Writersworld Limited - Graham Cook

Today's Woman Writing Community has received, and continues to receive warnings regarding Graham Cook owner of Writers World Limited, a print on demand book publisher based in the United Kingdom. Complaints include non payment of services, non-production of promised books, non-payment of royalties and harassment from Graham Cook to those who question or complain. There is a class action lawsuit against Graham Cook. Authors with complaints about Graham Cook are should contact Today's Woman Writing Community staff though our feedback form. http://www.todays-woman.net/feedback.html

Complaint by Rose  and Shawn DesRochers

WRITERSWORLD is a print on demand book publisher based in the United Kingdom. The owner is Graham Cook. Today's woman and WRITERSWORLD went into partnership  February of 2005. Graham Cook was suppose to offer all those who published with him through Today's Woman Writing Community 15% introductory discount. He was supposed to pay Today's woman 50 % on all poetry books published through WRITERSWORLD and pay us a referral fee. I sent him an estimated 20 referrals and never received confirmation from him nor payment. March 1st, I received an email from someone named verity. She was warning me not to partner with Graham Cook. The letter informed me that Mr. Cook owed thousands of pounds to both sub contractors and authors.

Email received Tue 3/1/2005 4:21 PM

Todays-Woman
Sender's Name: verity
Sender's Email: Removed

Thinking nothing of it I gave Mr.Cook the benefit of the doubt and went into a partnership with him. I was told to forward all enquires to his partner Shahida Rahman and that she would handle things.

After I sent several referrals, I did not hear word from Shahida or Graham, so I contacted Graham by email and his email was returned  with an auto reply that he was not accepting email and to contact him by phone.

 A month later Graham contacted me with a story that his assistant Shahida Rahman had changed companies to go to a competitor and that he put the auto reply on his email to avoid spam. He offered an apology and said he would be in touch with me the following day.

 My husband informed him that he would need to keep in contact with us and that was this no way to do business and we would need to see money for both the project my husbands company did and for the advertising he received from Today's woman for the last three months.

He informed us that he would transfer money to our paypal account. When he failed to do so, I removed the publishing partnership from Today's Woman.

When he receive word of this, he became very upset, sending me a number of unprofessional emails.

 Graham also promised to publish Debra Faulconer Baker's book free of charge with proceed going to pay her medical bills and agree to publish my book Beautiful Sunshine free of charge. I sent my manuscript to Graham and never heard word with regards to the publication of my book.

 To date WRITERSWORLD owes us for work that had been done by Invision-Graphics and advertisement provided by Today's-Woman and owes up for any one referred to him through Today's Woman. The total in money owed is almost thirteen hundred dollars U.S. After doing a Google search on Graham Cook, I found several warnings against Graham Cook.

Invision-Graphics.com was contracted in February of 2005 to develop a mini web portal system for Writersworld , a UK book publisher.

At the start of the project Writers World , managing director Graham Cook agree to pay 1,200 US$ to Shawn DesRochers for the web-portal system.

Graham Cook agree to pay 600$ US at the start of the project and the remaining at the end of completion.

My College and I started the project and by the end of competition, we still had not received any form of payment from Mr. Graham Cook.

We attempted several times to reach him by email and we were unsuccessful.

Months later, we did receive an email from Mr. Graham Cook of WritersWorld and at this time, we informed him that the project was almost completed, but we would need $600 US before commencing any further.

In May of 2005, I receive a call from Mr. Graham Cook informing me that it was great the project was almost complete, and once again I informed him that we had not received the half of the payment that he agree upon, at the start of development.

He informed me that payment would be made that day or the following day at the very latest. Still we had not received payment. He then contacts me by e-mail with excuses and that he would make the payment by that Saturday.

Now we had been more then lenient in my opinion, as the project was started in February of 2005 for the Mini Web-Portal System and we went ahead with the project in good faith that Mr. Graham Cook would make payment to our Paypal account.

