“There are countless consumers who have never been given the items they ordered.
This is not an occasional failure on their part, but a way of business. They are fleecing fans, and that’s shameful”.
– Better Business Bureau complaint against Conlan Press
2018 UPDATE: some links here go to sites that went down. Hard copy and archived backups are available in many cases. We apologize for the extra step to verify.
- “Conlan Press has no intention of refunding my money… I, along with many other Last Unicorn fans, have been scammed by Conlan Press… Never, ever, EVER buy anything directly from Conlan Press.” – link
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“The problem is, if you buy it from Conlan Press, you might never get it. I know people who have been waiting for their purchases for /years/.” – link
- “I am so freaking sick to my stomach with Conlan Press and the absolutely horrible business they run that it isn’t even funny. – link/ archive
- “We waited and waited and waited, and kept corresponding, and then–nothing. I think we gave up after about a year and a half – I was really really disappointed with Conlan and I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone.” – link
- “So many people have been scammed by CONnor. Some people have honestly been waiting over 5 years and are still getting the runaround.” – link
- “I’ve been waiting 6 years for the Two Hearts Hardcover/Last Unicorn Audiobook with squat! I’m about to blow a gasket on Connor Cochran- a no good, rotten, dirty worm who steals from people” – link / archive
- “This project is now nine years overdue.” – link
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“Pre-ordered a book and CD collection. Never recieved… This has been well over a decade they have held my money, while they make money, hand over fist from the fans.” – link
Visit the forum topic for more: “Was anyone else here ripped off (purchased Last Unicorn Deluxe Edition)?” (archived)
Dear robbed customers of Conlan Press: WE NEED HELP!
Connor Cochran is the operater/owner of Conlan Press and manager of The Last Unicorn movie tour. He has taken our money for many years without producing goods. When we complain, we get no goods or refunds. There have only been excuses that keep changing – a string of broken promises.
These titles, sold by Conlan Press and listed on their site, have been undelivered starting as early as 2004:
- THE LAST UNICORN Audiobook — 8 CD Edition
- THE LAST UNICORN Audiobook — MP3-on-CD Edition
- TWO HEARTS — Collector’s Illustrated Hardcover
- WRITING SAREK — Hardcover Edition
- EXTRA DELUXE LAST UNICORN HARDCOVERS
- … and others …
See a list of victims. If victims buzz too loudly, Cochran blasts them for causing problems… as if these complaints aren’t harm he did to many independent sources. Please share them and demand help NOW.
Goods are undelivered since 2004, while Connor Cochran is robbing us to make himself RICH.
In 2009, Cochran moved into a million-dollar home. In 2011, he boasted about business expansion to Publisher’s Weekly. In 2013, he took control of the millions-valued Last Unicorn movie for an international tour. He boasted of a plan to spend “five million dollars” and attracting 15 million in investment. BUT STILL NO GOODS!
His home and Conlan Press address through 2014: 897 Jordan Street, Montara, CA: Value estimate: $1,251,582 – Rent estimate: $4,366/mo
Call Connor: 650-267-9651 – connorfc@earthlink.net – Conlan Press: 650-728-8098 or 650-563-9421
Connor Cochran is a predator hiding behind Peter S. Beagle.
Cochran is exploiting fan love for a poor, innocent writer. Peter Beagle appears unaware of the scams done in his name, because he only wants to write, and avoids business. Since the 1970’s, Beagle was exploited by businessmen who didn’t pay him. In the 2000’s, Cochran fought them to take control of Beagle’s rights. After getting them, Cochran switched exploitation from Beagle… to his fans.
Remember: Peter Beagle DOES NOT OWN Conlan Press. Cochran does. He constantly acts as if Beagle is in poverty, and begs us to support him. (Actually – to buy goods that support Cochran’s own expanding properties.) He excuses non-delivery by blaming the death of Beagle’s mother… all the way back in 2006.
The excuses always play on our heartstrings, while Cochran says they come from Beagle. But Beagle tells fans seeking undelivered goods that he’s “not really connected to” the publishing house.
It gets worse: Cochran’s partner is disgraced ex-lawyer Charles Petit, who scammed $10,000 from the estate of John Steinbeck.
Cochran is aided by disgraced former lawyer, Charles E. Petit. Petit lost his license for ripping off $10,000 from the estate of John Steinbeck. An unlicensed lawyer is not allowed to give legal services.
- Petit’s court record: license loss for Steinbeck scam
- Illinois News-Gazette: “License loss should not be end of story”
Petit is Charlie@conlanpress.com , and cepetit@scrivenerserror.com. Before his license was removed, he presented expertise in publishing fraud. He’s named here as attorney for Peter Beagle. This site holds official Conlan Press legal documents signed by Petit. In 2013, 6 years after the license removal, Petit forced a Last Unicorn fan site to take down contents “after 17 years on the web” with a DMCA Takedown Request that he issued on behalf of Cochran’s Avicenna Development corporation.
