Balboa Press — rip off
I recently published a book with Balboa Press, and I am writing to let everyone know that they are a rip off!
While I was pleased with the production my book, everything else was a disaster. They harass you with marketing calls to purchase more services, their customer service representatives for the most part are pretty clueless, and now they are going on three weeks late in paying authors for their royalties.
It's a shame because Louise Hay, one of my favorite authors of all time has her name attached to this company, and it is simply awful. Don't spend your money with them. You can publish so much more economically hiring independent designers and formatters. Save your money and give it directly to the people who deserve it- not to this shady company.
More Balboa Press Complaints & Reviews
- Balboa Press - Company's contract signed on the internet.
- Balboa Press - Web-optimized press release
- Balboa Press - My two children's picture books. Molly wanted a cute pony. No naughty.
- Balboa Press - Marketing services
- Balboa Press - After reviewing the balboa contract I declined. Still haven't received my money back
- Balboa Press - Total fraud like throwing out your money.
- Balboa Press - Publishing book
a verified customer
Yes they (Balboa Press) are a scam and rip off! What they do is offer the author a good royalty but they don't show the correct sales figures!
Also they lie and cheat!
They also dont offer a proper signed contract!
How can they be sued?
Class action lawsuit includes Balboa Press managed by Author Solutions, Inc. To view class action or to contact attorneys follow this link: http://www.gslawny.com/lawyer-attorney-2103286.html
In addition, FB page: Balboa Press Survivors... looking forward to a "cluster suit." https://www.facebook.com/balboapresssurvivors
I don't see any reason these should be legit reasons this company is a scam. You got what you paid for, a published book. Services like marketing never guarantee results. They have an author agreement that gets signed and is upheld. How do they lie and cheat? How can you prove your sales numbers are higher than what the printer reports. Maybe your book didn't sell, maybe your friends who said they got the book lied. A company sometimes does things a little later than expected, doesn't mean it is a scam, human error happens, kinds like when you file taxes and your return takes longer than a month. The IRS isn't scamming you, they just had a lot do to with so much people power. I'm guessing you are mad because you just wrote bad books.
why wouldn't you post your name either to substantiate your claim?
a verified customer
I agree with you, completely. My experience was the same. I assumed (my bad) that because it had Louise Hay's name that the company would treat authors with more respect; I should have done more research. I think it's appalling that they make so much money off of my creation--that I paid them to publish--It's not like they need to re-coop their money from investing in me. They could have at least bought me a drink ...
a verified customer
SO far Balboa has been everything they have said they would be . I love my team they are informative, passionate and readily available to me at any time ive need them or had questions. Jane Howe... Janie Rose.
a verified customer
I've got $1000 that says booklover55 is an employee of Balboa Press... give me a break. Insulting someone who has been through the process based on no direct personal experience is suspect and typical of a victim shaming troll. Coming from someone who actually has a base of knowledge to judge from, I can tell you that Balboa Press isn't necessarily a scam. You do get your published book as promised. What you don't get is accurate sales reports and never ending run around. I have orders from Amazon that I have never been paid for and these are just the orders I know of. When I contacted Balboa on several occasions they tell you that you have to get proof of purchase from Amazon. When I contact Amazon they say that Balboa is the account holder and information can only be released to them... and so the vicious cycle continues. I must reiterate the ridiculousness of this...Balboa wants me to obtain receipts from people I don't know or have access to their information and provide it to them. Even if I could access this information, then what? Send them an email telling them I am the author of the book they purchased and I need a copy of their receipt because the publishing company sucks? If this is the sort of thing you are into then go for it...it would be perfect for booklover55... -Sheryl Bacon-Jones
a verified customer
They did put their name on their post. However, you did not. Shoo troll.
a verified customer
I agree, I've had the same issues. The problem is that they are run by Author House, Author Solutions. If Hay House is going to put their name on it, they should run it.
Debbie S
a verified customer
I recently published a book with Balboa Press
I'm complaining about the press release that I purchased from this publisher. They are a rip-off!!!
I've purchased the web-optimized press release believing what was advertised: that the press release is written by a professional copywriter, and optimize it for web search by selecting relevant keywords. Unfortunately, I was appalled by the very poor quality of the text that I received. Despite providing a lot of relevant information in the questionnaire they asked to complete, the press release was bland, unenticing, and contained many mistakes (the initials in the headline weren't capitalized, some choice of words had a negative impact on readers and other problems). I could also only select one keyword and not keywords as they claimed in their ad.
I had to ask my editor to revise it in order to have a good press release. He did a marvelous job, but I had to pay him too on top of the $1, 000 sum that I paid Balboa Press.
Secondly, I asked for a refund because the press release that I've been provided isn't worth the amount that I paid for ($1000). The marketing rep sent me the clause that states that once I approve this service I'm not entitled to any refund. Not only did I receive an amateurishly written press release, I had to pay the editor for revising it and I'm not entitled to any refund!
I also don't receive full answers from employees at the company and need to ask the same questions time and again. I asked for help from the customer support but they sent me back to the same person who isn't responsive. Moreover, I checked and all the places that my press release was posted were "clips" that weren't even searchable which made them totally worthless. No one could find them.
I'm very frustrated and upset because this is an ongoing problem for quite a while.
Thanks for your response in advance.
Best regards,
Shoshi Herscu
a verified customer
I have started to edit but not finalised editing. I have not signed any papers for any final editing. I have paid for printing publishing and marketing.
I just need my money back. $30, 000 of it
I am definately not going on with Balboa press
I have been coned and my bank savings are just my pension payments.
So lets get my money back for nothing.