over to someone new, but entered two separate names, three separate Social Security Numbers, two separate addresses, and then toggled between those names and Social Security Numbers when flagged by internal audits for name/TIN Mismatch, all while certifying "the number shown on this form is my correct taxpayer identification number." (see Under Penalty of Perjury). Per FFIEC guidelines, businesses are required to properly identify their customers to protect against identity theft, fraud, and illegal financial activities such as money laundering. The provision of a SSN that is not one's own constitutes identity fraud, a federal offense under **** law (18U.S. Code1028). Additionally, the submission of false information under penalty of perjury is a serious matter. The **** legal system treats perjury as a crime with potential legal repercussions, including fines and imprisonment. Our company maintains a strict stance against tax fraud and identity impersonation. Any client found violating these principles, as per our internal policies and KYC regulations, faces immediate account termination. We consistently uphold these standards across our client base, as our commitment to legal and ethical business practices is unwavering. In this particular case, the client violated these rules, and as such, we had no alternative but to terminate the account. Our decision was made in accordance with federal regulations and our internal policies, which are designed to uphold integrity, fairness, and legality in our business operations. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The complaint was uploaded in a PDF file, along with supporting evidence, 5 attachments total. I waive no rights whatsoever in filing a complaint with the BBB of ******** regarding ***************, LLC, incorporated in several states. I do not submit personal jurisdiction with regard to this BBB complaint, and its decision creates no obligation against me. Tdd

  Business response

  06/07/2023

  It appears the crux of this complaint is that some of the print vendors have flagged the *********************** book as out of stock. ********************* is claiming fraud on Draft2Digitals side as we are the aggregate service sending the content to the various store sites. ********************* also cites our FAQ, which explicitly states that we are making content available to the ****** print network, but clearly states That doesnt mean you can walk into any bookstore and expect to see your book on the shelfbut if you tell your local stores they can order your books from ******, theyll know how to get them. We have no control over independent sites or stores or the inventory they wish to stock. This includes both Amazon and Powells. How Amazon lists a title and the availability status on their website is ultimately up to them. Amazon's purchasing decisions are supported by an algorithm that is proprietary to Amazon. In choosing to stock titles or even show products as available on their sites, Amazon considers many pieces of information about a book. Factors in a decision to stock a book may include discount (with a maximum trade discount being most favorable), whether a book is returnable,product page views, and sales history. Even print-on-demand books may not show an "in stock" message on Amazon. We have no control over this and never claim to, and all of this has been expressed and shared with ********************* directly via email with Draft2Digitals Customer Support. See attached email thread explaining this to ********************** dated April 21, 2023.
  Draft2Digital cannot change how Amazon lists inventory, nor do we ever claim to be able to do so. What we can do is remove ************************ book from ********* distribution network, if this is what ********************* wishes for ** to do. ********************** has total control over his listing and can elect to delist or remove content at any time. 

  Customer response

  06/09/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: see PDF response.

