Q –

I am in the process of self publishing on CreateSpace. After reading all of the complaints, there must be some recourse to take for people to get their money back.

For me, I was told one pricing list on the phone, then got an email with a $224 discrepancy. When I reported it, I was told  it was a mistake and they would give me 5 complimentary books as a thank you. I decided to wait. A month later, I decided to go ahead, only cutting the editing portion, saving $500.

Again, when I received the invoice, and paid for them to begin, the price was increased by $108 with only one complimentary book.

I have not received any more communication about the discrepancy, but I have received communication about completing my file.

There should be laws concerning this. Please advise. What is the recourse for being compensated for over-payment or unacceptable book quality.

C.W.

A –

Disclaimer: BookLocker.com, a firm that competes with CreateSpace (and many others), is the parent company of this publication. Many authors who are unhappy with other publishers have submitted their manuscripts to BookLocker for consideration. However, BookLocker.com vets manuscripts for quality and salability, and rejects a large number of manuscripts per year. When we do, we must refer those authors to different P.O.D. publishers. Unfortunately, we can NOT refer authors to CreateSpace.

I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice. Please contact your attorney with specific legal questions.

~~~~~~~~~~~

In my opinion, when a company lures you in with one price, and then changes it later on, that’s false advertising – a classic bait and switch.

And, if they’re offering you 5 “complimentary” books for an extra $224…they are NOT complimentary. That adds up to $44.90 per book!!

For the second price change you reported, you’re getting 1 complimentary book for an exta $108? What a joke!!

If you truly believe you’ve been bamboozled, I encourage you to report them to the Washington State Attorney General. Specific information on how to do that is HERE.

Under CreateSpace’s contract, if you or anyone chooses to sue, it must be done through Washington State. Oh, and CreateSpace’s contract prohibits their authors from filing a class-action lawsuit. Again, in my opinion, if that doesn’t serve as a warning sign to new authors, I don’t know what does.

It states:
“You or we may bring suit in court on an individual basis only, and not in a class, consolidated or representative action, to apply for injunctive remedies. You may bring any such suit for injunctive remedies only in the courts of the State of Washington, USA.”

There are tons of complaints about CreateSpace posted online and we always recommend authors avoid them.

RELATED:

Employees (Allegedly) Reveal Behind-the-Scenes Info. about CreateSpace, Xlibris, Author Solutions, Infinity Publishing, Lulu, and Outskirts Press
CREATESPACE COMPLAINTS – PART IV
MORE CREATESPACE COMPLAINTS (Part III)
CREATESPACE COMPLAINTS – Part II
UH OH – PART II! What are Employees of CreateSpace and Lulu Saying About Those Companies?
More Q&A with Angela!

The Do-It-Yourselfer's Guide to Self-Syndication

Practical resource outlining the self-syndication process, step-by-step. Packed with detailed information and useful tips for writers looking to gain readership, name recognition, publication and self-syndication for their column or articles.

https://writersweekly.com/books/4693.html

 

90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy

Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.

We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!

Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor, which makes it fun for creative folks like you!

Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!

 

BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - by Angela Hoy

Peek over the shoulders of highly successful, published authors to see how they landed publishing contracts worth $10,000 to $100,000! An enticing yet professional book proposal is the key!

BONUS! Successful ghostwriter, Anton Marco, shares his secret for landing ghostwriting clients. Don’t miss Anton’s real ghostwriting contract at the end of this book! It provides an example of what he charges and the payment terms he requires from each client.