“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
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “So many people have been scammed by CONnor. Some people have honestly been waiting over 5 years and are still getting the runaround.” – link
VISIT the forum topic for more: “Was anyone else here ripped off (purchased Last Unicorn Deluxe Edition)?”
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. 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 his license was lost, Petit forced a Last Unicorn fan site to remove 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
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.
Smokescreen of employee abuse:
Cochran ripped off over $10,000 in unpaid wages from a 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 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.”
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 in 2014.
Conlan Press maintains a web listing of sold but undelivered items. Delivery dates have changed over many years, with new excuses each time it’s updated. Cochran promises angry customers that they will always be informed about their missing goods there… but in 2014, it only has a failed promise of 2013 delivery for products sold as long as 10 years ago. Complaints are still being referred to a long-expired excuse.
Demand solutions NOW from Connor Cochran. BEWARE of Conlan Press.
Please spread this report among fans, to protect each other – and writers!
After years of broken promises, it’s time for pressure to demand accountability – and refunds to every deceived customer.
File a complaint with the Attorney General: Link
Document abuse on Ripoff Report: Link
Report your story: fansagainstfraud@gmail.com
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.
Never again? Late 2014 website update:
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.)