What does Matsuo owe you? (Problems with Matsuo)

Seananigans said:
I’d just like to add to my earlier comment/response..
I was probably a little harsh with the finger wagging, no one knows what situations life is going to throw at us and this in turn can cause a snowball effect…I am in no way condoning prop builders/sellers who go out of their way to **** customers over.
I sincerely hope Matt can get back on track with back orders and such and his customers be made whole…and everyone can then sit around a camp fire and sing songs.
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No need for anyone to apologize for admonishing me for being in this predicament. It is what it is.
I AM getting on track in spite of everything.
Without disclosing too much. My family has chronic health challenges. Which require multiple hospitalizations throughout the year. I can not hold a real job. Prop making is the only thing that offers me the flexibility to also care for my family. Unfortunately my family’s medical needs have increased exponentially in the past several years. Hence the “two steps back” in recent years.
If anyone is curious or wants a candid discussion about what I mentioned or the things I have planned I will be happy to do so privately. I hide no secrets, and awareness is important. But. The open forum here is TOO open.
 
I'd just like to caution anyone considering purchasing a rifle from Matt. I placed an order with him in June of 2021. Since my initial down payment of $600, I'sent him an additional $700 or so in parts. He initially promised that the rifle would be completed within six months, however, that date has long since come and passed and I have nothing at all to show for it. He would continually provide excuses as to why the rifle wasn't completed and often take several weeks to respond to my emails. Finally after well over a year of waiting, I demanded a refund and now he has completely ghosted me. Unfortunately, my paypal protection has long since expired, and it appears that he has simply stolen $1200+ from me. Once again, DO NOT trust Matt with your money unless you wish to have pilfered. Years ago there was a time when he was a reliable and trusted member of the Aliens community, but unfortunately that is no longer the case and he has descended into common criminality. It's sad to see a once trusted prop maker to fall to such depths, but I feel it's my duty to inform others and hopefully prevent them from being scammed as well.
 
Ok, I’ve been putting this off for years, as I didn’t think it would actually help things. As others continually urge, I’ve been [more than] understanding, really hoping that by not adding to Matt’s problems, it would enable him to get back to the point where he and his family wouldn’t be in what seems like constant financial peril.

I’ve been waiting about 8 years[!] for something I paid for, which I suspect has been “resold” a number of times to Peter, so that Paul can be refunded …
I’ve been constantly assured that my items were in a box, waiting to be shipped … or on one occasion, did ship, but were mysteriously returned-to-sender.

I’ve always just wanted the parts, to the point were I’ve offered repeatedly to [re]pay for shipping, as figured that Matt might not have had the funds to cover for postage.

Thinking about this now, and hearing others stories, it more seems that I’ve just been being taken advantage of.
As Matt takes on further commissions, it’s obvious that there’s a percentage of which he cannot fulfil (as evidenced by others ongoing public requests for refunds), and by not posting here, I slip further down the stack ... after 8 years, I suspect I’m at the bottom.

I’ve recently requested a refund, to which Matt has agreed, although I know of at least two others that are also waiting on refunds, and he's again stopped replying to my emails ...

My history [there may be bits missing between 2016 – 2020, PayPal doesn’t allow me to see that far back anymore].
10/07/2014 $100 PP Transaction ID # 16V83538XP342563D Deposit on HCG Shrouds of US$100 paid
15/10/2015 $100 PP Transaction ID # 3DF516526L482750N 2nd Payment on HCG Shrouds of US$100 made
18/01/2016 $445 PP Transaction ID # 16A42344F0858310F Balance owing on HCG Shrouds of US$445 paid [includes $45 for shipping]
13/02/2020 $35 PP Transaction ID # 844917314W745794X Another payment for shipping
 
I work for a collectibles company, and he did one of our prototypes, but there were issues towards the tail end of things. I recall asking my boss why we don’t reach out to him to help fix things and finalize things, and I was told he disappeared and wouldn’t answer emails or calls. So he isn’t just treating board members like this, he is even treating paying professional gigs with the same lack of care.
 
