Complaints

This profile includes complaints for SelfPublishing.com's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  SelfPublishing.com

  Austin, TX 78702-3436

  
• 

  SelfPublishing.com

  Venice Venice, CA 90291

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:02/12/2025

  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.

  I am filing this complaint against Self Publishing for failure to honor their money-back guarantee as outlined in my agreement with them. I purchased their publishing service for my book, under the explicit promise that if my book did not reach best-seller status within one year, they would relaunch it. Furthermore, if the book still did not reach best-seller status within one month after the relaunch, I would be entitled to a full refund.The book did not reach best-seller status within the required timeframe, so I formally requested my refund per the terms of our agreement. However, instead of issuing the refund, Self Publishing delayed their response and claimed they were launching another campaigndespite the fact that the one-month deadline had already passed. This is a clear attempt to avoid fulfilling their contractual obligation.Attempts to Resolve the Issue:1.Initial Refund Request: I contacted Self Publishing on 1/10/25 to request my refund in accordance with the terms of our agreement.2.Companys Response: They responded by stating they were launching a new promotional campaign, which was not part of the original agreement and does not override my right to a refund.3.Follow-up Attempts: I have reached out multiple times for an update, but they have continued to ignore my request or delay action.Why This is a ******************* made a written guarantee that they are now refusing to honor.They are delaying and stalling instead of providing the refund as contractually promised.Their actions suggest deceptive business practices, as they are using false guarantees to secure payments but failing to follow through.Desired Resolution:I am requesting a full refund $7k in total as per the terms of our agreement. I expect the company to uphold its legally binding guarantee and process my refund immediately.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/12/2025

  Hello, 

       This customer has worked with us for well over a year and has been a pleasure to work with according to our team. While they are correct that their book did not hit bestseller status as our guarantee suggests, there is a bit of a misunderstanding in the timeline and when the book was officially relaunched per our terms. Our team has just finished up everything involved in the relaunch and provided it does not hit the status of bestseller we will refund the amount without any hesitation! 

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/24/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  After attending a webinar by ******************************* on October 22, 2024, I signed up for their memoir writing program on October 23 and paid it in full. I met with my coach once and was supposed to have another 1:1 meeting on 11/20. However, on 11/19, I was notified by my coach that they were changing the 1:1 meeting sessions to group meetings and that the 11/20 meeting would be in a group (email attached).I felt VERY uncomfortable, as my memoir was dealing with sensitive topics that I didn't feel comfortable talking about in a group setting. I emailed my coach to voice concerns that day. But, after reflecting, I decided to leave the program entirely and opened a support ticket via their website. My coach later emailed me in response to the support ticket, saying she made a mistake. However, I honestly wanted to leave because I realized I was still healing from a very traumatic experience, and it felt too soon to write about it (email attached). I was then contacted by ****** ********* on 11/20 by phone, and I reiterated my desire to leave over a 30+ minute call. I was then told I had to speak to ***** ******, and I spoke to him by phone on 11/22, which was another 30+ minute call in which I was forced to tell my traumatic story yet again so they could understand why I needed to leave to protect my mental health. I was told the coaching change was an error, but that wasn't my primary concern.On 11/26, I was told they didn't want to let me withdraw and offered a marketing deal, which I wasn't interested in. I emailed the CEO, ******** Bolt, on 11/27 (email attached), in which I extensively detailed my concerns. I didn't hear back from him directly, but ***** emailed me on 12/2 to say he would bring it up again. I emailed again on 12/9 to follow up, and he emailed on 12/10 to say I'd hear back by EOD on 12/11. That was his last email to me. I filed a claim with my bank on 12/18, and they are investigating. I am filing this claim as well as a warning to others.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2025

  The ability to solve this matter in a fair and equitable way was removed from us, as the customer disputed the charges with the bank even though we were willing to work with them. However, in the end, our team decided to let the bank handle it in the end and the customer did receive the entirety of the ******* requested.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/20/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  

  I heard back from my bank on January 30th, 2025, and was notified that they had completed their investigation on my behalf and permanently refunded my money. Interestingly, I had further contact with ***** ****** on 1/24, 1/28, and 2/12. In his last email, he said they could not allow me to withdraw from the program, not realizing that my bank had already ruled in my favor. 

