The UK also has distance selling rules. These allow for a 14 day cooling off period where the buyer can return the product at their own expense without reason. The problem with any of these kinds of rules is that if the seller is a bad actor, they won't honour it and your only recourse is your payment provider or taking the seller to court. For small monetary amounts it isn't financially worth it, and bad actors will exploit this.
The safest thing is to use platforms (eBay, Abe) to protect you, and if a SELLER suggests going off platform run a mile. There is no legitimate advantage to the seller in doing this, so if they are suggesting you do it, they probably have nefarious reasons . As a BUYER, I have requested an off-platform sale, knowing I have increased my risk (and I've never had a problem).
The safest thing is to use platforms (eBay, Abe) to protect you, and if a SELLER suggests going off platform run a mile. There is no legitimate advantage to the seller in doing this, so if they are suggesting you do it, they probably have nefarious reasons . As a BUYER, I have requested an off-platform sale, knowing I have increased my risk (and I've never had a problem).
northman wrote:
Lost for words. One of the most deplorable tolkienlistings I have seen. AVOID.
Unbelievable
Emilien wrote:
northman wrote:
Lost for words. One of the most deplorable tolkienlistings I have seen. AVOID.
Unbelievable
Is there anything that is actually true in that listing? My (not-ex-library) copy was £100 on the nose last year from Blackwells Rare Books.
25 Mar, 2025
(edited)
2025-3-25 11:36:08 PM UTC
Edited by rings-1991 on 2025-3-25 11:53:46 PM UTC
Edited by rings-1991 on 2025-3-25 11:54:06 PM UTC
Edited by rings-1991 on 2025-3-27 12:57:56 AM UTC
Edited by rings-1991 on 2025-3-27 12:58:14 AM UTC
Edited by rings-1991 on 2025-3-25 11:54:06 PM UTC
Edited by rings-1991 on 2025-3-27 12:57:56 AM UTC
Edited by rings-1991 on 2025-3-27 12:58:14 AM UTC
2025-3-25 11:36:08 PM UTC
Hi all, I thank you for your support with this issue. I have a final update for you all below. Please be careful if you intend to do business with Mark Faith at Festival Art and Books.
**Last Update**
I informed Mark Faith that my initial chargeback claim was denied based on his assertion that opening the books voided any responsibility. In response, I advised him that I was escalating the matter to the ACCC, utilising obtained email evidence from VISA showing that Mark acknowledged issues with the books and offering a partial refund. This evidence contradicts his original claims, as he admitted the books were not necessarily first printings and that one book remains sealed but damaged. Given this, his rejection of my claim is no longer valid under his terms. I gave Mark five business days to resolve the matter before I proceeded to escalate the case further.
Mark Faith justified his refusal to issue a full refund by stating that his bank upheld the charge on the grounds that the books, once opened, were no longer considered “new.” He referenced his eBay return policy, which supports this position, and maintained that he never explicitly guaranteed the books were first printings—only that they “could” be. He framed his stance as reasonable and dismissed my complaint as unworthy of consideration, insisting that no authority would take it seriously. He also argued that I was responsible for my dissatisfaction, stating that I had “caused my own grief” and needed to “get over it”.
Beyond defending his business practices, Mark sought to intimidate me by leveraging his reputation within the Tolkien collecting community. He claimed that he was well known in these circles and warned that if I “threatened” him again, he would ensure that no credible book dealer would sell to me. He insisted that independent dealers could afford to be selective and did not work with "pain in the arse" customers. He suggested that continuing to challenge him would ultimately be to my own detriment and implied that I would face professional consequences if I continued raising concerns.
Despite this, he claimed he would honour his previous offer of a half refund, asserting that this was a generous resolution given that he could no longer resell the books as new. However, he stated that he would only process the refund in mid-March upon his return to the U.K, as he was unable to add a new payee while travelling. He warned that if I continued to pursue the matter—whether by contacting others, escalating the dispute, or posting publicly—he would revoke the offer entirely.
I ultimately agreed to accepting the partial (50%) refund due to not wanting to continue the matter and draining my own time, as I am currently time poor due to work commitments. Mark concluded by stating that he would follow up around March 15th regarding the refund but reinforced that further complaints could jeopardise the offer. However, some of you have observed that I have already reviewed my experience here and on Google for his store. I was planning on adjusting my reviews to make Mark seem more reasonable as a seller due to keeping his word about a partial refund. Therefore, I contacted Mark on the 21st of March to follow-up, as per his request: Mark then demanded that I remove my negative reviews before receiving a refund, but before I could respond Mark stated, “They've been there they whole time so frankly I don't care. There will be no refund nor will I reply again. Be careful what you do... “.
Mark has since commented on my Google review where he claims "I have not enabled reviews and have never done business with this person? This is some Google AI error." In addition to "Please note, we have not enabled reviews on Google and don't recognise these post. We have reported them to Google as errors. Visit our Ebay shop to read our real reviews". See attached photos.
To conclude, my experience with Mark Faith and Festival Art and Books has been one marked by deceptive and unethical business practices. Despite his initial claim that the books were not refundable because they were opened, Mark later admitted fault by acknowledging issues with the goods and offering a partial refund as a gesture of goodwill, which was revoked. This entire process has highlighted a lack of professionalism and respect for customer rights. Mark’s contradictory statements, coupled with his attempts to intimidate and retaliate against a dissatisfied customer, reflect poorly on his business practices. His failure to uphold his word, combined with his efforts to silence valid complaints, demonstrates an unwillingness to engage in fair and ethical transactions. This experience has not only been frustrating but has also led me to question the integrity of his business, which now appears to prioritise intimidation over customer satisfaction.
