Hi Folks
This is a note of warning to anyone thinking of ordering books from or having any dealings with a chap who calls himself 'Dave Boyer' or 'Iron Dave' or 'Dan Byron' or 'Dave Byron' or perhaps even 'Jack Burnett'. He seems to have a variety of names.
As people who know me will hopefully realise, I'm easygoing and fair in all my dealings, and to come across someone like this is somewhat strange for me. It's the first time in 30 odd years working in the genre that this has happened. Perhaps I've been lucky.
Dave Boyer contacted my partner, author Sam Stone, about a short story for an anthology he wasd doing called DEADLY DOLLS. As part of the initial discussion, he explained that there was no payment, but that Sam would get a comp copy.
So the book was apparently published last year (2009), and I checked with Ellen Datlow, who Boyer claimed had been sent a copy, and indeed she said she had received it.
So Sam contacted Dave and asked for her comp copy, but got no reply.
I therefore thought I would order one, and so, in December last year, sent off $22.90 in payment via paypal on Friday 11 December.
Then the correspondence started:
At 16:03 04/02/2010, David Howe wrote:
Hi
I'm chasing up my order for the book DEADLY DOLLS, placed on 11th December, which has yet to arrive.
Please can you let me know the status of my order.
Thanks
David J Howe
***
No reply to this, so I tried again ... still no reply, so I sent:
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On Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 4:35 AM, David Howe wrote:
Dear Sirs
I have now emailed twice about my book order with no reply.
Please can you get back to me within 7 days or I will be taking this further.
Thanks
David J Howe
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Then I got a reply from Boyer:
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At 12:31 12/02/2010, David Boyer wrote:
Sorry I didnt find your emails until now, but I have been working on a new manuscript and havent been checking my emails a lot until yesterday. Your friend, Sam Stone, told me of your dilemma with your book, and I can assure you that it was ordered, but apparently lost in transit. This happens at times when I have shipped to the UK. A friend of mine who lives in the UK, actress Ingrid Pitt, told me last year, after she hadnt recieved a get-well card from me, that at times, people in the UK ''pinch'' US mail for the postage stamps and labels. What value this would have for them I can't figure out, but it DOES happen. What I will do is, have the book ordered and sent to MY postal address, and send it to you via Priority Airmail box. OK?
I will order one today, and ship it out next week, and pay for it myself.
David
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I replied:
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On Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 9:36 AM, David Howe wrote:
Hi David
Thanks so much for your note.
I look forward to receiving the copy.
If you're able to send Sam her contributor copy at the same time it would be appreciated and would save you a little shipping cost. She let you have her contribution for no fee on the understanding that she would receive a contributor copy, and it's somewhat concerning that you don't seem to want to send her what you agreed you would.
Regards
David
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Boyer replied:
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At 14:45 12/02/2010, David Boyer wrote:
Hmm...you are right, that would be a cost-effective way of sending both copies, wouldnt it? I shall do just that!
Thanks!
***
And so I waited ... and waited ... and waited ...
And eventually I emailed him again:
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At 20:53 29/05/2010, David Howe wrote:
Mr Boyer ...
4 months on and I still have received no books from you.
Looking forward to hearing from you as to why this might be.
Yours
David J Howe
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No reply was received to this, so I emailed again:
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On Wed, Jul 7, 2010 at 2:45 PM, David Howe wrote:
Dear Mr Boyer
Still no books and no response to my note.
Final chance to come up with the goods before I take this further.
Looking forward to hearing from you
David J Howe
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This got a reply:
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At 22:17 07/07/2010, David Boyer wrote:
I'm sorry for your trouble, but as I've stated before - to two other people who have ordered books from me that live in the UK - I am NOT RESPONSIBLE for what happens to the books after they have been ordered, and shipped. I have had NO TROUBLE at all shipping to people in the USA.
What you need to do is contact your own Postal Service.. By what I have understood from a friend of mine who lives over there, sometimes packages are ''pinched'' for US stamps and labels.
***
I replied:
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On Thu, Jul 8, 2010 at 2:41 AM, David Howe wrote:
Dear Mr Boyer
I cannot believe your response. I run a small press in the UK and we take every effort to ensure that our customers are happy, and always resupply books in the event of loss by the postal service.
It is YOUR responsibility as the seller to ensure that I receive what I have paid for.