  
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/21/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Warning About SelfPublishing.com I am writing this review to warn others about the deceitful practices I experienced with SelfPublishing.com, led by CEO ******** Bolt. My journey with this company has been nothing short of a financial and emotional disaster. I invested $6000 in their standard package, which promised comprehensive support such as 6 coaching calls.I worked two jobs to earn the money for this package and live in a 27-foot RV. Every dollar mattered to me, and trusting SelfPublishing.com with my hard-earned money was a significant decision. I regret it deeply. This review aims to shed light on my experience, hoping others won't fall into the same trap.SelfPublishing.com demonstrated a complete lack of professionalism, transparency, and accountability throughout my experience. Their customer service was abysmal, with long periods of no response and empty promises when they did respond. The revolving door of coaches, instructing me to start over completely, because they didn't like my memoir. only added to the confusion and frustration. I now will not publish my book, because they won't give me a refund.The company's primary focus appears to be extracting more money from their clients rather than providing the support and services they advertise. The lack of follow-through indicates a severe deficiency in their operational structure. Other reviews claim they are an MLM. It's as if once they secured my payment, they lost any motivation to fulfill their contractual obligations.I strongly urge others to avoid SelfPublishing.com. They are a scam, preying on aspiring authors and exploiting their dreams. Do not fall victim to their deceitful practices. Protect yourself from this fraudulent company.This experience has been a harsh ****** in the importance of due diligence and skepticism when it comes to investing in self-publishing services. I will follow up and post all the emails from them and their promises. They should be exposed. I lost 6000 dollars

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/16/2024

  Complaint: 21880965
  
  I am rejecting this response because: ************ has continued to gaslight me and ghosted me for months. I have attached a true and accurate timeline of the actual emails and messages that I sent to SelfPublishing, their *************** and text messages. I have all screenshots.

  ************ will not bully me. They lied to me and I trusted them. They will not provide any resolution in writing, unless I email them first. They are deceptive.

  I want a REFUND. I will also email them with my "thoughts" as they suggested, before they will put anything in writing.

  These are my thoughts: If I am forced to use their program after these disturbing interactions, I WILL write a book.

  It will be called

  "How I was SCAMMED By SelfPublishing.com and ******** Bolt",

  I will keep my amazing coach ******* and she will help me design a cover and get me bogus reviews on ******.

  Then she will help me publish and show me how to market. I will post snippets on the ******** page that I should have full access to just like the program offers. I will praise them over and over at how so many people can't possibly publish without their help. ******** Bolt is very, very thoughtful and caring.

  I look forward to my response from ***** ****** and ******* ******** that I will accept his resolution when I get it in writing. 

  My timeline include all email correspondence and replies after I threatened legal action. But now I have a better idea.
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/30/2024

  We are working with this customer on a resolution to this manner and fully intend to help the customer publish a book, with the entirety of services in the package they purchased provided to them, while working on a mutually respectful relationship on both sides for the remainder of their program. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/31/2024

  Complaint: 21880965
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Self ************************** is NOT working with me for a resolution. They are offering me the same "package" that I bought. I do not trust them. They are clearly not concerned about their reputation, customers, or the scam they appear to be peddling.

  They were unresponsive for months, and still fail to respond in a tiemly manner or refund my money. They are holding my moneyu hostage.I paid 6000 dollars for coaching and help publishing my book. My third coaching call did not happen. My "coach" resigned from Selfpublishing (I can only imagine why), with ZERO notice. He just didn't show up to my call. 

  I did NOT receive any value whatsoever other than a "new coach" that was "in transition", therefore unavailable.

  If Self Publishing would have reached out to me to resolve this in May like I asked, after several unanswered requests via email or phone, I may have considered continuing. That didn't happen. They ghosted me, lied to me, and gaslighted me, like I am the problem and they expect me to trust them now going forward.. They have no integrity and that is evident by the negative reviews. The program is literally worthless. 

  My experience with them and their shady Terms and Conditions and unprofessional, inaccurate method of s******* people out of hard earned money should not be tolerated. I worked two jobs for this and they FAILED to provide the promised services. They forced me to make a BBB Complaint because they would never respond. Only now do they offer me the SAME worthless package as a resolution. It is their way or the highway.