  6/7/2023 RE: BBB complaint of Draft2Digital, LLC.(D2D) incorporated in OK, **, **, DE.Dear Sirs and Maam of the Better Business Bureau:For a couple years, I have been a self-published author, with Draft2Digital, LLC (D2D) which is an aggregator/distributor for electronic and Print books. Recently, in 2022 I had placed a book into their print book program that makes certain claims in their advertising, and my complaint is regarding the Print book option, which I believe that D2D has been complicit, in allowing their partners or themselves to Censor, Quarantine, and otherwise exploit my print book, The Exodus Theory. The print book was not made available to 2 of the largest retailers, Amazon and Powells.When I published my book in print, I requested a Proof copy. It arrived in 3 weeks, but had issues that required corrections. I requested a second proof copy, Dec 20, 2022. Starting Jan 26, 2023, I had sent numerous emails regarding the unsent proof copy. The D2D staff was unable to resolve the unsent book. D2D response: waiting for an email from ****** for 2 months. Apparently, D2D has no real time communication with ****** to ensure the claims they provide on their *** pages. Their staff provided many platitudes but in reality D2D did not remedy the issue for 3 months; That I finally contacted the *** *********************, who sent a Proof copy, that day, and within a week the proof copy arrived. D2D canceled my original order with ******, and created the alternate Proof copy; thus,showing their flawed delivery system. On Mar 23, ****, I approved the Proof copy, and according to their *** information it would be available [to be ordered] by all the retailers, including Amazon and Powells, by mentioning ****** availability.Although, my book was available with several different channels as obscure online retailers,both Amazon and Powells had still displayed unavailable to date. While I had tried to contact these retailers to order my print book, Amazon and Powells continued to show Unavailable or Out of Stock,which are the largest book retailers. I contacted these retailers by email and by phone, and they could not order the copies or tell me why. D2D said that they cannot control what retailers display or not.The ebook content was always available to Amazon, so it was not content related. D2D partners with ****** ************* or Lightening Source (LSI) who assured me that the print book was available to all retailers, but nobody would provide evidence of these assertions. And D2D remains complicit, that allows ****** or D2D to selectively censor or quarantine certain books, despite what they portray to its author base that their books are available to order. Further, online book pages display the book cover but potential customers cannot make orders, which is why my book is being exploited,for online traffic. It is Not available to order online or in person, despite that D2D falsely claiming that one could order by telling them its available with ******************** help line suggested that possibly ****** is not supplying all the information to order the book. Powells Tech support hasnt been able to ascertain why its not available. And because the initial proof book was not fully processed (D2D claims to have canceled it), the ordering protocol was either deliberately or with malfeasance not fixed. Because ****** is a Third party, they have no agreement with myself, and authors must rely on D2Ds representations. I cannot indemnify D2D in their fraud with ******. I find it suspicious that ordinarily they could claim that all retailers could order if they wanted, when they have no accountability if this was untrue.I have since removed my ebook and print book from just the Amazon channel. ******* still does not show my Print book: The Exodus Theory as being available for order. I am reluctant to make a formal complaint, but D2D has been unable to provide a reasonable explanation, given that the book is online for traffic purposes, but unavailable to order. D2D should update their *** pages to depict the reality of their business. I suspect that D2D and ******* have censorship and quarantine protocols in place. Lastly, D2D has patented their online ordering system, whether to change prices or transmit to 3rd party partners; however, this is not a technology issue.Lastly, ****** possibly prints additional copies of Proofs, as some online retailers were selling used copies when I had no official sold copies on record. Amazon places Not for Resale on the cover to prevent this possible event. D2D did not convey this possible outcome in using ******.I am asking for the BBB to verify that D2D complies with its own advertising claims, so as not to defraud its customer base. First, D2D did not facilitate the unsent proof book for 2 months with their partner, ******. Why ****** couldnt provide a proof copy in a reasonable time, that needed to be reordered again by the D2D ***? And then why does ******* (and Amazon) place the book page online, but makes it completely unavailable, when these are Print on Demand books available in several days? Why does the *** pages say that books can be ordered *****************, when they arent?I have the correspondences if needed, but the substance of the discussions have been laid out here.Please investigate this matter fully,Sincerely,******************************* Self-Publisher, Author The Exodus Theory: A Journey into the Spiritual Wilderness ISBN: 979-89869300015 Attached: 3 items D2D *** statements.******* book page.Amazon book pag

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

  Business response

  06/13/2023

  All issues in this newest complaint have already been addressed. No new or additional complaints have been lodged. If ********************** would like his book delisted or removed from our system, I can further assist with that request. I cannot, however, force independent websites to sell his product. Nor do we ever claim we can. We never claim to have real time communication with ******. This is stated nowhere on our website, in our FAQ, in our ToS, or in any email with **********************. Attached, you'll find Image 5 and Image 6 showing ************************** book ingested into the ****** Print Distribution Network, which is a vendor that services sites like Amazon and ******. As our FAQ States: "Your ********* book will be made available to Amazon and to all distribution channels served by ******,including ****** and ***** and most independent bookstores in the **." We did exactly as stated, we provided ****** with the files necessary to carry the product. ******************** appears to be blaming Draft2Digital for independent vendor store sites decision not to carry his product. We have no authority over independent websites, or what product they list, display, promote, or sell and never claim otherwise. Attached, please find the email thread between Draft2Digital Customer Support and ********************** explaining all of this. No where on our website do we say otherwise. 
  
  

  Customer response

  06/14/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  First off, D2D has an unknown person responding without name or title to speak on behalf of the Draft2Digital (D2D) LLC corporation, that *** not be qualified to address Fraud allegations. Thus, this unknown individual writing complainants allegations are false either is unaware or misinformed.
  
