Bad experience – lack of transparency and incomplete service
I paid for editing, revision, formatting, and submission support for a scientific manuscript.
After payment, I was informed that the manuscript was accepted and was asked to transfer the publication fee (APC) directly to the service provider’s own account, with the explanation that they would pay the journal on my behalf. I requested the official journal invoice and payment details so I could pay the publisher directly, but these were not provided.
To clarify the situation, I contacted the publisher independently. I was informed that the acceptance email I had received was not an official publisher communication, and that there was no acceptance requiring APC payment.
After I declined to send publication fees to a third-party account, I experienced difficulty obtaining the final figures and materials needed to submit the manuscript independently, despite these being part of the paid service.
Based on my experience, I recommend that authors exercise caution, independently verify journal communications, and ensure full clarity on payment routes and deliverables before proceeding.