  To top it off I have a serious family emergency (that I can prove) that makes this even more urgent. By them trying to FORCE me to write a book that they can exploit on their social media and webpages as a job well done, is disgusting. 

  I want a full refund for services I NEVER received because of thier lack of response and stall tactics and failure to accept THEY FAILED, not me..

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2024

  We do not feel like this is an accurate representation of the process or discussions with this customer. While it is true that in the beginning stages of the program that involves writing, producing, and publishing a book, we had a staff member resign. Unfortunately this happened and to help make it right and for the customer to get the value of continuity out of the entire coaching experience, they were offered an additional coaching calls to make up for it. There was not any period of time where our team was unresponsive for months in this process, nor was there any ghosting or gaslighting. We have simply offered to fulfill on the program that the customer has purchased to the fullest and provide the assistance and supported needed. Several attempts have been made on our behalf to fulfill on the service, and the customer has not taken us up on it at this time. We will continue to aim for a win-win situation. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2024

  We have been in communication with this customer since the review was posted, and a completely new set of calls and assistance was offered to the customer in good faith since we had a staff member leave, to help with the book they had began writing. There was an in depth phone call clarifying some of the points above, that the instructions were not to start over. There has been no dishonest practices in dealing with this customer as we hold honesty and integrity in very high regard. The offer still stands to help the customer with the package that they did purchase with extended timelines and brand new set of coaching calls. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/09/2024

  Complaint: 21880965
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I am at a loss as how to get a response from this business. 

  **BBB Review Response Rejection:**
  
  The business still does NOT address my main complaint: WHY can I not have a refund? Their response completely sidesteps the issue at hand. I dont care what theyve offered; the core question remains unansweredwhy am I not eligible for a refund when I havent violated their terms and conditions?
  
  This companys practices are deceptive, and its clear that there are people other than the CEO, ******** Bolt, responding to me, which is only damaging his reputation further. They continue to insist that I dont have to start over, claiming theyve clarified this with me, but they have not. If I am not starting over due to their mistake, then why are they offering me a whole new set of calls and coaching? It doesnt add up.
  
  I signed up in January 2024 with the promise that I could publish my book in 90 days with their program. I finished my manuscript in March and even scheduled a call with their editing services, only for the coach to leave before anything could be donefortunately, they didnt get any extra money from me at that point. They had every opportunity to resolve this back in May when I first complained, but instead, they ghosted me, ignoring my emails and phone calls for months. Now, theyre coming up with excuses for why I should accept their services after months of unresponsiveness.
  
  My book is finished. I have done this without them. I havent used their ******** group, their online courses, or any of their supposed services of value. I have received nothing of value from this company. My complaint is straightforward: WHY cant I get a refund? I dont need your worthless services, and I dont want them. Maybe CEO ******** Bolt can come forward and explain how his company scams people because, at this point, I feel like Im dealing with a foreign scammer.

  
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/17/2024

  To address the very direct question as to why the customer is not eligible for a refund, with the terms and conditions that have been mentioned, is we have a very clear refund policy and a timeline of 14 days from the date of purchase. It is on invoices, inside of our online training platform, and on our website to make sure people are adequately informed of the process to ask for a refund. There has been no scams or deceit on the part of our company in this matter, I would like to strongly push back on that as it is not accurate. 

  We have offered a new set of coaching calls, not because the customer was told to start over, but to go above and beyond for the situation where we did unfortunately have a staff member quit, and we wanted to make sure there was a full relationship built between the author and coach so that everyone could have the best experience possible. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2024

  Complaint: 21880965
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The terms and conditions only describe that there will be no refund if I fail to do my part and participate in the program. I did and I left a raving review. Self Publishing cannot take responsibility for their failures. If they had responded initially to my complaints and pleas for help, I wouldn't be here now. 

  I would like this company to have some integrity and accept responsibility for their failures rather than putting the blame on me. I finished my book without their assistance and guidance. I believe I am entitled to a full refund for their failure to communicate with me. I have done my due diligence, they have ignored me and have no intention of accepting any part or blame. They failed to provide the services that I paid for. I paid them, and they failed. If I failed then what did I do wrong that doesn't warrant a refund. At this point they are being ***** and gaslighting me and holding me accountable for their deceptive business practices. 

  I gave them a chance in May, they never responded until I asked for a refund and still ghosted me. 

