Case Bound Printers (www.caseboundprinters.co.uk) and Trade Magazine Print (www.trademagprint.co.uk) are the latest incarnations of a string of similar-looking websites purporting to offer cheap book, journal and magazine printing services.
The contact details are for Hardback Printer, which emerged last year as the latest venture set up by controversial print farmer Neill John, whose full name is Neill Stuart Malcolm John.
Andrew Chester, who runs record label Recreation Records, said the print farmer’s failure to deliver had delayed the release of his first book of memoirs, Don't Go Where I've Been.
Chester told PrintWeek: “I paid them £283 for 100 copies of my first novel seven weeks ago and they have sent me no books and a full pack of lies since.
“My bank has been unable to get my money back as Case Bound Printers have shut the account down that I paid it into.”
He said he had reported the company to Action Fraud.
David Gilchrist, manager at Bookmarks Publishing in London, said the publisher had paid a deposit of just under £700 for books that had not materialised.
“We needed something quickly and relatively cheaply. They claimed they were getting it printed in Bulgaria. We still don’t have the books,” he said.
Trade Magazine Print has issued the publisher with a credit note to be used within 12 months.
The terms and conditions on the Case Bound Printers and Trade Magazine Print websites refer to ‘Paperback Printer’ and describe the contract seller as Paper Press Ltd. Paper Press is now called High Quality Books and was one of two companies connected to John that were subject to winding-up orders last year.
Last month Edward Anil Joseph, who has an address in Chennai, India, was registered as Hardback Printer’s managing director. The following day John, who incorporated the company and was listed as finance director, resigned as a director.
Joseph is also a director of Bookworld Ltd, previously named Printing Books Ltd, another company incorporated by John.
PrintWeek was unable to reach anyone at Hardback Printer for comment.
The print farming firms named above are in no way connected to Hampshire-based The Printing Press Ltd; specialist letterpress printer and bindery Book Printers Ltd of Finedon, Northamptonshire; Crewe-based The Printing House Ltd; UKPrint.biz, which is a trading name of Ruby Giraffe Ltd of Manchester; www.bookprintinguk.com which is run by Bonacia Ltd in Peterborough, or www.magprint.co.uk which is part of Stephens & George Print Group.
