Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  03/13/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  It all started in September of last year I was watching some ******* videos when I got an ad pertaining to this company. I had been struggling to get back to neutral grounds financially and the way they leveraged this to me it seemed like I finally could. I decided it wasn't too bad to invest a little bit into this even though the price was already very high from the beginning. Within the next few days I had some kind of consultant within the company try to talk me out of backing out of this after I had done much more research and just didn't feel comfortable anymore with it. Instead of helping me to navigate walking away and getting my money back after convincing me that I could upgrade to a higher level of this program and get extra help I reluctantly signed over paying $7000 to this company in $500 payments thinking I would easily start making some money from this soon enough to handle those payments for me. I then quickly realized something seemed off. when I started reading further into this program and started seeing more fees. I questioned this again. Feeling very uncomfortable now when another consultant reached out to me and told me about their experiences with this. After this my resolve was strong again to just throw everything at this and start making money. Not too much further into the program another company that deals with the business setup side of things contacted me and convinced me to pay $5000 for their services I did so thinking it was part of this process. I got to a point where no matter what I did I just couldn't go any further. I scheduled a coaching call and the coach pointed out what I did wrong but wouldn't help me. That used up one of my 10 coaching calls. After several months of being stuck I decided to try another coaching call only to speak with someone telling me to do more of what I failed to understand. I was told that to receive a full refund I need to have published a book within a year. I can't get past this point so no refund.

  Business response

  03/13/2025

  Hi *******,

  We understand the challenges you have had.  We have a lot of students who have had success with our programs.  The extra costs that you mention are recommendations that are made and are by no means mandatory to being successful in the program. In light of the challenges you have faced, we are processing a full refund for you. 

  Wishing you the best,

  Publishing.com Team

  Customer response

  03/14/2025

  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  02/27/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Publishing.com has not recently replied or refunded me:$1995.00 for the classic program with lifetime access $7800.00 for the accelerator class $995.00 for a pro-plan with 2 manuscript credits -- Customers were told in a live 2 hr. + Zoom meeting that consumers could pause the Pro Plan program at any time and later restart when we were ready. It was my understanding by pausing, the six month renewal fees would be paused also, restarting whenever we got caught up and wanted to resume. I am now told no, they do not do this, while they provided nothing in writing to anyone on the terms of the Pro Plan. ********* ********* stated the pause option during the meeting several times. Publishing.com was not honest with students as to the real cost we would be out to publish a book, this is not an all inclusive cost, as it was portrayed in the videos. The cost of hiring a ghost writer ($750.00-$1500.00) a line editor ($400.00) proofreader ($300.00) book cover designer ($150.00 up to $1500.00) business LLC ($790.00) software programs for formatting, writing, designs, and more($50.00-$250.00) audio voice reader ($250.00) and advertising($500-$1700.00 monthly, depending how hard you run ads) was NOT mentioned until after your feet are wet and it feels too far to turn back now. They did begin to offer ************* through their system, for part of the $7800.00 and $995.00, which is an ai program that helps on book outlines, manuscripts This is not a one time cost it turns out. We are told to go in debt to pay them, we will not regret it, do what we have to to get this course started. ********* and ****** ********* urged new people to get a job, sell your home and move to a third world country where it costs less to live, while you put the savings into writing through their venue. I am requesting not only the Pro Plan refund, but complete refund of all charges above.

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This is in reference to Publishing.com 12/22/24 $166.25 12/30/24 $7,800.00 I signed up with this company to help me start a business as an author. I work night and am unable to participate in most of their online calls. They have promised to get me setup with a person who was good at helping people find topics that meet their proof of concept; however this never happened. I have contacted them several times about a refund or a partial refund and finally today received a message from them that they would not be refunding anything to me. They made promises to me to get me setup with this person to help me and then never followed through with it. I'm a nurse I work 12 hour night shift and can't participate in their program the way it is set up. They knew this before suggesting that I get into their accelerator program which was the additional $7,800.00. I did dispute the charge for the $166.25 on my card because I didn't recognize the name of the company that billed it. They did say that they had stopped those monthly installments; however the charge was reinstated on my card. I don't know if I will be charged again this month or not. With my work schedule and their hours of operation they should have known that I would not be able to participate in their program and should not have steered me toward the accelerator part of their program. If you need anymore information please reach out by email to ************ as I sleep during the day. Thank you ***** *****

  Business response

  03/13/2025

  Hi *****,

  Thank you for this information.  Sorry the program did not work out for you.  We acknowledge the communication challenges so thank you for this.  We are in the process of refunding your account entirely.  You should have your funds back within 5 to 10 business days.