  I want a full refund as I did not receive any of their services.

   

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/28/2024

  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.

  The salesman **** called me on May 8th and selling a book publishing service. He said it is easy and not take much time. I paid $3000 by **** of america credit card and processed on May 9th. When I have the first orientation I find out that it is a lot of work need to be done and I am currently just start my businesss so I email and messaged **** back immediately on May 9th or 10th, no response. So I filed claim to my **** and cancelled everything they send to my calendar. On May 22nd, I received an email from them said any question can file ticket, then I filed, they have someone called ***** scheduled a call with me and send to me that their 14 days refund policy. And request me to do a list of things then he can talk to the *** to get me a refund. I told him I already file claim from by **** and they try to threaten me that they have evidence what I did to them then I won't be win. Or I can complete the **************************************** But this company is really problematic. They want to me to complete steps to refund me I am afraid they will use those to see I used their service because anyway I pass the 14 days refund policy.They also didn't send me the receipt of the order.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/06/2024

  To whom it may concern, 

       We would like to push back on the statements made by this author, as there were no threats made in this case at all. The message delivered to the customer was that since there has been a dispute with the bank, we simply did not have control of the funds to issue a refund at the time and it would need to go through that process. We do have a very clear refund policy, and all that was conveyed to the customer was that we would gladly refund after giving it an honest try per the public written policy. This was explained and there are only 3 steps to the policy, in which we were asking for one more step to be completed as it seemed like there was a misunderstanding of the program and what it involves. We would still be happy to work with this customer to come up with an amicable solution. At this point there are no more pending charges and the credit card dispute is in process.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/02/2024

  Complaint: 21768952
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Date of the transaction: 5/8/2024 Amount: $3000 What: Train me to publish abook Nature of dispute: It was falsely sell by the sales person that the publish is very easy and not much work. Once I paid and find out it is not something they can committed all estimation are fishing. I immediately ask for refund next day and never use their service but they keep asking me do login in for evidence and said after that they will refund. I followed but 3 months later get from bank said they reject the refund. They said on their website there is a14 days refund process, but I try to contact them the first 2 weeks nobody response. After 2 weeks they drop the 14 days refund policy ask me to do more things to get refund. I did but 3 months later get rejected for re funding.
  
  Regards,
  
  **** ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2024

  Hello, 

       We hate to hear that anyone would have experienced any sort of confusion in our enrollment process or our process to get a refund. Our website, and each customers invoice clearly state that we have a 14-day Honest Try refund policy and exactly what steps must be taken to receive a refund under the policy. One of these steps is to complete the online platform orientation that takes 5-10 minutes and this is the point of contention as the customer was unwilling to give our process an honest try before requesting a refund. This is why the refund request was denied, but as a courtesy we did put a stop to any future payments from this author. We wish to connect with this customer and find an amicable resolution.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/23/2024

  Complaint: 21768952
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  I can't find the 14 days refund policy initially. Then I login in myself and finally find it. I did all the work they ask me to do to get the refund, then they said since I cliam from my card bank they can'd do anything. Then after 90 days the bank said they denied. 

  I did complete the 14- day refund activities. But I don't have the account access anymore and didn't screen shot the completion of the oreitantion.

  I also sent email to **** told him I completed the 14 days refund activities. That's the only evidence I have. In there website there is no place to put arefund request. That's why I send email to **** (their CEO) and ***** ( The person I talked to) and told them I complete all the refunded request activities no response from any of them.

  
  Regards,
  
  **** ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2025

  Hello, 

       We are sorry for any confusion that there has been. There are places on our website to submit tickets to request a refund and this is gone over in the orientation. Unfortunately the terms to receive a refund were not completed in the stated time so the refund has been denied in a fair and equitable way. We will also be more than happy to perform all of the services paid for. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/13/2025

  Complaint: 21768952
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I did the 14-days refund tasks.

  
  Regards,
  
  **** ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/08/2024

  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.