Knightmare said:
Got any proof you paid him ?
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Indeed I do, though, as another victim mentioned in this thread, it's far too late for Paypal to intervene (I think after 2 years, you're on your own). His excuses kept me going that long...that, and my ignorance and trust in his previous rep.

I posted a screenshot on his personal FB with the proof of payment not long ago to see if it would lead to any progress, and he hasn't removed it at least. I've also emailed to him a few times, including one time after filing a Paypal Dispute in vein a few years back as he didn't even remember what I ordered nor who I was (this was already 3 years in, mind you, of weekly communication). It was absolutely bizarre.

This is neither here nor there, but I was laid off this week, so I tried reaching out to him again as I could use a win, and I thought maybe after all this time he'd come through somehow. It was a bad idea.
 
Moviefreak said:
I work for a collectibles company, and he did one of our prototypes, but there were issues towards the tail end of things. I recall asking my boss why we don’t reach out to him to help fix things and finalize things, and I was told he disappeared and wouldn’t answer emails or calls. So he isn’t just treating board members like this, he is even treating paying professional gigs with the same lack of care.
Click to expand...
Dune5712 said:
Indeed I do, though, as another victim mentioned in this thread, it's far too late for Paypal to intervene (I think after 2 years, you're on your own). His excuses kept me going that long...that, and my ignorance and trust in his previous rep.

I posted a screenshot on his personal FB with the proof of payment not long ago to see if it would lead to any progress, and he hasn't removed it at least. I've also emailed to him a few times, including one time after filing a Paypal Dispute in vein a few years back as he didn't even remember what I ordered nor who I was (this was already 3 years in, mind you, of weekly communication). It was absolutely bizarre.

This is neither here nor there, but I was laid off this week, so I tried reaching out to him again as I could use a win, and I thought maybe after all this time he'd come through somehow. It was a bad idea.
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It is a shame he made some nice weapons . How much money in total if you don’t mind me asking ?
 
The really sad thing is that there' absolutely no reason things should be this way. There's no denying that the rifles he's actually managed to ship out to customers are stunning. With his talent, he should be doing robust business selling pulse rifles and smart guns to the Aliens fanbase, yet instead he's chosen to destroy his reputation and and annihilate any goodwill that this community previously afforded him. It would be one thing if he put out a poor product, but anyone with eyes can see he has the talent and experience to produce essentially the best replicas on the market. It's also my understanding that these replicas are basically his only form of income, so he's chosen to torpedo what may his only means of supporting his family.

Having said all that I don't believe that he actually has any inherent criminal intent. Don't get me wrong, his actions certainly make him a criminal, but I don't believe he aspires to criminality as some certainly do. It's my guess that there are some underlying issues at play. I know he has a special needs child that requires extra attention, and I strongly suspect there may be some mental illness involved such a depression. Having suffered from depression through most of my adult life, I understand very acutely how it can sap one's will to accomplish even the most basic of tasks, especially if one feels already overwhelmed. Regardless, it's just a very sad situation that's resulted not only in a gross betrayal of trust, but even more lamentably it's simply a terrible waste of talent from an undeniably gifted propmaker.
 
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LasagnaSmoothie said:
The really sad thing is that there' absolutely no reason things should be this way. There's no denying that the rifles he's actually managed to ship out to customers are stunning. With his talent, he should be doing robust business selling pulse rifles and smart guns to the Aliens fanbase, yet instead he's chosen to destroy his reputation and and annihilate any goodwill that this community previously afforded him. It would be one thing if he put out a poor product, but anyone with eyes can see he has the talent and experience to produce essentially the best replicas on the market. It's also my understanding that these replicas are basically his only form of income, so he's chosen to torpedo what may his only means of supporting his family.