  1) The **** ***********************, in fact, sent the 2nd proof copy. (See shipping box.)
  2) ******* control center stated the item was never scanned in **** Thus, it was not lost in the mail, but never made it out of ******, although a shipping Label was created.
  3) D2D has patents related to online book orders, which is easy to lookup.
  
  D2D apparently threatens to delist Author books if they question D2D practices. Delisting isnt an acceptable remedy for my complaint,and it wasnt an issue that I raised. I am trying to discover a remedy to why vendors cannot place print book orders from D2Ds printing partner: ******.
    The D2D response did not provide any proof that Powells, ****** or Amazon were in fact provided correct ordering information related to my print book.Powells books is a local book store here that cannot order the book, The Exodus Theory: A Journey into the Spiritual Wilderness. If you tell your local book stores they can order from Ingrams, they will know how to get them.
    Authors have a reasonable expectation that D2D handle copywritten material with its ****** Partners in a responsible way, and that expeditious communication would be a reasonable expectation. After 3 months I get the 2nd proof book from ******, but then it was made unavailable to Powells and Amazon...
    The person responding for D2D is anonymous and disingenuous, hoping I dont have documentation to back up my statements. D2D has not offered any proof that ****** or D2D does not quarantine nor censor. This FAQ is fraud and untrue. If you tell your local book stores they can order from Ingrams, they will know how to get them.  **********************************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On the 4th of April, 2023, I received an email from taxclientsupport-************************************ asking me to log into my Draft2Digital account in order to complete an on-line tax interview in addition to the one I had already provided to the company. Although the email recommended to visit the webpage as soon as possible, Draft2Digital did not provide any deadline to complete this action.Due to personal reasons, I was able to log into my account only yesterday (14th of May), to find all my books delisted from all retailers. I thought this might be related to the missing tax information, and immediately tried to complete the interview on my account, but the page showed only an error message with an invitation to contact customer ****************************** responded to my query stating that my account had been terminated and they would not reconsider their decision as "the *** Information requested was invalid or was not provided in the time allowed."However, I had never been informed of what the deadline was to provide the required information. Draft2Digital terminated my account without ever informing me of the time frame to complete the interview.I replied to their email underlining the fact that I was never informed of the deadline and asking to be contacted by a customer service representative regarding this matter. This email has had no answer.I do not have a contract with *** and I had no means to find out what the deadline for the interview was. My contract is with Draft2Digital, and the company failed to communicate clearly what their partner's deadline was. Furthermore, they are ignoring my latest email in which I requested to look further into this matter.The only email they sent me was rude and threatening and stated that "termination of your account *** merely be an initial step, depending on our review of the activities associated with your account and your future actions."I ask someone to look into this matter.

  Business response

  05/16/2023

  The account holder was asked to complete KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements on April 3, 2023. We allow clients 30 days to comply with KYC requests. The client failed to supply any documentation required to complete a KYC investigation or in any way communicate with our team for more than 40 days, and as a result, the account was closed.
  
  The email sent to the client indicates that the request must be completed as soon as possible. The email sent to the client also indicates that failure to comply may result in account suspension.
  Please note that Draft2Digital uses Lilaham, a third-party tax provider, to gather tax and KYC information, and per our ToS, when requested to supply additional information, the client agrees, per our ToS to do so promptly.  
  10. Distribution Rights  e. *************************************************************************************************************.
  
  KYC checks are the mandatory process of identifying and verifying a client's identity when opening an account. It is our legal responsibility to verify and ensure our clients are genuinely who they claim to be. Failure on our part to meet KYC requirements can result in steep fines and penalties, up to or including jail time, all of which would be determinantal to the growth and success of a company. This is a nonnegotiable part of our business and when KYC request are made, we expect the client to provide the additional information promptly. In this case, the client did not respond at all and the account was closed due to non-compliance. I would encourage the client to communicate directly with Draft2Digital Customer Support regarding any extenuating circumstances that lead to them being non-compliant. 

  Customer response

  05/16/2023

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The 30 day deadline Draft2Digital mentions in their response was never communicated to me, and nor was the fact that the account would be terminated if they didn't hear from me within 40 days. Their communication was unclear, and their customer service nonexistent (they never even answered my latest email).

  "As soon as possible" is not a reliable timeframe to request such important documentation. The company is responsible for not mediating properly between their partner KYC and their customer, as they failed to provide proper deadlines.

