Complaints

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:02/10/2024

  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.

  Please see the attached document outlining my problem and relationship with Fulton Books.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2024

  We have sent and received back *** ******* release agreement. Once fully processed on our end, *** ***** will be able to republish any version of his book. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/26/2024

  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.

  They have been stalling me with the getting the illustrations. This project was supposed to be completed in November. I am still waiting.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/07/2024

  ********* publication has been progressing through our process until her account went on hold due to the payment method expiring. We have worked with her to get the account back into good standing and is now off hold. Her latest round of illustrations is completed, and we wait for her review to move onto the next step. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/08/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* ********

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/16/2024

  We have been working with ****** and have uploaded her work for her to review. We have already received her input to her illustrations and are working to adjust what she needs to move forward with publication. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/19/2023

  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.

  Hello,
  I am in a contract with Fulton books; however, there is a lot of miscommunication and the production of the book is delayed. I have been promised that a supervisor will be calling me. And, I got an email that doesn't address all of my concerns.
  At this point of the work with Fulton and how they want me to carry on I would rather get my money back and continue to work on my other projects that I have going on.
  
  Here is an outline of my complicates...
  
  1). the miscommunication of the editing process
  2). timelines for getting consultation
  3). missing deadlines
  4). being promised that I can add things on later to the book but then can't
  5). not resolving my issues with the back and forth phone calls
  6) delaying publishing dates
  7). responses in emails when I was told I would get a phone call
  8). not following through
  9). not meeting the needs of publishing this book
  10) false propaganda
  11) not supportive
  12) not getting what I paid for

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/29/2023

  We have been in contact with *** ******** and have cleared up the misunderstanding. She has mentioned that she has been in contact with the BBB to remove the complaint. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/31/2023

  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.

  To: ***** *****
  I just wanted to congratulate you again on becoming a published author. It has been my pleasure to assist you through the publication process and I hope that you are as happy as I am with the finished product. Unfortunately, this milestone concludes my direct involvement with your project, any future questions or concerns should be directed to our author support line which is reachable from option 2 when dialing our 877-210-0816 number or by email ([email protected]).
  The Author Support Department is also happy to place orders for copies of your book. You receive a discount off of the cover price when you order your book from us.
  Please remember that sales reports for your book will be posted to your Portal several weeks after the close of every fiscal quarter (March 30th, June 30th, September 30th and December 31st). If a royalty check is due, it will also be mailed as a paper check shortly after the quarterly sales reports are available.
  I hope that you have enjoyed this process as much as I have, and that we here at Fulton Books have handled everything with the level of professionalism that you expected of us.
  Again, it has been a pleasure working with you, and I wish you the best of luck with this and any other publication ventures you might have!
  
  Chelsey B****
  Publication Assistant
  Fulton Books, Inc.
  296 Chestnut St.
  Meadville, PA 16335
  814-813-8243
  
  So when I call to find out when the sales reports will be released they say well we always need a month to finalize the information.So now instead of March, June,September and December. I now have to wait an entire month they say so every April 30th, July 31st, October 30th and January 31st.. However on these days for the 2nd time I'm told it will be another week. In the age of computers this seems ridiculous. No one answers phones or they hang up
  I paid completely on time and paid off my bill early.
  Communication is a severe problem with this company!
  
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/11/2023

  Fulton has been in contact with **** ***** via phone and though our support emails. We have explained why sales figures are reported quarterly through our print/distribution partner, Ingram. We are more than happy to help any other questions or concerns through our support channels. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/12/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  There have been multiple purchases of my book within the last 24 months none of which have been reflected in the sales report provided by Fulton books. When calling Fulton books I am put on hold then hung up on after explaining the issue. As a customer who is contracted to receive a portion of sales I should be receiving the contracted amount instead of Fulton books refusing to provide any sales and not paying out. I am not the only customer suffering from this same problem.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2023

  We have attached a direct sales report from Ingram to this response. Ingram is the printer & distributor of *** ********* book and would have accurate sales data. The report that is attached, matches the same sales report we supplied to *** ******** which he attached to this complaint. The report is from the day we enable print for his book (August 2021), up to the last sales quarter (December 2022). Once the current quarter is over, we will have a new report uploaded to *** ********* account. Fulton Books has always provided accurate sales reports to all our authors including *** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/02/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  We believe that Fulton Books is withholding sales information for our book, *** ***** ******* ***** *** *** We published a book with the publication company Fulton Books called Th* ***** ***** ***** *** ***, and the book published. For the first quarter after publishing the book in 2021 (October, November, and December), we got a sales report. After that, we stopped receiving sales reports, despite people that we know saying they bought books in 2022.
  