Graham gave us several accuses for non payment - from his assistant leaving the company to go to another competitor to he didn't have the money because he had to purchase tires- to there must be something wrong with his email server and would have to purchase a blackberry to ensure that he received emails.

We repeatedly e-mailed Mr. Graham Cook, only to receive his email auto reply.

It is apparent that Mr. Graham Cook was never prepared to pay us for the system. He mentioned numerous times about taking the finished product and selling it to his competitors, for a profit and cutting me and my college a share. How nice of him. It states in our terms that any programming done by Invision-Graphics is sold as a 1 time license for the domain it is purchased for.

To date January 24th 2006, Graham Cook has not paid Shawn DesRochers and invision-graphics.com fees owed.

I have attached some of the corresponding e-mails between Graham Cook and I.

Invision-Graphics and Today's Woman also received numerous emails from individuals warning us of Mr. Graham Cook's reputation of not payment for services prior to business arrangements with him.

We wish we had of listen to prior warnings.

Shawn DesRochers

Date: Friday, Thursday, February 9, 2005 3.21

Hello Graham

A project this extensive will take me and my college a few months to complete, as the mini web portal system you require will need extensive coding and labor to complete.

I will also need the server requirments, like what are you running as far as PHP, and Data base available and what type to complete this task, example MySQL, ORACLE, MSACCESS etc..

The quote for a project this extensive, that users can register and have their own web-pages plus the ability to upload any pictures they wish, not to mention an online interface where they can add details and bio with book advertisement all tied into their current book orders and book placement with WritersWorld.co.uk would be $1,200.00 US$

Let us know so we can get the specs about your server requirements and get this project on it's way!

Looking forward to hearing from you Graham!

CEO Mr. Shawn DesRochers Freelance Programmer & Web Developer Administrator of Web services Invision-Graphics Design Firm http://www.invision-graphics.com

Date: Friday, February 10, 2005 2.21 PM

That's is great news and $1200 is not a problem, we at WritersWorld are fanatic payers and if this is not enough let me know. We are very keen on making sure everyone is happy and what ever money you need to help with expense and get this project done sooner, just let me know.

Regards,

Graham

Wednesday, May 11, 2005 5:51 PM

Hello Mr. Graham Cook

I have contacted my college, and he and I are willing to complete this mini web-portal system, however before we turn any of our code over for this project, we will need a 50% deposit ensuring when the finished project is complete the rest will be paid.

The mini-web portal system is approximately less then 2 weeks away from final completion.

We set a quote price of $1,200.00 US which you accepted on agreement of terms when we started this project, this making the initial deposit $600.00 US.

We would also like an agreement of contract, meaning for whatever reason when this project is complete we receive the final initial payment.

Now you mentioned that if any money was needed for this project to show your good faith just to mention it, which my partner and I must now assist.

All contracts with Invision-Graphics, are done this way but because of the partner ship that was set up with Todays-Woman.net , I felt it would be fine until the recent events where there where no contacts from you in over a month.

Payment must be made to admin@invision-graphics.com threw Pay pal. Once we have been notified that payment has been made we will continue this project until completion.

CEO Mr. Shawn DesRochers Freelance Programmer & Web Developer Administrator of Web services Invision-Graphics Design Firm http://www.invision-graphics.com

Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 6:51 PM

First of all I did not have an assistant at the time she had quit because she found the job to demanding.

Secondly why was there a need to keep in touch with you if it was the money I had offered you time and again to send you money and you did not want payment until the project was complete albeit I would have been paying more than you wanted for the project.

Thirdly this has to be about trust I would be paying for a website system that would be on your servers and transferring a great little domain to replicate the system of which I offered you a genourous deal which would rely on trust. I do not respond to threats or demands. Then there will be some inference why I had not transferred the money already well there is a reason for that I have lent it to my younger brother to get a new set of tyres on his car plus a bunch of other work. and I do not expect to see him again until Saturday.

I had cured the problem of contact by buying a Blackberry which came today and I getting programmed tomorrow.

This is to controlling and erratic lets forget it.

Regards,

Graham