What is up with metrodrum.com? Their website is gone.
I am wondering because I sent them money over a week ago for a bass drum bracket then got a message from them that there was a question/problem with my order. I have sent a few emails since to clear it up but have not heard from them. I have no idea if the bracket is on the way, if the order is cancelled, if I just threw away $50....
Is this the end of The Chubster? I hope not, I could use that bass drum bracket (or the $50 bucks back.....)
Just wondering.
Metro Drum Website?
Here's some info I found about them online. If you didn't have their phone number I would try calling them:
101 Varnum Street, City: Arlington, MA 02474
Phone: (617) 921-1830,
Email: sales@metrodrum.com
Web: www.metrodrum.com
Contact: Matthew Belyea
101 Varnum Street, City: Arlington, MA 02474
Phone: (617) 921-1830,
Email: sales@metrodrum.com
Web: www.metrodrum.com
Contact: Matthew Belyea
RE: Metro Drum
OK Filthy....Sorry to hijack your thread. My post has been deleted. I know I shouldn't vent in a public forum........I hope you get your parts soon.
Last edited by BigSteve on Thu Jul 16, 2009 1:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
I called and left a message so we'll see. It can take a while for things to arrive into Canada from the US, so if it is on the way I am not surprised that it is taking a while. I am definitely giving them the benefit of the doubt - I didn't intend to start a "trash Metro Drums" post. I was more concerned that maybe a cool company was having problems making ends meet or something like that and that is why the website is down. Hopefully it is because they are launching a new site with even more cool cocktail stuff on it.
Just in case though: where else could I find a bass drum pedal bracket for a 4 legged 16" main drum? Are there any homemade/pieced-together solutions others have used?
Re: the other posts/pix of a Metro kit - You clearly show why you are unhappy with it, but you didn't mention any attempt to get Metro to fix it or do something to make amends. Shit happens, but it may be premature to bash them in public without the full story or giving them a chance to fix it. I really don't want my original post to be involved with this kind of axe grinding.
Just in case though: where else could I find a bass drum pedal bracket for a 4 legged 16" main drum? Are there any homemade/pieced-together solutions others have used?
Re: the other posts/pix of a Metro kit - You clearly show why you are unhappy with it, but you didn't mention any attempt to get Metro to fix it or do something to make amends. Shit happens, but it may be premature to bash them in public without the full story or giving them a chance to fix it. I really don't want my original post to be involved with this kind of axe grinding.
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Mike Strehlow
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:38 pm
You could get a welding/fab shop to make a simple u-shaped bracket out of flat stock with the appropriate bends. Take a picture and your drum, let them measure it. It shouldn't cost very much. You can paint it or have it powder coated, again for a small fee. Possibly less than you can buy one for. I would think all of this would be less than $50. You can connect it to the legs using U bolts and wing nuts.
I like to use a small rug, 3 x 5. I bought one at Target for $3.00. It folds up in the cymbal section of my trap case. My pedal has velcro on the bottom of the plate so it stays put. That way I don't have to connect and disconnect both the pedal and the bracket when I set up and tear down. There are lots of solutions. Good luck.
I like to use a small rug, 3 x 5. I bought one at Target for $3.00. It folds up in the cymbal section of my trap case. My pedal has velcro on the bottom of the plate so it stays put. That way I don't have to connect and disconnect both the pedal and the bracket when I set up and tear down. There are lots of solutions. Good luck.
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facemeltingukulele
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 7:17 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
Phone number changed too :(
That sucks about your foot pedal bracket. At least you didn't order a Chubster 7 months ago like someone I know....
Right now its not looking good, when Matthew was still responding to my emails he said he had to have rotator cuff surgery and was having other health issues. I stopped hearing from him a month ago and now the website is down. Called the number listed for Metrodrums but got a nice lady named Joyce instead who's been getting calls for Matt for a month now... I did notice that someone is selling Chubsters on ebay right now (presumably its Matthew Belyea) but I can't be certain, I haven't received an answer to my messages on ebay yet either. I hope Matthew's health is ok first and foremost, but I'd love to get my kit or a refund or at least an email.
I'm still giving him the benefit of the doubt but the doubt is taking over...
Anyone have any other means of contacting Matthew? I've tried email (though his email addresses are all tied to the now defunct website), ebay, phone and myspace. No dice so far.
Right now its not looking good, when Matthew was still responding to my emails he said he had to have rotator cuff surgery and was having other health issues. I stopped hearing from him a month ago and now the website is down. Called the number listed for Metrodrums but got a nice lady named Joyce instead who's been getting calls for Matt for a month now... I did notice that someone is selling Chubsters on ebay right now (presumably its Matthew Belyea) but I can't be certain, I haven't received an answer to my messages on ebay yet either. I hope Matthew's health is ok first and foremost, but I'd love to get my kit or a refund or at least an email.