Cochran has been sued for scamming publishers and authors:
- $25,000 was stolen from an author. She paid Cochran to publish her, but he kept the money and delivered nothing. (PDF court doc): Sydney Gurewitz Clemens v. Connor Cochran
- $6000+ unpaid bill: Baker & Taylor Incorporated Vs. Conlan Press
- $3000+ unpaid bill: Penguin Group (usa) Inc v. Conlan Press Inc – they forcibly took a $6000 judgement in 2015 (search case 511166.)
Cochran formed multiple corporations in 2008 to hide his activities:
- Connor Cochran Inc. is listed as suspended by the CA Secretary of State (do a name lookup.)
- Avicenna Development is suspended but still used for business.
- Conlan Press is active with the CA Secretary of State.
The whistleblower employee and the smokescreen of “employee abuse”:
In 2012, Michael Bolger was a whistleblower employee at Conlan Press who resigned with nothing to gain, and tried to help cheated customers. He was silenced by an abuse campaign by Cochran calling him a “thief”. For what? Using email addresses to send a warning!
“I just quit my job, in large part because of how Connor is handling this disaster and how honest he’s being with all of you. I think you deserve to hear the truth.” – link
Cochran ripped off over $10,000 in unpaid wages from another worker. They were consulted for this report. The Conlan Press insider shares this description of Cochran:
- “Makes promises to everyone that he has no intention of keeping: sales, pay”
- “Used money gained for Peter to do things: go out to eat, take trips”
- “Claims to be what he is not: there to help Peter, generate income for Peter”
- “Refuses real solutions to his problems for organization, time management, aid in completion of projects.”
This site holds private email documents where Cochran blames multiple workers for mismanaging his business. It’s a convenient excuse to hide his own abuse of workers and buyers. He even sent email posing as former employees. The common denominator in the excuses is Connor Cochran.
Is Cochran in the business of taking estates from elderly authors?
Conlan Press “has the time and resources to add authors to its list, authors much like Beagle, acclaimed writers with past commercial success who have been ‘abandoned by their publishers and agents as they got older.’” – Publisher’s Weekly – (There was “time and resources” to increase Cochran’s properties – but NOT TO DELIVER GOODS!)
- Parke Godwin “was placed in a close care facility in 2012 due to a decline in his long- and short-term memory. He died in 2013.” Cochran: “I’m handling most things for him… and we’re taking the steps necessary to get me appointed as his guardian and conservator.” – Weird Tales magazine, 8/15/12 – see also here
- Edgar Pangborn “became particularly close to Peter S. Beagle. Edgar’s sole heir, his older sister Mary… bequeathed the entire Pangborn estate to him.” – wikipedia
- Conlan Press authors: wikipedia
Cochran’s most recent property gain: The Last Unicorn movie tour
The movie is reaping money for Cochran on tour from 2013-2016. He said on 7/26/13:
“Something absolutely astonishing happened yesterday. Because of how well LAST UNICORN screening tour plans are coming together, ITV just gave complete authority over worldwide theatrical distribution for THE LAST UNICORN to our team. This is definitely an “only in the internet age” story, and I can’t think of any other film of equivalent stature that is being handled in remotely the same way.”
The Last Unicorn Tour investors later sued Connor Cochran for fraud and refusing to account for hundreds of thousands of dollars that was misappropriated.
Read some of Cochran’s lies to excuse fraud:
On 8/5/11, Cochran sent email to the Peter Beagle fan list with one of many excuses that failed to materialize:
“GOOD NEWS DELAYED PRODUCTS UPDATE: Nearly all of them will be done and shipped by the end of the year. Those that aren’t will be at the printing plant and on their way for shipping in early 2012.” – They’re still not delivered.
Conlan Press maintained a web listing of sold but undelivered items. Delivery dates changed over many years, with new excuses each time. Cochran promises angry customers that they would always be informed about their missing goods… but in 2014, there was only a failed promise of 2013 delivery for products sold as long as 10 years ago. Complaints were referred to long-expired excuses, until all explanations were removed.
Demand solutions NOW. BEWARE of Conlan Press. Spread warnings to protect other fans – and writers! Report here:
- File a complaint with the Attorney General.
- Report Federal Mail Fraud.
- Document abuse on Ripoff Report.
- Report your story: fansagainstfraud@gmail.com
After years of broken promises, it’s time for pressure to demand accountability – and refunds to every deceived customer.
WHY HELP? Cochran’s “Last Unicorn Tour” website gives a look at new and future fraud against fans:
Dominique Audet Benoit November 10, 2014 at 9:45 am
Hi, I came to see the show when you came in Montreal, Quebec in may last summer and I bought one of the prints after the show. A while after I read that you were having trouble with shipping and customs and that the merchandise would be delayed. I was wondering how is the situation with all that and if I can expect to receive the print soon.