  We emailed Fulton Books about the issue, but they kept telling us that "sales would only be reported in the document if sales are made." But sales are being made as we speak to the people who are buying our books. We fear that Fulton Books are withholding sales reports so that they do not have to pay us royalties earned.
  
  All we ask of them is to provide a sales report for each month from January 2022 until now, even if the sales for the month says 0.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2023

  Fulton Books does not withhold sales information. We supply the same sales information that is received directly from Ingram. Ingram is the printer & distributor. They would have the most accurate sales as all printed books are printed & shipped through them. We have attached Ingrams sales reports for "Th* ***** ***** ***** *** ***" and they align with the ones *** ****** *ttached to his complaint. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/09/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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 paid over $3,500 for editing, illustrations and putting my book up for sale. Our agreement stated that I would receive the entire profit from my book sales until I received the amount I put in. After selling 100 books, I received only $3 per book. Fulton says it’s because of fees and shipping costs. But when I asked for a breakdown of the costs, I never received it. I’ve also had people show me that the book they purchased was creased due to the mail carrier. How can shipping costs so much but it is shipped in poor conditions (enough to crease the book in the mailbox). I’ve also had people not receive their book because it was lost in the mail. But I’m being withheld such high shipping costs? Fulton is a scam and I’ll never recoup my money.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/10/2023

  **** ******** book has been out for sale since October 2022. Just long enough to produce one sales report, as they are reported quarterly. We have just recently received the sales reports and royalty checks soon to be mailed out. **** ****** has sold over 200 books which she will earn all the profit from. From the first few months her book has been for sale, we have high hopes she will recoup her investment. As we have explained to **** ******, a book retail priced at $15.95 does not earn $15.95 in royalties. After factoring in the whole sale discount from retailers (55%) and printing costs/materials of the book, the left over is the royalty she earns. Shipping does not factor into the royalty of her book. As our website also states, we try to aim this royalty amount to be between $3-$4 to keep the books retail price lower.  If a book is ordered through a retailer such as Amazon, we urge her to go through them for replacements since they have their own shipping carries and process for returns or replacements.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/10/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  *** ******

  I was never told that 55% would be kept. My contract never stated that. My contract only states “royalties” and also states shipping costs are included in that. Also in order to keep selling my book in two years I have to pay $50. If I wanted it promoted by Fulton I also have to pay them for that. As a publisher, you should want to promote my book. I feel like I’m being “nickel and dimed” and I’ll never see a profit. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/08/2022

  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.

  I began the process of publishing my first book with Fulton Books in Feb 2022. Needless to say, I am truly excited to be publishing my book. ** ** ********* has been quite helpful with assisting me throughout the various stages/procedures to produce a quality end result. However, in March events took an unfortunate turn. After submitting my initial round of poetry, ******* requested that I email her any revisions. I meticulously and painstakingly went through all my submitted articles, color coded all revisions and typed it in the way I wanted my poetry illustrated. This took approximately two weeks. Once I emailed ******* my revisions, it took a number of weeks for ******* to get the editing department's changes. However, the editing department had done NOTHING!! I was incensed. All that work and nothing was done. I contacted ******* and she offered an apology and contacted the editing department. Again, a few weeks later I received the revisions. Unfortunately, the editing department treated my poetry (as common text) and had inserted hyphens. THERE ARE NO HYPHENS IN POETRY! Again, my revisions had to be returned to the editing department. ******* requested the last of the revisions be held until I submitted my color photograph for the ****** *** ********  I agreed and in October, I sent ******* my photo. Unfortunately the hyphens were still present. Once the hyphens were removed and the photo added, it was submitted as a "black and white" photo...not color. I spoke to ******* and was told I would have to pay an additional $45 and wait approximately two weeks for the revisions to be emailed to me. I wish this would have been explained to me earlier...saving time. Yesterday, I received the current page design and I am disappointed AGAIN! Fulton Books continues to treat my poetry as "common text." There are words that should be together that aren't and it fractures the poem. Fulton Books has demonstrated they are a poet's worst nightmare.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/20/2022

  We have been in contact with **** ********* and are working to complete the final stages of publisher her book. Many of her concerns have already been fixed before the complaint had been submitted. We are excited to see the finishing touches made in the coming weeks ahead. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/05/2022

  Type:Order 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.