  I feel this is a complete run around scam. I reached out for a refund from the business through email and was told to schedule a call and that they would discuss the next best steps, Im requesting a refund, why wasnt I sent information on how to get a refund, I went ahead and scheduled the call just for no call to be received at the time scheduled. I then saw a missed call between 30 mins and an hour after I made it back to work, i took a break for the scheduled call never received it and cant just use my phone at work and walk off when I feel like it because Im not entitled to do so. I then realized it seemed like games were being played from the email on refund being replied back with a scheduled call to discuss a plan. This made me think hard on it because why wasnt I able to contact them after requesting a refund, just for them to call at a later time than the scheduled time. I received no receipt of payment, I continuously check my email to be sure I didnt miss anything and no reciepts, no policy, only a welcome email. Realizing I never received a policy nor any payment information, I was being charged $1750 again the following month after having a conversation with an agent at the time I made the first payment, letting me know he would be able to charge me $700 on the next payment because I mentioned I couldnt afford to pay $1750 again and I would have to work something out. Seemed like he would try anything to get me to purchase right away with no policy sent nor recipet of purchase right after. Prior to purchasing I immediately found out from the *** I have an abnormal concussion so going back and forth wouldnt be a great option for my initial health, it causes stress and losing out on $1750 is not something thats soothing for my situation. I can barely work. Im requesting a refund and trying to get this resolved. Im in no way shape or form to make any of these payments and to loose out on $1750, especially from a company who sent no receipt, no policy nor details about the payment they received from me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/13/2024

  Hello, 

       We aim to be prompt with our responses, completely open with our policies, and when we make appointments we aim to be very punctual with them. In the ase of this customer, our representative called at the exact time of the appointment and received no answer or returned call. They then attempted to call back later well past the appointment time in hopes to connect with an author requesting a refund as soon as possible. We have a very public refund policy on our website, and we send invoice receipts automatically for every purchase or transaction made. As indicated, we have tried to reschedule a phone call with this customer to go over everything  per our policy, unfortunately that has not been able to happen as of yet. Our representative will continue to reach out and aim to connect with this customer on a phone call in efforts to connect and come to a fair and equitable resolution for all. We hope that continued efforts will results in the customer connecting with a member of our team to get everything resolved as soon as possible.

   

  Thank you, 

   

  SelfPublishing.com team

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/13/2024

  Complaint: 2168238
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this information is not 100% factual and I feel no effort is being made towards the refund. I have no receipt sent to me, please send screen shot if receipt with date of purchase, nothing to my email but a welcome letter. Also after I reached out about a refund I scheduled the call for 11:00am on April 9th, so I took a break at work and after 15 mins I went back to work no call was received. I got off of work and seen there was 1 missed call around 11:30am. I added a photo of the call being scheduled for 11am that day. Why is it so hard to send a receipt and where a customer can find policy information as soon as theyd lend money with you? I dont feel like my needs are being met professionally. I requested a refund, I have to schedule a call, why isnt there a number I can call to get this handled. Why is it run around games being played? I would like a refund and nothing other than that please. I do not want your services and I am requesting a refund. 
  

  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/06/2024

  To whom it may concern, 

       We are still open to a refund being given to the customer as well as an extension to the public 14-day Honest Try Refund Policy that we have that has a few very clear and simple steps in order to complete to be eligible for the refund. We maintain that our representative did in fact call and attempt to reach the customer at the scheduled time. We will attempt to reach out to the customer and attempt to resolve this in an amicable way. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/06/2024

  Complaint: 21682385
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I am willing to receive a call and handle the matter in a way that I am comfortable with, no persuading or anything involved please! Also, I did receive a call from a representative the day I scheduled but not the time I scheduled. The call was recorded after the scheduled time on in the correct date. As I mentioned before, I was at work and my break was over so I was not able to be around my phone which was ***** mins after the scheduled time. I will not provide false information when I know Im trying to get this matter handled in an appropriate way. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/30/2024

  We have a standard policy to call at the scheduled time as well as a follow-up call part way through the scheduled appointment time to attempt to connect a second time. We would be happy to connect with this customer and have made efforts to since the previous message, as we too would like to have this handled in an amicable way. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/31/2024

  Complaint: 21682385
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  I scheduled another call, and reached out after receiving the call and was told nothing could be done even with all the information I provided, pertaining to my health. I have proof of what I explained and also offered it. Was told I would get a call back or email, I contacted the company after but receiving any feedback about the refund conversation over the phone and basically, theyre trying to push it as a loss! Makes no sense because I never used what I purchased and I have a medical condition dealing with my brain & that cant even get me a refund. **** knows what will at this point. Its totally over whelming trying to communicate and go back and forth and my only intentions are to resolve this in a refund.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/09/2024

  We wish nothing but the best for our customers and aim to support them throughout the process of writing the book and want all parties to be in a win-win situation. During the last phone conversation we have had with this author, we had agreed to extend the duration of the program for a great period of time to help the customer complete the program when things are at a better place. The extension was offered well past what we would normally offer in order to help with the timeline of the medical issues that had come up and to be supportive throughout that process. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/12/2023

  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.

