Shirley J.
More Than a Year of Missed Deadlines — Still Fighting to Recover My $2,000
UPDATE — OCTOBER 16, 2026 — FULL $2,000 REFUND ONLY Your offer to arrange a transfer of production files within five business days does not resolve my complaint. I no longer want services or project delivery from your company. I require my full $2,000 back ASAP. Bank of America declined my dispute on the basis that I authorized the transaction and directed me back to the merchant. I have never denied authorizing payment for professional publishing services. Authorization does not establish that the contracted package was professionally completed and delivered. I followed the bank’s direction: I contacted Alexandra, supplied banking documents, and requested a written resolution with commitments and deadlines. Her September 22 response said services remained suspended and final files and completed materials would not be released while the alleged chargeback remained unresolved. She demanded withdrawal of the chargeback and reinstatement of payment. My provisional $2,000 bank credit had already been removed on April 21, 2026. I supplied that evidence and requested verification with your bank. Subsequent follow-ups and my October 1 management escalation produced no substantive resolution, completed delivery, or refund. Why was your current transfer proposal not offered then? Your earlier Trustpilot response accused me of false and defamatory allegations, bad faith, and untruthful claims after money had supposedly been returned. I reject those accusations. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE REFUND YOU CLAIMED TO HAVE ISSUED. To BBB, you said you had not recovered the disputed funds; here, you said you issued a refund. Substantiate and reconcile those statements with traceable banking records. Replacing your response does not explain them. You also alleged I expanded the project from 100 to over 300 illustrations. I dispute that. Alexandra’s March 18 email referred to 65 original illustrations and 18 additional illustrations; your BBB response referred to 18 additional illustrations. Produce my dated authorization and any signed amendment supporting the alleged expansion to over 300. My position is that the eighteen supposedly “extra” illustrations were required solely because of your inadequate organization and restructuring of my existing manuscript and failure to align artwork with it. They were corrective requirements, not a new story or separate project. I personally reorganized the existing content and prepared its structure and index. Nevertheless, you sought another $500 through Zelle. I refused to simply pay without a written agreement defining scope, price, and a firm completion commitment. This demand, after months of unresolved corrections and delays, was one reason I pursued the chargeback. I could not keep accepting payment demands while the original package remained unfinished. I acknowledge drafts and partial materials were shared. Individual approvals do not establish completion of the whole package. The emails document unresolved corrections, missed deadlines, unanswered communications, and repeated efforts to obtain professional completion. I paid $2,000 for professional services, not incomplete files and unfinished services. I have no confidence the outstanding project will now be professionally completed in five business days. A transfer of available files is not proof every contractual obligation is complete. Through October 1, I offered professional completion OR a refund. That offer has ended. I want no further work, revisions, schedules, credits, or promises. CONFIRM IN WRITING THE EXACT DATE AND METHOD OF THE FULL $2,000 REFUND. If already paid, provide its date, amount, destination, and traceable transaction reference. Also confirm in writing that neither you nor your representatives will publish, reproduce, distribute, market, sell, display in a portfolio, adapt, license, register or use an ISBN for, or otherwise use my manuscript or project-specific creative materials without my explicit written authorization. Handle resolution through the existing consumer-protection process. I want no further direct offers of services. Files in five days are not my requested resolution. My money back is.
Response from Stellar Books PublishingOct 16, 2026
Official Response from Stellar Book Publishing Stellar Book Publishing takes Ms. Jarlak’s allegations seriously. However, the claim that services were not provided does not reflect the documented project history, written client approvals, and financial dispute outcome. 1. Financial Dispute and Chargeback Outcome Ms. Jarlak initiated a chargeback through Bank of America alleging that services had not been received. Following the review of supporting project documentation, the dispute was resolved in Stellar Book Publishing’s favor. This outcome forms part of the documented financial history of the engagement, and any further financial claims must be assessed against the applicable contractual terms and services performed. 2. Documented Deliverables and Client Approvals Our records confirm that substantial work was completed, delivered, and acknowledged throughout the project: Cover Design: Delivered and revised in August 2025 in response to client feedback. Book Layout: Approved in writing on November 13, 2025, with Ms. Jarlak stating, “I fully approve the layout.” Editing and Formatting: Completed and acknowledged on November 25, 2025, with manuscript structure reconfirmed on January 18, 2026. Author Website: Approved on December 5, 2025, with the client stating, “no more changes needed.” Social Media and Marketing: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube accounts were created, and a written marketing strategy was delivered in January 2026. Illustrations: Custom illustrations were developed and incorporated into the project, with additional work undertaken in response to evolving requirements. These documented milestones demonstrate that meaningful production work was performed and acknowledged. 3. Project Timeline and Revisions Our records document revised manuscript submissions on August 5, 2025, October 8, 2025, and February 24, 2026. These changes affected chapter titles, manuscript structure, pagination, layouts, and illustration requirements, necessitating additional production work. Illustrated book projects require coordination between text, artwork, and formatting. Accordingly, timeline assessments must take these documented revisions and their impact on production into account, alongside the original contractual terms. 4. Ownership and Transfer of Files In accordance with Ms. Jarlak’s instruction not to publish her work, Stellar Book Publishing will not proceed with publication or ISBN registration for the project. As a good-faith step toward resolution, we remain prepared to coordinate the transfer of completed production files, including available cover designs, illustrations, layout files, edited manuscripts, and website credentials, within five business days of receiving written confirmation of the transfer arrangements. Ownership and usage rights remain subject to the applicable contractual terms. 5. Final Position Stellar Book Publishing stands by its documented work, the written approvals received, and the evidence submitted during the financial dispute. While we recognize that disagreements can arise regarding timelines and project expectations, any assessment of this engagement should account for the complete record, including deliverables, client approvals, and subsequent revisions. We remain committed to resolving outstanding administrative matters professionally and transparently, in accordance with the applicable agreement. Sincerely, Legal & Compliance Department Stellar Book Publishing