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It was an incredible bureaucratic tangle that is still being cleaned up, but I expect to have everyone’s prints out to them before the end of the year. (We learned a lot from what happened, which thankfully means we should be able to prevent it from ever happening again.)
Never again? Late 2014 website update:
Selling appearances by the author, canceling them, and keeping the sales…
My husband and I have been huge fans of The Last Unicorn since we were kids, and when we got engaged, he ordered the commemorative edition of “Two Hearts.” That was back in 2006. We are now married and have two kids, the oldest nearly 4. Still nothing; eventually we got “The Line Between” from a major bookseller just to actually, you know, READ the story. We don’t want our money back, we want our BOOK.
An email just received (9.5.15):
Subject: An important message from Conlan Press
From: Ashley Keefer
Hi, [name redacted]:
Connor Cochran here. I’m President and Publisher of Conlan Press, Producer of The Last Unicorn Screening Tour, and have been working with Peter S. Beagle since 2001.
I wanted to reach out personally to share some challenging news, tell you what’s going on with your order, and introduce you to Ashley Keefer, who will be helping you directly from here.
THE BAD NEWS
In May I learned that Peter was having serious memory problems. Business and personal matters that he and I had worked on for years were completely gone from his head, and in addition he was confabulating -recalling only fragments of events, then filling in the blanks with things that never happened. I immediately suspended the screening tour, because I wasn’t going to ask Peter to travel in his condition. Since then I’ve been handling a series of rolling mini-crises that couldn’t be ignored.
I won’t go into detail here for privacy reasons, but anyone who has experienced something like this with an elder friend, family member, or co-worker will understand when I say that dealing with this development has been complicated, exhausting, and incredibly time-consuming. Even now, after three hard months, we don’t know the cause of Peter’s problem or whether anything can be done about it.
What has become clear is that Peter isn’t going to get better soon. That fact has forced a lot of changes.
One of the biggest changes is that Peter isn’t going to be able to complete any of the signing or personalizing he promised when you made your purchase. We need to make adjustments for that, and you will have to let us know your choice among the available options.
——————————————
ORDER UPDATE
Our records show that you pre-ordered the new Last Unicorn Worldwide Screening Tour edition hardcover for $20, which is a 50% discount from its full price.
Peter’s condition means he won’t be able to sign your order. If you are okay with that please let us know. But other options are available for those that want them, as Ashley Keefer makes clear below.
Here’s the status:
The Last Unicorn Worldwide Screening Tour edition (and the Two Hearts
hardcover!) go to press later this month, and will ship in November.
——————————————
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The screening tour was Peter’s principal source of livelihood. With that cash flow abruptly terminated, we’ve had to scramble to help him. Here’s what’s going on.
* The new Conlan Press website goes live shortly. It’s based on the BigCommerce platform, and is a huge improvement over the old one. (For one thing, we can finally give unique discount codes to everyone who signed up as a Screening Tour member. If you are a Tour member, you’ll get your personal code via email soon.)
* Delia Hodson at New Breed Girl has expanded her line of Last Unicorn t-shirts and accessories. They’re all fantastic, so you should immediately go to
http://newbreedgirl.com/collections/the-last-unicorn and check them out. Every sale directly helps Peter.
* Our publishing plans have been expanded and sped up. The special Worldwide Screening Tour hardcover of The Last Unicorn and the hardcover Two Hearts (illustrated by John Howe) both go to the printer before the end of September. The expanded regular and deluxe hardcover graphic novel versions of The Last Unicorn will follow in October. And we’ll be announcing release
dates for more cool books and other stuff soon.
* Peter’s work finally comes to ebook in a big way starting October 1st. On that day Amazon will launch a worldwide exclusive release of The Last Unicorn (in classic and deluxe versions), and Amazon and Conlan Press together will simultaneously launch the following Peter S. Beagle titles in ebook as well: A Fine and Private Place, The Rhinoceros Who Quoted Nietzsche (new version!), The Line Between, We Never Talk About My Brother, Sleight of Hand, The Magician of Karakosk, Mirror Kingdoms (expanded), These Are They, I See By My Outfit, and Four Years, Five Seasons.
* Version 2.0 of The Last Unicorn Screening Tour will start up next year without Peter in attendance at the shows. (He will be part of a special “Making Of” mini-documentary that will run before the film, instead.) This new approach means we can bring the Tour to many more people than before, and lots more locations – we should be in at least two thousand different theaters around the world in 2016. This will include repeat shows in all the states and countries we’ve already been to, so people who missed it earlier (or want to see it again)
will definitely get the chance.
——————————————
MEET ASHLEY KEEFER – SHE’S HERE TO HELP YOU
Salutations, Person with an order!