  I emailed selfpublishing on July 26,2023 that I was not going forward with their marketing program and instructed them to NOT DRAFT against my credit card for any future payments. I was contacted by a person named ***** and told that he needed to speak to me. On July 31st I emailed ***** and informed him that I would not be moving forward with the marketing program and to cancel me out of the program. On August 2 ***** informed me that I was outside the 14 day withdrawal period and I couldn't withdraw. This is the first notification I have received from selfpublishing that there was/is any kind of a withdrawal policy or procedure. In the meantime, they drafted against my credit card on Aug. 29 for *******. I immediately called the credit card company to dispute this charge. I received an email from ***** telling me that I had to schedule a meeting with him to discuss my future steps with selfpublishing. I didn't want a meeting with ***** and informed him that if he gave me his phone number I would call him. He emailed me his number and I tried to call him. Between the dates of August 16 and August 25th, I called him 17 times and never received and answer. I left messages after each call. Again, in September selfpublishing has charged my credit card another *******. I have again disputed this charge and the credit card people are following up. I have never signed any agreement or contract with selfpublishing. I just want selfpublishing to stop the unauthorizes drafts against my credit card and to stop emailing me. I hope you can help me. Thank you for what you do in helping me. Thankfully, **********************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  In regards to this matter, the customer is accurate in assessing the dates of the requests to cancel the program. We do have a very clearly stated 14-day Honest Try refund policy that requires an inquiry call with a member of our team. Our team member tried numerous times to schedule this call with the customer who refused repeatedly to have a brief phone call. The customer did attempt to reach our team member by phone, and some of those phone calls were returned and unanswered as well. This is the primary reason we prefer to schedule calls with our customers so that both parties are ready and available for the brief phone call. Unfortunately this customer did not meet either of the 2 requirements of our cancellation policy, leaving them ineligible for a refund or cancellation without the inquiry call. However, in the interest of being fair and equitable, we will cancel the customers account and will not attempt to charge their card. We would be happy to connect with the customer on this and end things on a positive note for all.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/05/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 signed up for publishing services and paid $1500 for those services on August 22nd. I reached back out to SPS regarding a refund on August 23rd and I was referred to another person on August 24th. They gave me an option to give them a plan "I could work with" and then scheduled another call on August 29th. After evaluating my financial situation and the occurrence of an unfortunate event, I asked again for a refund on September 1st. I was told they would speak with their supervisor about getting a refund but was refused. They told me they could not offer to me what they could not offer to others. However, they actually have a 14-day refund policy and did not offer that option to me. I think that this is deceptive and unfair. I have not utilized their services and today marks day 14. I reached out to their headquarters, but no one was available today and I had to leave them a message. Additionally, I feel like they dragged out this process so that I would be outside of the refund policy window.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/05/2023

  At SelfPublishing.com we take the integrity of what we do very seriously and there is a publicly stated 14-day Honest Try refund policy that has a few very simple to meet requirements to show that the customer did in fact give it an honest try to qualify for the refund and cancellation. When our team member spoke to this customer, they had not fulfilled the requirements of the policy. During the conversation the customer had mentioned being open to pausing the payments but still be allowed access to the course enrollment during the pause, so our team member explored that route and came to terms that the customer had agreed to. We will be reaching out to this customer so seek a resolution that is fair and equitable. 

