Poetry.com/International Library Of Poetry;Howard Ely Managing Editor Complete RIPOFF Poets Beware; Taken my money& will not give it back even after sending proof,My cancelled checks from my bank statement. Customer Service is Customer RUDENESS & after certified letter, multiple calls (messages for Supervisors) have received nothing!!! Owings Mills Maryland
Hello fellow poetic artists, it seems as if people will go to the other side of the world to avoid us; that is of course after we have given them our ceative works & MONEY!
I feel very silly being taken in so easily but, I was going to be published, dream come true. Now a very unfortunate nightmare.
I have kept all communication including: e-mails, letters, "Editors Choice Awards", certified mail stubs(so I know they have recieved them)check stubs. I can even whip out the phone bill to prove that I have definitely called on more than one occasion without a single response nor a dime returned to me.
I was first told in Feb 08 that I was being published, of course I was thrilled & ordered an "Anthology" straight away. Again in May they sent me notification that I was also indeed choosen for the publication of " The Best Poets & Poetry of 2007" & I should submit a new work right away for that publication.
Well of course I got the "Editors Choice Awards" for both poems. But, then strange things started to occur. I was sent an artists proof for the 2nd poem for both Immortal Versus which I was supposedly already being published in & another 1 for the same poem for " The Best""""""""" I returned them both. Then on the same day I recieved e-mails saying my original poem that was selected to be published was not choosen, and (the same day & following days) I recived and am still recieving e-mails stating that this work is scheduled to be published in "Immortal Versus" well, I recieved 2 books that week ( they do not look nearly as grand as they are made out to be) and to my intrigue the book was named "Collected Whispers" & my 2nd poem was in it.But, still getting the e-mails that my first poem is being published in the above said "Anthology".
They also said I was a finalist for POET of the YEAR & I am cordially invited to attend a 4 day symposium in Las Vegas at the end of July 08. Well not having these books yet or strange e-mails I put down the $75.00 deposit. The total cost is approx $600.00 plus all your travel, hotel, as well as other travel needs. When I wrote the certified letter to Mr. H. Ely (he lie) dated they recieved it on 6/9/08 BTW NOT signed by Mr. Ely even though it was specifically addressed to him, I stated the sums of money I had payed with the checks from my bak statement.
In the ammount of 172.95 just for the books of which I have recieved 58.oo worth. Also, they still have not refunded my 75.oo deposit for the Las Vegas mouse trap which I insisted upon immediatedly. The funniest thing about the whole situation is they said I oowe them $40.00 for the books, what a joke!!!!
Well soon I am happy to say Joke on you Mr. HE LIE Opps H. Ely
Candyn ****
Fort Gratiot, Michigan
U.S.A.