  In May 26,2021, I had agreement with Fulton Book to edit and publish my book, ******* ** *** ** *** ***** ** ****, which I paid $3,500
  I had Melanie W**** for my assistant. Melanie was not easy to work with, she gave me such a hard time and set up many appointments and was late or never showed up. Whenever I tried to get in touch with her, she started dodging me. When Melanie was correcting and editing my manuscript, she would have me correct the mistakes and go back and make more. Melanie was stressing me out with all the unnecessary trouble she was causing. I had worked with Heather the Vice President for a little while and she was great to work with. Fulton book stated in the agreement that they would market, advertise, and promote my book around the world to many Stores like Amazon, Barne and Nobles, Walmart, and many other Stores around the world, which I don't see at all. Everything seems to be deceiving. On around November 1, 2022, the sales report came out on my portal, I was in shock to see what they called a sales report, it did not look like it was anything professional. I called the receptionist and spoke with Donna and asked her why I had $3.12 in my account for my sells, when some people who brought my books weren't showing up, she was saying things that did not make any sense at all. I asked Donna why they didn't show where the sales were coming from, and the names of the companies that were selling the books. I know for a fact that people brought my books, and they were not giving me credit for the sales. I did not give Fulton books permission to use my book for their personal use. This book is something I worked on for a long time and it's my life. I did not allow Fulton Book to take my money $3,500 and my book and I end up with $3.12 for all my hard work. If Fulton books is not willing to do the right thing and make things right. I would like to end my contract and get my full refund $3,500
  Sincerely *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  We have listened and understood **** ******* frustrations with her previous assistant and have her reassigned to a new assistant. We have discussed with her that Fulton has fulfilled every part of our agreed upon contract and will not be issuing a full refund. Attached is **** ******* sales report up to the last sales quarter. Any sale made after September will be in the next quarterly report that we receive once the new year begins. Ingram has always reported accurate sales to us and we will continue to keep reporting them on a quarterly basis **** ******
  

   

  We have contacted **** ***** about sales reporting and had a more in depth conversation about how they are reported to us. We hope that we are at an understanding and are more than happy to help her with any questions or concerns moving forward.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

  
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

  I spoke with Heather on the 9th of November 2022, she did not do what she said she was going to do.  She never sent the sales report from Ingram.  Also, I asked her if Fulton Books has allowed another company to distribute my book, she said no.  I recently found out that another publishing company is distributing my book and I have not given them permission to do so.  I believe that Fulton Books is working with that company. 

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2022

  The sales reports were attached to our response to the previous complaint. Fulton would not use a different distributor other than Ingram to print **** *****s book. We ask her to look into the other publisher as we would have no ties to her claim.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/18/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  

   

   

  The people at Fulton Books have not been honest. They have failed to fulfill their agreement, their editing is poor, and the marketing, promoting and advertising is nothing like in the agreement. On 11-9-22 Heather P*** did not send me a copy of the sales report from ingram like she promised. I never had a sales report from ingram like she sent to BBB. The sales report I have is on my portal does not explain anything or how I get my royalties. I feel like I'm getting cheated out of my royalties. I just can't understand how Fulton Books is a real business, because they don't work like professional people. I will continue to pray and let God take care of this.
  