  Thank you, 

   

  SelfPublishing.com team 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/05/2023

  Complaint: 20558096
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  
  According to SPS, I did not fulfill the requirements of the refund policy, however, at no point was a refund offered as a possible option during the many conversations I had with them, otherwise I would have exercised this option first.  After asking for a refund, I was offered the opportunity to share a plan in which we could work something out, but being provided a refund was not a part of those options.  After further determining that I could not afford even the plan we discussed (especially after experiencing some circumstances that affected my finances), I requested a refund, but was refused.  The reason they told me that I could not receive a refund is because they did not want to set a precedent for one that they could not set for another and I honestly believed that a refund was not something that they offered to ANY of their clients. The reason why I SETTLED for the plan in which they would halt payment is because I felt defeated and had no other recourse. I even said to the salesperson, "I can't MAKE you give me a refund, so I guess this is what I have to work with".  At that time, he mentioned nothing about the refund or even shared it as a possible option. However, upon further investigation, I learned that they DO have a refund policy, and I would appreciate it greatly if they would extend that opportunity to me. I never accessed the courses and to be honest, my main reason for signing up was for book publishing, not coaching or mentoring throughout the process.  I received the receipt 3 hours prior to receiving a list of what I actually paid for and realized that it's not what I wanted, but they took me through a week of back and forth just to learn that they would keep my $1500 even though I would not be utilizing their services. Once again, they NEVER gave me a refund as an option, so I wasn't able to exercise it prior to now. It is my hope that this gets resolved in an amicable manner. This process is leaving a very sour taste in my mouth because we have had many conversations about getting a refund and it was NEVER mentioned as an option. How is it possible that I never met the requirements of a policy that they never even mentioned? These practices are predatory and deceptive and I am starting to have a very different view of their company as a result. Thank you, BBB, for taking the time to hear my complaints and I hope to get a favorable resolution to this matter soon. Have a great day!!!      

  
  Regards,
  
  **************************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/02/2023

  We have spoken with this customer and both the customer and we agree that this situation has been resolved admirably and fairly for all parties involved after an initial misunderstanding

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/05/2023

  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. I was refunded what was paid and no further payments have been taken out of my account. Many thanks to BBB and SPS for resolving this matter.  Have a great day!!!
  
  Regards,
  
  **************************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/07/2023

  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.

  She came about this from ******** link and she didn't know what she was doing. In the process at some point she signed something and given them the right to withdraw $1700 month from her debit card. She only gets $700 every 2 weeks and cant make $1700 a month payment. They refuse to cancel. Next step is legal action with an attorney. This is a mother talking for her daughter. She did not know what she was doing.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/29/2023

  Dear *******, 

   

       Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We are sorry for any inconvenience that this has caused. ******* made a request to cancel with our company within the 14-day limit, and our team member reached out to schedule an inquiry call with her to finalize the cancellation. We would have had no problem cancelling her enrollment during that conversation, unfortunately our attempts to communicate went unanswered.We will do everything we can to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, and would love to have connect with you to apologize and make this right, and we will reach out to you in an attempt to do so. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

  Sincerely, 

  SelfPuiblising.com 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/01/2023

  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.

  I signed up with SPS (paid $6000) and submitted my children's book ******************* on 3/3/23. Agreement was for my book to be done in 6-8 weeks. SPS online submission portal had tech issues that delayed 2 weeks. SPS apologized. 3/17/23 ******************************* and I discussed my timeline, requirements and he asked about my other book I self-published **** Trace and Say) saying SPS would love to put it online as an ebook. I agreed and paid additional $2000 on my credit card for SPS to format for online. Unbeknown to me, they charged an additional $3000 to my card that same day. Thats $11,000 paid to date. I kept in constant contact with ************, my communications were often ignored. I asked for any work product repeatedly and on week 7 ************ said he was behind, and it didn't look like he would make the deadline. I had launch events planned at schools I couldn't change due to school year ending. He said I was his top priority, and he would make it happen but 5 days later he sent me merely a book cover for review but astonishingly the cover was mistakenly a title page, huge mistake. I texted him, emailed him and messaged on ****** docs about error but he did not respond for 4 days. In week 8 I emailed SPS to stop and refund my money due to severe lack of communication, errors, no usable work completed, and missed deadlines. I had no usable work product from SPS. ********************* called 5/1/23, apologized and said this never happened and agreed to a full refund. He said to speak with *********************** as he handles refunds. 5/2/23 ***** called, apologized, asked what can be done to make it right I said my deadlines had been missed and I had lost all faith in SPS. He agreed to a full refund in 6-8 business days to process. 8 days later I emailed and called him because only $2000 of $11000 was refunded to my card. He replied SPS only agreed to refund for *** book - he lied. Emails support my main grievance of no work done on ****** and Whiskers.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/23/2023