Having said all that I don't believe that he actually has any inherent criminal intent. Don't get me wrong, his actions certainly make him a criminal, but I don't believe he aspires to criminality as some certainly do. It's my guess that there are some underlying issues at play. I know he has a special needs child that requires extra attention, and I strongly suspect there may be some mental illness involved such a depression. Having suffered from depression through most of my adult life, I understand very acutely how it can sap one's will to accomplish even the most basic of tasks, especially if one feels already overwhelmed. Regardless it's just a very sad situation that's resulted not only in a gross betrayal of trust, but even more lamentably it's simply a terrible waste of talent from an undeniably gifted propmaker.
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I agree I don’t think he set out to rip anyone off . IMO his prices were way to cheap for the work and materials involved could have what helped lead to the disappearing act . But that’s just a guess .
 
Knightmare said:
I agree I don’t think he set out to rip anyone off . IMO his prices were way to cheap for the work and materials involved could have what helped lead to the disappearing act . But that’s just a guess .
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While I wouldn't necessarily call his prices way cheap, I'd certainly agree that they were very reasonable for what he was offering. Personally, I wouldn't have minded paying an additional $200-$300 for his services, and I suspect many would have been in the same boat. Either way, just having something to show for one's investment is a hell of lot better than having one's money simply stolen...
 
LasagnaSmoothie said:
While I wouldn't necessarily call his prices way cheap, I'd certainly agree that they were very reasonable for what he was offering. Personally, I wouldn't have minded paying an additional $200-$300 for his services, and I suspect many would have been in the same boat. Either way, just having something to show for one's investment is a hell of lot better than having one's money simply stolen...
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Totally agree with you . I despise Grifters on a cellular level .
 
FWIW he recently posted on FB, March 19th:

"All assembled. I need to explain my disappearance as of late.
As it is, I have been going through extremely challenging events for the past several months.
They have culminated to a heartbreaking point as of last night. (No one’s died so don’t worry)
But life as I knew it is changing rapidly.
I need some time to process.
I’ll be hitting the ground running as soon as I’m able.
I need to rebuild my life and my business.
I have no other choice.
It’ll be better… I’ll be better. And I hope We’ll be better.
P.S. I have a lot of messages to return. Please bear with me."
 
Well you guys are right the lowlife grifter took a friend of mine for a few props recently
Utinni said:
FWIW he recently posted on FB, March 19th:

"All assembled. I need to explain my disappearance as of late.
As it is, I have been going through extremely challenging events for the past several months.
They have culminated to a heartbreaking point as of last night. (No one’s died so don’t worry)
But life as I knew it is changing rapidly.
I need some time to process.
I’ll be hitting the ground running as soon as I’m able.
I need to rebuild my life and my business.
I have no other choice.
It’ll be better… I’ll be better. And I hope We’ll be better.
P.S. I have a lot of messages to return. Please bear with me."
Click to expand...
He is a grifter you should see the messages he sent my buddy its unreal . He's not making anyone anything . Boy was I WRONG !
 
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Utinni said:
FWIW he recently posted on FB, March 19th:

"All assembled. I need to explain my disappearance as of late.
As it is, I have been going through extremely challenging events for the past several months.
They have culminated to a heartbreaking point as of last night. (No one’s died so don’t worry)
But life as I knew it is changing rapidly.
I need some time to process.
I’ll be hitting the ground running as soon as I’m able.
I need to rebuild my life and my business.
I have no other choice.
It’ll be better… I’ll be better. And I hope We’ll be better.
P.S. I have a lot of messages to return. Please bear with me."
Click to expand...
Thanks for passing that along. I'd love for this to be true. Even in the face of him taking my money with nothing to show, I don't hate the man and I'd much rather he make good on his words than not. There's no pleasure in holding bitterness in one's heart; it would also be quite the redemption story if he were to follow through on these sentiments. Unfortunately, however, he has a long history of making such statements and utterly failing to follow through. In the meantime, I'll continue to warn away others, however, I'll also be the first to forgive if he does somehow manage to fulfill his outstanding orders.
 

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