My name is Ashley Keefer. After volunteering in the background for a while I’ve just stepped up to be Customer Relations Goddess for Conlan Press. (I picked the job title.)
Peter S. Beagle has been a huge influence in my life since I was a very little girl and first saw The Last Unicorn. I am truly grateful for this opportunity to help him, and to help my fellow fans. Because in addition to being a Peter S. Beagle geek, just like you, I’ve also had over 15 years of experience in customer service management. I know how to solve problems, make people happy, and see to it that you have an amazing experience. It’s what I do. So I am
very much looking forward to assisting you with any and all questions, and dealing with whatever challenges may arise, starting right now.
Unfortunately, Peter’s health problems have made it impossible for him to fulfill his commitment to sign existing orders. So I need to know your preference among the different solutions that are available. Please let me know which of the following works best for you:
o Get your order, but unsigned (with neat extras added in to make up for that)
o Store credit
o A refund
o Something else?
If you’re choosing the first option, please include your current mailing address. I know some of you have moved (or plan to) and I want to make sure your order and extras get to you as directly as possible.
I’ve been a happy Conlan Press customer for 10 years, and I’m here to make sure you’re just as excited about the company and its offerings as I am. If there’s anything I can do to help, or any question you have, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll be away on family business between now and next Tuesday, but I’ll be checking email while I travel and will answer as soon as I can.
Thank you,
Ashley Keefer
Customer Relations Goddess
ashley@conlanpress.com
p.s. Here’s a look at the cover of the new Worldwide Tour edition of The Last Unicorn you ordered. It’s the first hardcover edition since 2007, and includes extras such as tour photos and the most extensive interview with Peter that’s ever been published. (The cover design is by Sandie and Marcus Almaraz. You already know Marcus’s work, even if not by name. He designed all the movie posters for The Dark Knight and also for films like Brokeback Mountain, Big Eyes, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.)
[…] fact, if you Google “Conlan Press scam” you get a’ lot of valid responses: I, 2, 3, 4, […]
Well “Customer Service Goddess” at COLON press, I know a number of people who have order from you and received nothing. They have sent email,. snail mail and used the phone for the last decade and STILL have nothing.
I know that for a time (recently changed) the Conlan Press web site was claiming that their 3 ebook set ($15.00) including the “Lost Edition”, was being sold in order to help Peter move unexpectedly. This tactic reminds me of all the claims that books were not being shipped due to the death of Peter’s mom (who at the time had been buried for 6 years).
About a week ago the claim of “moving expenses” disappeared (how interesting) … HOWEVER… Conlan Press is now BEING SUED by Peter.
and thank goodness
http://www.jimchines.com/2015/12/peter-beagle-sues-conlan-press/
Peter isn’t good with the business end of writing. He is loved by his fans for his WRITING not for being a shark at business. It seems he has had a history of being too “trusting” on such matters. After all he also got screwed on his movie Royalties (the settlement was long in coming) I expect he has learned his lesson, does not trust you folks, and he should not.
The large number of online complaints about FRAUD by Colan press are not all (as purported by Connor Cochran) the creation of one fevered mind (a conspiracy theory dude & disgruntled employee). They are from a HUGE number of people who were ripped off, and who have been talking about it for years. I know people in that group myself. I came close to spending money and I am glad I didn’t.
– so here’s to “Connor Cochran” and his company.
Cochran has my most sincere hopes that the universe (and the law) gives them every last thing he has coming (a massive payment owed to Peter, and WE CAN HOPE a long time in a prison cell).
I’m another one who ordered the Last Unicorn audiobook and Two Hearts, and never received them, or a refund. It was ten years ago. At first I believed all the excuses, for a good two or three years. I ordered other things from Conlan Press, and they did arrive, and I honestly believed I was helping Peter. But for the audiobook and Two Hearts…excuse after excuse, a personal phone call from Connor (I was so impressed at the time), more excuses…I’ve lost track of them all. Every year or so I send an email asking for an update or a refund. Nothing, not for years, just whatever latest BS is posted to the website. I stopped buying things from Conlan Press years ago when I wised up. I wish I and everyone else had wised up sooner. Good luck with your lawsuit, Peter. I’m so sorry.
I ordered a subscription for six signed comic books(as they came out). I think I received 3 at 84.00 dollars. Contacted company and they say the guy doesn’t work there anymore. Seems the company still would be liable for refund. Anything I can do?
You got scammed. Sad to hear it. “Blame it on the employee” is one of Connor’s shifty excuses he likes using.
How long ago was it? If it was in the last 6-12 months, call your bank and ask to do a charge dispute. Please also report it – there’s some agencies listed on the right side of the site here under “Call for investigation”.
Peter does need the help and support of his friends and fans, but it is not the case that he s in danger of being on the street.