Hello - I understand this question may not be appropriate but i do not know how to get help. I paid an editor a lot of money 19 months ago and they still have not returned my copy edited manuscript. Every time i insist that enough time has gone by, they respond with it will be ready in another week. This has been going on for a long time. Is there an outside body i can complain to re services not rendered. I've just found out i have cancer and can do without this stress. Thanks for your help.
So sorry to hear that you've been left hanging like this, Stephanie. It's unprofessional, and it's heartbreaking for you.
Never pay upfront the full cost of the work. That should apply to all manner of things - builders, plumbers, and so forth too. You should have a written agreement that you will pay a percentage at the start, and the rest in full upon completion of the editing and whatever commentary the other party has undertaken to provide. Always stipulate a reasonable date by which the work must be completed, as agreed by both sides. Good editing takes time - the editor should go through the entire MS at least twice, preferably three times - but it should not take 19 months.
It's a difficult area, because the problem is two-sided: I've heard of editors who put in the long hours on a manuscript on the understanding that payment will be made upon the author's receipt of the edited piece, only to find themselves unpaid, and with no leverage to get what they have earned. An author could say they're not happy with the work and refuse to pay; or they may simply not respond. A contract agreed by both sides upfront is the only way of having any kind of legal come-back. Always leave a paper trail!
If it is a company who advertise for services which they don't honour, though they have taken your money, you could try tweeting them or leaving (polite but factual) messages on their FB page. If you have found them through an advertisement in a magazine, contact the editor of the publication and tell them what has happened. Better yet if you can find other people in the same situation, so that you can send a joint letter.
Google is a very useful tool. You can find out a lot about a company (even including their tax details, apparently) by judicious use of it, so do your homework: no-one can afford to pay for services they don't receive. Check good and bad reviews; see if they're spread across several years, for example - which would imply that things are as good/bad as they always have been. If they are good, as on the company's website, check out the authors' books on Amazon, using the Look Inside feature, and see if you agree. If there are several poor reviews making the same complaints, take heed.
Good luck - I hope you get satisfaction soon.
Lorraine