Complaint Review: Schiel & Denver Publishing Limited - Houston, Texas

In March 2013 I made contact with Schiel & Denver Publishing, correction, “Christian Book Publishing” company.  I was contacted by someone using the name Brad Hudson from the Editorial Department.  The contact was through an email because when I called a recording came on stating that there were high call volumes and leaving a support ticket was the quickest way to receive service.

Once I was contacted I explained to Brad that I was going to be arriving in the states from Afghanistan on the 16^th of May 2013 and needed books available to Books-A-Million and Barnes and Nobles because my wife had set up book signings for me with both stores because they were willing to sponsor local author signings.  I was assured that it wouldn’t be a problem because they would be expediting the publishing.  I purchased their Legacy Package by sending a check to the mailing address in Houston, TX.  When Schiel & Denver received the check I was contacted and informed that the amount that I sent them did not include Texas sales tax and I needed to send the additional amount to cover taxes.  The package that I selected was supposedly their top package that included stocking books on shelves in bookstores, ie, Books-A-Million, Barnes and Nobles, Walmart, Target, and bookstores overseas.  The only place they made the book available was on Amazon and Barnes and Nobles online; after a month it was only available on Amazon.  It was never placed in stores because Schiel and Denver failed to honor the store buyback plan which is in the contract agreement. 

For all that it matters Schiel and Denver breached everything in the contract.  They published an unauthorized copy of my book by not allowing me the final approval; I never received my ten complimentary copies of the book, and I certainly didn’t receive my 50% percent royalties for books sold.  I tried to get them to honor their contract but they simply did not respond to my support tickets.  I sent them a certified letter that I never got any response from.  So, I hired a lawyer only to find out that Schiel and Denver didn’t care about being sued, they simply ignored every suggestion by my lawyer by not acknowledging or responding to the claim of breach of contract.  My lawyer told me that I had to file a claim against the company in the state and county that they are located because if I filed in the state that I was in and won, there was no jurisdiction to make Schiel and Denver honor a ruling in my favor.  I had to return to Afghanistan and it would be another seven months of me trying through email and support tickets to get a response from them, nothing.

My next step was to file a claim in Houston against Schiel & Denver since all attempts to contact them went unanswered my wife and I flew to Houston on January 6, 2014.  From research by my wife we found out that the claim had be filed in Harris County, where the company was located.  When we got to Houston we decided to go to the company in hopes of talking to someone about our situation.  What we found at the address 10685-B Hazelhurst Dr. Suite# 8575, Houston, TX 77043; the business address used by the company is nothing but a mail drop service.

The next stop for my wife and I was the Harris County Courthouse in Precinct 5 to file the claim against Schiel & Denver.  The surprises were not over as we found out after waiting in several lines for service, that the company was not registered with the county so there was no name listed to subpoena.  I must say though that the clerk at the courthouse helped us out even further by giving us the number to the Secretary of State (512-463-5555) to check their listing for Schiel & Denver because they had to have gotten a business license to do business in the state of Texas.  There was nothing on file for Schiel and Denver.  They aren’t registered with the Secretary of State. And to think they asked me to send them sales taxes for Texas.  “Scandalous”.

We were led to another source to find the information that we were seeking; the Attorney General Solutions office (512-463-2185).  The reason we were sent to that office is because Schiel & Denver is acting as a corporation and corporations are supposed to be registered with the Attorney General.  Well, they aren’t.  The company that is operating out of Houston Texas, has nothing on file for them anywhere in Texas.  I am annoyed to the fullest.  My wife asked the only logical question, “How can this be?”  The answer given to her was simple, “Oh it obviously can be done, but it’s also illegal to do that”  We were instructed to go to the Attorney General’s web-site for Houston Texas and fill out a claim stating everything we’ve gone through with Schiel & Denver.  We were also told that they will be investigating the matter.

Upon my arrival back home I went to my bank and asked if they could tell where the check I had sent Schiel & Denver was cashed?  I figured that there has to be some type of paper trail.  Well, the bank was able to trace the check to it being processed to USD Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Sydney A.C.N. 123 123 124 also there was a stamp on the back of the check stating “Deposit Only”

I don’t know if I started something with my visit to Houston but since my return home Schiel & Denver phone numbers and web-site are no longer working.  If you have been swindled by this company I ask that you go to the Attorney General web-site for Texas and fill out a complaint.  I can only imagine the stories that are out there about Schiel & Denver.  Share them with those of us who seek justice for the injustice they have done.