  Best Wishes,

  Publishing.com team

  Customer response

  03/14/2025

  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  01/20/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Publishing.com is an online school purporting to teach students how to publish books using AI. they claim to provide intensive help and walk you through the entire process. They do not tell you about all the hidden fees or the level of actual help you can expect. Moreover, for extra money they claim to offer a higher level of "handholding" through the process. *** of this is done through Zoom calls and podcasts. I signed up for the course on Dec 7 2024 and agreed to be billed monthly for the extra help. It was at this time that I learned of the extra expense of almost $1000 for every book you publish through them. So far they have $1333 of my money and I have received nothing of value, I have not even been able to start the program. I was unable to sign up for the "kickoff call" which was the starting point without which you couldn't get access to anything. The system kept telling me no "kick off" calls existed. Also they consistently sent notices and confirmations for times of Zoom calls in which the wrong time zone, or no time zone was stated and I missed them. When I contacted anyone, including Support, I was sent a useless generic message which did not address the problem, confirming that no one even read my messages. I was unable to solve these problems so after trying for a month I decided to end my membership. I wrote emails to Support, and also ****** ****** informing them that I didn't want to continue. I also spoke by phone to ****** who was very courteous and professional but could not offer me a refund of my $1000, merely an offer to prolong my unfruitful membership for 2 months free. Since then they've billed me for an additonal $333, even after not receiving anything and after being told I don't wish to continue. If I hadn't canceled my credit card, they apparently would have billed me a total of $1000 every month expecting me to pay a total of $10,000 for nothing.

  Business response

  01/20/2025

  In a good faith effort to the client, we are in the process of refunding her account.  

  Customer response

  01/21/2025

  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  Adrianne Sainte-eve

• Initial Complaint

  01/07/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was going to try their service, but then they added additional requirements such as required zoom meetings, etc. They also did not disclose additional costs that would be involved. I cancelled this on December 31st. My bank contacted me about the charge and I told them to block the transaction, which they did. Then Publishing.com charged again. Unfortunately, this time the bank allowed it to go through. I emailed publishing.com on about the 5th of January, all they did was send a generic email to call them. I called them on January 7th during their listed hours and got a voicemail requesting my name, phone, and email. The message said they would call me back. I waited a bit, no return call, so left another message. I think it's unreasonable to expect someone to wait for a return call just to try and cancel an order that was cancelled before the purchase process. It should have never gone through because before the charge, there was a box to check that said I acknowledged my having to attend a mandatory Zoom meeting (which I don't have time for and that was never stated in their sales pitch.) I feel like this is a scam, they charge you even though the terms of membership have not been clearly identified. Then when you attempt to cancel, they just keep charging your credit card.

  Business response

  01/07/2025

  Hi there, thank you for your message. I am sorry for the negative experience that you have had. Our support team has processed the refund for you and emailed you directly as well. 

  Customer response

  01/10/2025

  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ********

• Initial Complaint

  01/06/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased the publishing.com course in Aug 2024. I then received multiple calls from publishing staff about the accelerator program which I then also purchased. I attended the initial kick off call with my "mentor" for the accelerator program and that was it. A couple weeks after this call, my circumstances changed, I was very ill for months and have had other life changes occur since initialing signing on As a result, I have not done any of the training modules, etc. No one, not even my "mentor" (which was a big selling point of the accelerator program) ever reached out after my purchase. There is no way to contact anyone except through a chat option on the website. I reached out in November 2024 to withdraw from the accelerator program and was told I couldn't do that, but they could do a 6month reset. Meanwhile they keep charging me for the course and I have paid thousands of dollars so far. They can see that I'm not doing the modules yet refused to give a refund because apparently there is a 72 hour window for refunds that multiple people neglected to mention. ******** customer service. I should be able to withdraw from a program, same as dropping a college course or other service. These people only care about getting paid and are not upfront about all the additional costs associated with it the program.

  Business response

  01/06/2025

  Hi there, I am sorry for the experience that you have had and the personal struggles that you are going through. I will ask our customer service team to reach out and process your refund for the Publishing Accelerator program. They will be in contact with you directly about this. 

  Customer response

  01/07/2025

  Complaint: 22774068
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  while I sincerely appreciate the prompt response and the refund on the publishing accelerator course, I find it extremely unprofessional on the company's behalf that I had to file a formal complaint to get a response or have anyone even work with me. At this point, I am not interested in associating with publishing.com in any way, shape or form and will not be moving on with the basic program either, which I am still being charged for. The only module I've opened since ****** is the onboarding module, so I kindly request a refund of the basic program as well.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