  Dear *****, 

       Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, and we are sorry for any inconvenience that you have experienced in this process. We will do everything we can to resolve the issue here as quickly as possible. It seems like there must have been some unfortunate confusion between our staff and yourself. We would be happy to refund you the full amount that you paid to us, which is $8,000.00. We have searched for a record of the additional $3,000.00 you are mentioning here, and are not able to come up with anything. We are more than willing to help you out with this issue as well and figure out the best way to make that situation right too. If you have a statement from your financial institution showing this, as well as what card or account it came from, that would help us identify what is going on. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns on this matter, and we are looking forward to getting this resolved for you. 

   

  Sincerely, 

  SelfPublishing.com 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/29/2023

  Complaint: 20128345
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I accept only part of the response from the business,SelfPublishing.com, where they assert a refund to me for the full amount is justified,but once again SelfPublishing.com has erroneous accounting. They owe a remaining credit back to my **************** Credit Card for $9,000, not $8,000, and it makes no sense their records do not show the three charges they initiated with ****************.

  SelfPublishing.com charged my **************** credit card as follows: $6,000 on 11/10/2022; $2,000 on 3/22/2023; and again on the same day made an unauthorized charge of $3,000,for a total of $11,000.  After repeatedly communicating with SelfPublishing.com about their producing zero work product, and apparently fraudulently charging my credit card, they agreed to refund me the full amount, but then proceeded to credit my **************** only for $2,000 on 5/3/2023.  $11,000 charged minus a $2,000 credit equals a refund balance owed to me of $9,000.

  **************** has already reached out to SelfPublishing.com and SelfPublishing.com can call Amex at ************** to verify all of the charges they initiated.  Also, attached are the only two receipts SPS sent to me, both on 3/22/2023 for $3,000 and $2,000, as well as copies of all three Amex statement charges totaling $11,000. In sum, a refund balance of $9,000 is still owed to me (not $8,000).

  Regards,
  

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2023

  We would like to apologize to the customer for their experience and confusion here, as it was uncovered that there was a system error and that there was $11,000.00 in total charged. We have spoken with **************** about the dispute and have offered to give a full refund to the customer if the dispute could be ended, and we are positive that no matter what, the customer will get the entire amount of the purchase refunded to them. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/25/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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 had signed up for self publishing.com program in April 2022. One week later I experienced a death and became pregnant with health complications, which prevented me from participating in the program. I had written to ask for a refund, and was told that they were unable to issue one but that I could restart the program at any time and they would waive the one year cap. I attempted to contact them to have access to the coaching program beginning in March 2023, but each time I have reached out, I have gotten an automated response that they will put me in touch with the right person and have not heard from anyone

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/25/2023

  We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience experienced by the customer and their inability to reach us. At selfpublishing.com, we highly value the opportunity to assist our customers in achieving their author goals, and we remain eager to work with this customer to ensure their book gets published!

  As soon as we received this complaint, our dedicated Author Success Manager made two immediate phone calls to establish contact with the customer. Unfortunately the voicemail inbox was full so a voicemail could not be left. Our support team will be reaching out to the customer today via email to address their concerns and provide any necessary assistance.
  

  Furthermore, we would like to bring to your attention that the customer had previously opened a support ticket with our team on May 9, 2023. In a prompt manner, our support team responded to their inquiry via email within 45 minutes. However, it appears that the customer may not have accessed or responded to the email.

  
  Selfpublishing.com genuinely values the opportunity to support this author throughout their author journey, and we are committed to resolving any outstanding issues. We appreciate their patience and understanding, and we look forward to working together moving forward.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/01/2023

  Complaint: 20103430
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  my mailbox was not fully I had checked it and had someone else leave a message. I have received messages both before and after.

   

  regardless, it has now been a week and I still have not received an email from a customer service representative. This level of support is indicative of my initial complaint. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/23/2023

  Dear *******, 

        I am sorry to hear that you did not receive any of our correspondence, as the most important thing here is for you to get the support you need during this process. After talking with our team, we have had a member send you an email to connect with you and get this resolved as efficiently as possible for you. Please do not hesitate to email ************************************ if you do not have an email from us, or if you have any questions or concerns. 

   

  Sincerely, 

  SelfPublishing.com