  I would accept the company's response if they had provided me with a clear deadline and I had failed to meet it. But this is not the case. I ask that they reactivate my account and allow me to submit the tax information KYC needs.
  

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

  Business response

  05/24/2023

  Attached are the documents sent to payee's when KYC is requested. The only update made is the new addition (made after this account was closed) asking payees to send a photo of themselves holding their identification documents. What has not changed, and has never changed is the deadline to provide those documents. We allow 30 days. It's stated in the request. Allowing payees additional time has resulted in a disproportion number of fraudulent or fake tax documents being supplied. KYC checks are the mandatory process of identifying and verifying a client's identity when opening an account. It is our legal responsibility to verify and ensure our clients are genuinely who they claim to be. Failure on our part to meet KYC requirements can result in steep fines and penalties, up to or including jail time. This is a nonnegotiable part of our business and when KYC request are made, we expect the client to provide the additional information promptly (please refer to our
  Terms of Service). We have hundreds of payees successfully complete the request in the 30 day deadline. Unfortunately that this payee did not respond (asking for additional time) nor did they provide documents to validate their identity. 

  Customer response

  05/25/2023

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Draft2Digital is providing me with a copy of their internal communication (between taxclientsupport-************************************ and ********************************* in which members of the teams talk among each other about the 30 day deadline. However, this deadline was never communicated to me. The text that appears in their attachment, what they define as "the most recent KYC notification," is completely different from what I have received. You can see this very clearly in the image in attachment.

  The email text I am attaching as a PNG file to this correspondence is the ONLY communication I've ever received from Draft2Digital regardig this matter before they terminated my account. They never mentioned the 30 day deadline, nor any other detail about the information I should provide them with.
  

  I cannot accept their response as clearly there has been miscommunication on their side. I am willing to accept the fact that Draft2Digital might have mistakely sent me the wrong email template, therefore failing to communicate the deadline to me. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that they have not provided me with this deadline, and I believe the company should take responsibility for not providing the correct information to their customer.

  How can ********************** expect authors to meet a deadline that they do not know about?
  

  Draft2Digital is a company that profits thanks to the creative work of the authors who decide to publish through the platform. These authors cannot be held responsible for the company's own communication issues.

  Given the above facts, I ask Draft2Digital to reconsider their decision and reactivate my account. I am willing and ready to provide them with any documentation they might need for KYC. I hope for an amicable solution (my account reactivation) and that the company will not force me to take this claim any further.
  

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

• Initial Complaint

  03/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Suddenly my book disappeared from the stores without anyone notifying me. I don't understand the reason, but I thought that several times I received emails requesting my personal ID and I always sent my electronic ID, they never told me it was okay, so recently I requested my passport renewal so I could send a copy.I thought about changing the payment method to improve things, but instead it is currently blocked.I contacted support, but still no response.I am in tears I have spent so much money on publicity for this book that it will participate in the important book fair. I bought airfare, paid for hotel and now the book is no longer showing up in the stores.At least I would like to understand what the problem is.Thank you

  Business response

  03/29/2023

  Draft2Digital works with clients world wide. As such, we have partnered with a third party tax team *************************** to receive and validate customer tax documentations and ensure we are in legal compliance with all US Treasury OFAC and Watch Lists protocol. Failure to properly identify and validate tax documentation or failure to flag and block known OFAC targets puts our company at risk of $50,000 to $1 million, and/or 10-30 years of imprisonment for willful violations. As such, we work closely with Lilaham at Tax Identity to ensure all US Federal regulations are met in regards to KYC documentation and handling, as identified within our Terms of Service agreement, 9.h: Program Eligibility and Registration. As a condition to participating in the Program, you represent, warrant, covenant and agree that you h. authorize us, directly or through third parties, to make any inquiries we consider appropriate to verify account information you provide; **************************************************
  
  *************************************' was asked to complete a KYC request. All KYC requests are given 30 days to comply. And Failure to comply does result in account termination. The original request for KYC tax documentation was sent to this client on February 26, 2023. The account was closed on March 28, 2023 due to KYC non-compliance, 30 days later. Draft2Digital and our tax team followed all required steps and communication processes,however the client failed to provide valid documentations in the time limit allowed. As a result, the account was closed.
  

  Customer response

  03/29/2023

   
  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. ↩