To suggest that I run around and try and locate packages which you claim you sent is the most rude and unbelievable thing I've ever been told in all my years of dealing with companies. You are washing your hands of the whole business and show contempt for your customers.
Please will you refund my money - $22.90 - to me immediately. It can be PayPal sent to
david@howeswho.co.ukYours
David J Howe
***
To this I received this incredible reply:
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At 12:28 08/07/2010, David Boyer wrote:
To: David Howe
First of all, I am a VERY small press, and now, am even out of business due to the present economy over here. I cannot afford to chase down books that were ordered and shipped in good faith, then told they did not arrive. As much as I'd like to be able to do this, I cannot afford it. Your books were ordered, and shipped from my printer.
I am not trying to avoid my responsibility; I am just letting you know that at this point in time, I cannot do anything about it. I recently had an in-home accident, which left me with two broken ribs, a fractured ankle, and a head concussion. I have been out of work since June 3rd, and I have no money in my Paypal account accept for 80 cents.
IN addition, I do not like being made to sound like a thief, or an asshole. I am not, and I dont like your ''underlying'' implications. This email you sent me is no way to get someone like me to cooperate with you, either. I'd learn to control my tongue, if I were you. I am sick of folks from the UK having their package sent to the wrong address {happened to me five times now} and then blaming ME for it, and wanting a refund. How do I know if you got the book or not? You live 5,000 miles away, for God's sake.
Once again, I am NOT trying to avoid you, ot any responsibility, but I cannot do anything about this at this point in time. In the meantime, do NOT send me any more emails like this, or I will wash my hands of YOU.
***
At this point I informed Mr Boyer that I would be warning people of him and his books.
He replied with ... and the 'conversation' continued for a couple more emails:
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At 13:24 08/07/2010, David Boyer wrote:
To: David Howe
If you slander me or harrass me in any way, shape, or form, I will take LEGAL ACTION against you. I'd watch my step, unless you want to end up traveling to the USA to go to COURT.
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On Thu, Jul 8, 2010 at 8:28 AM, David Howe wrote:
Thanks. I will add this to the message I am composing.
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At 13:32 08/07/2010, David Boyer wrote:
Wonderful, I look forward to it. And be warned, do NOT email me again.
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Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 09:41:30
To: David Howe
You are a very unstable person.
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Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 09:46:28
To: David Howe
You know...it is really a very strange coincidence that ALL of the folks who had a complaint with me are from OUTSIDE THE USA isnt it? I havent had very many complaints at all from folks in the US, and what ones I did have were resolved quickly and peacefully.
Your best bet would be to buzz off. You will be reimbursed when I have the money. And NOT until then.
***
Please be advised that Mr Boyer (or whatever he calls himself) does not appear to honour any payments he receives for books, and has refused to refund me. He has not sent Sam any copies of the book, or even apologised to her for the same. So Mr Boyer is taking customers' money and not supplying goods, and taking stories and contributions from authors in good faith and not then providing contributors copies.
When challenged he becomes rude and offensive and blames anyone and anything for the failures except himself.
I leave it to readers to decide who is in the right here, and whether or not to spread the word about Mr Boyer to any authors or fans of the genre that you might know about.
This is to my mind disgraceful behavior and potentially brings the whole small press community and genre into disrepute.
In googling, it looks like others have apparently fallen foul of this man:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewnews.asp?id=28921It also seems that he has been allegedly plagiarising others' work:
http://www.amazon.com/Haunting-Sam-Cabot-Jack-Burnett/dp/0557065682/ref=cm_pdp_rev_itm_title_1So watch out for anything by 'Jack Burnett' ...
The authors' resource Preditors and Editors thankfully has NVH Books listed as 'Not Recommended':
http://pred-ed.com/pebn.htmBoyer can be found online at the following locations (he seems to run numerous sites with several names and they change from time to time):
http://authordavidboyer.webs.com http://nvhmag1.webs.com http://www.freewebs.com/nvhbooks/http://wickedkittyproductions.webs.com/ http://fictionprodigies.webs.com http://www.freewebs.com/nvhmag1/http://www.freewebs.com/nvfinprint/He is also 'Into the Light Productions' and is on just about every social network site invented.
Best
David J Howe
September 08, 2010, 08:51:15 AM
Author