   
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/03/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  My book was published in 8/2022, I was never, at any point, by any of the 5 PA’s assigned to me told the actual net pay I would get from each physical book sold. All I was told from the beginning was that my book was being listed at $18.95 and $9.99 Ebook and that it was a print on demand deal with Ingram content. Any hidden fees, printing fees, etc were NEVER discussed with me prior to me signing the 2 year contract. Then comes my first sales report. CRAP JOB. horrible reporting, no details whatsoever on what platforms my books sold. It does not even detail if the book sold at the retail price (55% off) or the regular price, giving me what I actually earned. For 45 paperbacks sold they are wanting to pay me $165, the report looks like a simple man made invoice not data generated. So, I reached out to Matthew and asked what in the hell am I reading. His response was THEN to explain to me that for each book sold @ 18.95, I only net about $3 due to the printing costs and shipping. I was livid to say the least. The report also showed no sale on the ebook platforms, I asked him why it showed nothing and his answer was “well, if nothing shows on the report, that means you did not sell any ebooks for the months listed”, my reply was “ THAT IS A LIE. Since, I MYSELF bought an ebook via Itunes platform and it is on my phone right now, I also got the kindle version from Barnes and Noble online, I also have co-workers and friends that bought the ebook too in the months of August and September. So how come those are not showing up and how can I rest assured the other reporting is even accurate then??” He was silent, had no real answer to that question, and stated ‘you should maybe include that with your complaint”. He apologized to an extend and wanted to resolve the matter by simply emailing me the details broken down. Too late for all that honestly. As a first time author, I was not helped correctly, information was withheld from me, I was misled into signing a contract.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/04/2022

  We are very sorry to hear of ******** disappointment with the reporting of her books sales. We report the same sales information that Ingram reports to us. The eBook was completed near the end of the sales quarter. Any eBook sales not reported in the last quarter, will be in the next quarterly sales report. Ingram tracks both physical and digital sales.

   

  When ****** first signed on with us we had made initial contact on 2/25/22. This same day after our phone call, an email was sent to her including an itinerary of our process, optional auto billing form, among some other items. We have attached this itinerary to this response. This itinerary asks a couple questions, including a question about the authors royalty. Page 6 "We try to price our books so that the author nets a profit of about $3.00 for each physical book sold. If we need to reduce your profit to reach your preferred price, do you want us to do so?"- This question was left blank in the version we received back. We also list on our website how much royalty the author is expected to earn after print and retailer costs. Link to our site where we state this information. https://fultonbooks.com/faq.php. This information is not hidden as ****** suggests and we can go over the details in more depth and detail if she would like us to.
  

   

  We are more than happy to help ****** revise her book and adjust the price to net her a different royalty amount.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/05/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** *****

  The process in which that first step was completed on my part was NOT via that paper, it was all done through the author portal as directed by the PA Laura. In the online version that question does NOT populate at all. There was no such section for me to even choose the price of my book that is why you "saw nothing on your end". I then got an email just telling me what the price was with no other details. You guys keep trying to blame me for this miscommunication as if I knew what to ask, as a first time author I was relying you guys to do your job and keep me informed. I should not have to get answers from a FAQ section on your website. I was assigned FIVE different publicist assistants and NOT ONE of them broke down the pricing for me. I have screenshots of my kindle and itunes ebook purchase, no where on your report states I sold an ebook. I keep getting the run around and told "it could take up to 5 weeks" well 4 weeks passed prior to that report and to me that is already a red flag. I have reached out to Igram myself and I am waiting for a more detailed report on my sales, once I get that report I can compare it to yours and we will move from there. I also will not be making my monthly payment to Fulton Books until I see this next report and/or Ingrams more details report. I want assurance that my services will not be interrupted until such. I would also like for the retail discount to be lowered as much as possible for a bigger net gain for myself. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2022

  We will be more than happy to work with ****** to assist her in reworking the price as much as we can through Ingram. We receive our reports directly from Ingram and will match anything received by them up to the last sales quarter. Any sale made within the current sales quarter (October, November, December) will be on the next report they send to us one we are into the new year. Some retailers such as Amazon can take several weeks to report an eBook sale to Ingram. If a purchase took place near the end of a month, it will at times, show as the following months sale. 

   

  We apologize for redirecting ******** first two assistants within other positions of our company. She is with her 3rd Publication Assistant, and we have been in discussions with her about more in depth royalty reporting. We are happy to answer any other questions with her and any price/royalty change can be worked out with her current assistant. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/21/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  
  
  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 at this time. We have been working closely to adjust the royalties and such. I am looking forward to seeing the next sales report and seeing the differences. Thank you. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** *****