Thanks again everyone here who has supported me. It is appreciated.
**Last Update**
I informed Mark Faith that my initial chargeback claim was denied based on his assertion that opening the books voided any responsibility. In response, I advised him that I was escalating the matter to the ACCC, utilising obtained email evidence from VISA showing that Mark acknowledged issues with the books and offering a partial refund. This evidence contradicts his original claims, as he admitted the books were not necessarily first printings and that one book remains sealed but damaged. Given this, his rejection of my claim is no longer valid under his terms. I gave Mark five business days to resolve the matter before I proceeded to escalate the case further.
Mark Faith justified his refusal to issue a full refund by stating that his bank upheld the charge on the grounds that the books, once opened, were no longer considered “new.” He referenced his eBay return policy, which supports this position, and maintained that he never explicitly guaranteed the books were first printings—only that they “could” be. He framed his stance as reasonable and dismissed my complaint as unworthy of consideration, insisting that no authority would take it seriously. He also argued that I was responsible for my dissatisfaction, stating that I had “caused my own grief” and needed to “get over it”.
Beyond defending his business practices, Mark sought to intimidate me by leveraging his reputation within the Tolkien collecting community. He claimed that he was well known in these circles and warned that if I “threatened” him again, he would ensure that no credible book dealer would sell to me. He insisted that independent dealers could afford to be selective and did not work with "pain in the arse" customers. He suggested that continuing to challenge him would ultimately be to my own detriment and implied that I would face professional consequences if I continued raising concerns.
Despite this, he claimed he would honour his previous offer of a half refund, asserting that this was a generous resolution given that he could no longer resell the books as new. However, he stated that he would only process the refund in mid-March upon his return to the U.K, as he was unable to add a new payee while travelling. He warned that if I continued to pursue the matter—whether by contacting others, escalating the dispute, or posting publicly—he would revoke the offer entirely.
I ultimately agreed to accepting the partial (50%) refund due to not wanting to continue the matter and draining my own time, as I am currently time poor due to work commitments. Mark concluded by stating that he would follow up around March 15th regarding the refund but reinforced that further complaints could jeopardise the offer. However, some of you have observed that I have already reviewed my experience here and on Google for his store. I was planning on adjusting my reviews to make Mark seem more reasonable as a seller due to keeping his word about a partial refund. Therefore, I contacted Mark on the 21st of March to follow-up, as per his request: Mark then demanded that I remove my negative reviews before receiving a refund, but before I could respond Mark stated, “They've been there they whole time so frankly I don't care. There will be no refund nor will I reply again. Be careful what you do... “.
Mark has since commented on my Google review where he claims "I have not enabled reviews and have never done business with this person? This is some Google AI error." In addition to "Please note, we have not enabled reviews on Google and don't recognise these post. We have reported them to Google as errors. Visit our Ebay shop to read our real reviews". See attached photos.
To conclude, my experience with Mark Faith and Festival Art and Books has been one marked by deceptive and unethical business practices. Despite his initial claim that the books were not refundable because they were opened, Mark later admitted fault by acknowledging issues with the goods and offering a partial refund as a gesture of goodwill, which was revoked. This entire process has highlighted a lack of professionalism and respect for customer rights. Mark’s contradictory statements, coupled with his attempts to intimidate and retaliate against a dissatisfied customer, reflect poorly on his business practices. His failure to uphold his word, combined with his efforts to silence valid complaints, demonstrates an unwillingness to engage in fair and ethical transactions. This experience has not only been frustrating but has also led me to question the integrity of his business, which now appears to prioritise intimidation over customer satisfaction.
Thanks again everyone here who has supported me. It is appreciated.
My (not-ex-library) copy was £100 on the nose last year from Blackwells Rare Books.
My (also not-ex-library) copy was £131 from the recent auction in January that fellow TCG member 'Morgan' held.
Also, thank you 'rings-1991' for documenting your experience with us.
These are really disgusting practices. Claiming the books are first impressions when they are unopened, but refusing a return if you do open them to verify...
Wow, it's sad to see such an unethical and deceptive businessman. While I've never bought anything from Mark, I did message him concerning a book one time (before I knew anything about him) and the interaction was... unpleasant. Thank you for sharing your experience and hopefully this will be seen by other forum members and non-members alike across the web. Are you still pursuing action via the ACCC then?
I'm really sorry to learn that you (and others) have had this terrible experience, rings-1991! I hope your pursuit of the matter through the ACCC isn't too taxing on your time, attention, and emotions. Thank you — you're doing the world a great service in standing up to a bully (let alone con-man!). (If an essentially meaningless gesture helps at all, "you have my sword.") Best wishes for a satisfying result!
Éarendel wrote:
These are really disgusting practices. Claiming the books are first impressions when they are unopened, but refusing a return if you do open them to verify...
Here, I'll sell you a box with a cat in it. The cat is definitely alive, but if you open the box and find only a dead cat, then I can't refund you, because the box is special and the cat is only a thought-experiment.
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