  Business response

  01/08/2025

  Hi there, we will process this refund for you as well. I am sorry for the misunderstanding of the initial request. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/06/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I signed up on Jan 10, 2024, for the $1995 publishing program to help me write, publish & sell books on ******. Total repayment for my 12 month loan with ********** is $2314.50 including $319.50 *********** Mar. 2024, there was a promotion for a 1-year Publishing Accelerator Program to help get my first book published on Amazon & generate royalties. I was selected to join at a fee of $7800. My coach, *******, instructed me to write 2 separate book outlines & integrate them before creating my final manuscript with **. But the ************* software had a bug. I could not copy my outlines across to ****, keep all the ******************** numbers, & print or compare 2 **** documents on one screen. I was faced with 2 x 24 page **** documents with approx 280 bullet points! Despite many attempts to explain the issue & get help via the messaging feature on their site, the tech team either failed to read or understand my messages or offer me any workable solutions. No phone number/help line was provided either. I began asking for help on July 11, 2024. The responses were unhelpful or irrelevant. 6 months later, the bug is still not fixed. On Aug. 7, 2024, I requested an extension of my membership in the ** software program because the bug had prevented me from completing my outline. When I joined the program on Jan 10, 2024, I was told it would cost $29 per month to use the software after the first 6 months of membership. Initially, it cost only $400 to register a manuscript with Publishing.com for publication on ******. Then the $29 fee was cut but the manuscript registration cost went up to $900! ***** at ******* dismissed my request for an extension because the new ** "Lite" program was free. I was ignored when I pointed out that, while the program might be "free", the manuscript price had increased by $500.Publishing.com was neither professional nor accountable & has not delivered a product or a service that merits a fee of $9795. I request a full refund.

  Business response

  01/06/2025

  Hi there, I apologize that you have had this experience with our team. I have sent this feedback to our department heads over our software, customer service, and customer success teams. I will have also requested that our customer service team reach out to you directly to coordinate a refund. 

  Customer response

  01/07/2025

  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  ********* ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  12/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for publishing.com for alternate income in August of 2024 and paid through the Split it program of $166.25 payments a month. Well I was NOT AWARE of any 72 hours to cancel, I just remember seeing that if not satisfied I could get a full refund. So I called after 4 payments of $166.25 totaling ****** to cancel and was told I would have to publish a book to get a refund and would still have to pay to get it published...? Excuse me?!? What a bunch of horse sh*t! I live in ******* and my house was affected by ******. I explained I don't have time in my life for publishing right now. I then stated so your just going to keep my $665 or spend more money to get a book published and make my money back that way? That is simply BAD BUSINESS!Please help me get this rectified. I did cancel, but now I need my money back. I have a very high hurricane deductible.

  Business response

  12/18/2024

  We apologize for your experience with our team as well as the outside struggles you are going through. That can't be easy at all. We will ensure that your refund is processed immediately. 

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I signed up for the online course they offer and after 2 weeks I realized that the course was not what I expected according to what they explained to me. I contacted them to cancel and although they verbally agreed in a call, they continue charging the monthly fee on my credit cards. The only form of communication I have is through email and the response I received is that a service representative will call me back. But they have never called me. I need to cancel permanently and have them stop charging my credit cards.

  Business response

  12/09/2024

  Thank you for your message. I apologize for the frustration that you have experienced. We will be processing your refund immediately. Please allow up to 5-10 business days for the refund to be posted to your account. 

  Customer response

  12/10/2024

  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  Jadenira *********

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On May 14, 2024 I purchased a plan with Publishing.com to learn how to publish a book. My total cost as of May 15th when I purchased their more inclusive progam and associated publishing costs was $9795. Purchases were made thru Affirm loan numbers:93Z1-D9QA and ATOW-A8DL. I enjoyed the program and finished their 7 Day Book deal and was working hard on my first full length book when my husband fell and fractured his hip. From 7/26/2024 until 10/5/2024 my husband was in and out of the hospital and a rehab facility. Along with his fractured hip, he contracted MRSA. In addition to the 2+ months he was hospitalized/rehabbed, we recently discovered that he has two forms of dementia, both Lewy Body Dementia and Vascular Dementia. He, also, has PTSD, COPD and Afib. Taking care of my husband and his infirmities is now ocuppying my full attention. Whereas, I would have enjoyed completing the program, it is simply not feasible. I contacted the company and requested a refund and their response was to give me an additional month to complete the course. My husband has been home now for a little over a month. His dementia will get worse rather than improve. The ************************ has determined that he is 100% disabled. I am exhausted by the end of each day and do not have the time to make progress in publishing a book. I would like a refund of my expenses rather than extended time offers.

  Business response

  11/15/2024

  We are sorry to hear about the difficulties that you are experiencing. We will ensure that our team processes the refund immediately. Please allow 3-5 business days for this on your bank account.

  Customer response

  11/15/2024

  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.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** ********

  Business response

  12/06/2024

  We are so sorry for the delay. We are following up with the team now to ensure that this gets processed immediately. The funds will be returned to the account that you used to pay. 

*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. ↩