I'm still giving him the benefit of the doubt but the doubt is taking over...
Anyone have any other means of contacting Matthew? I've tried email (though his email addresses are all tied to the now defunct website), ebay, phone and myspace. No dice so far.
I tried calling and left a message on a machine and emailed several times with no reply, no bracket either.
As a last resort I thought I might be able to do something through paypal to get my money back. Luckily, the payment I made was "unclaimed" so I was able to cancel the payment. So, in the end I got my money back and really I just wasted a little time waiting around, but that is no big deal.
What worries me though is that Metro has 2 or 3 Buy It Now auctions for brackets and a Chubster kit on ebay. When I initially contacted Metro about the bracket via ebay, I got a quick reply and communication was excellent. Because I am in Canada, shipping costs were a little different and Metro offered to do the bracket and shipping for $50 all-in. I made the almost-fatal mistake of doing the sale off-ebay with just a payment through paypal and an email from my regular account. From their website and general presence on the internet, I figured Metro was an established store with a decent reputation so I didn't hesitate to buy outside of ebay.
I received one email from Metro right after I paid saying something like, "I have gotten so many orders for the bracket, I can't keep track of them. What size were you looking for?" I replied, hoping that they would write again saying all is well and to let me know when to expect the bracket. Nothing was ever heard from them again and no bracket showed up. And, quite literally, the day after I made the payment, the Metro website disappeared.
It all worked out in the end so I really don't have much to bitch about, but it does seem a a little shady to me. If they are continuing to post product on ebay but no longer have a company website and aren't taking customer messages, what is happening with payments made through ebay/paypal?
All of the drum sites out there make up a nice little community of drum nerds and companies that are interested in helping each other out. I hope Metro hasn't fallen on hard times and resorted to dirty tricks to take advantage of the even nerdier cocktail drum nerds by accepting payment and never delivering, or, from some of the other posts here, delivering less than quality goods and then disappearing into the night.
This is not a bash-Metro post, and now that I have my money back, I really couldn't care less. But, I think customers have a right to publicly bitch about poor service and quality if they have made an attempt to get fair treatment from a seller who has not held up their end of the deal - especially when money is changing hands over the internet. There may be a really good reason why my sale didn't go well, but I think Metro had ample opportunity to communicate with me and straighten things out. If I got an email or someone on the phone and they said, "You know what dude? I just broke my rotator cuff and will be laid up for a month, so I can't get to your order", I wouldn't have said a thing and would have waited patiently for my bracket and wished the guy a speedy recovery. Hell, I might of even sent the guy flowers or something. At the same time though, I would expect them to pull their auctions off ebay until they were able to fulfill their obligations as a reputable seller.
I may order from Metro in the future if they get their stuff sorted out and things look a little more on the up and up. If it is a health issue, I wish them all the best and hope things turn out. If it is a dirty trick to scam cocktail drum nerds out of their hard earned money, then I will let karma take care of it for me - it always does.
R
As a last resort I thought I might be able to do something through paypal to get my money back. Luckily, the payment I made was "unclaimed" so I was able to cancel the payment. So, in the end I got my money back and really I just wasted a little time waiting around, but that is no big deal.
What worries me though is that Metro has 2 or 3 Buy It Now auctions for brackets and a Chubster kit on ebay. When I initially contacted Metro about the bracket via ebay, I got a quick reply and communication was excellent. Because I am in Canada, shipping costs were a little different and Metro offered to do the bracket and shipping for $50 all-in. I made the almost-fatal mistake of doing the sale off-ebay with just a payment through paypal and an email from my regular account. From their website and general presence on the internet, I figured Metro was an established store with a decent reputation so I didn't hesitate to buy outside of ebay.
I received one email from Metro right after I paid saying something like, "I have gotten so many orders for the bracket, I can't keep track of them. What size were you looking for?" I replied, hoping that they would write again saying all is well and to let me know when to expect the bracket. Nothing was ever heard from them again and no bracket showed up. And, quite literally, the day after I made the payment, the Metro website disappeared.
It all worked out in the end so I really don't have much to bitch about, but it does seem a a little shady to me. If they are continuing to post product on ebay but no longer have a company website and aren't taking customer messages, what is happening with payments made through ebay/paypal?
All of the drum sites out there make up a nice little community of drum nerds and companies that are interested in helping each other out. I hope Metro hasn't fallen on hard times and resorted to dirty tricks to take advantage of the even nerdier cocktail drum nerds by accepting payment and never delivering, or, from some of the other posts here, delivering less than quality goods and then disappearing into the night.
This is not a bash-Metro post, and now that I have my money back, I really couldn't care less. But, I think customers have a right to publicly bitch about poor service and quality if they have made an attempt to get fair treatment from a seller who has not held up their end of the deal - especially when money is changing hands over the internet. There may be a really good reason why my sale didn't go well, but I think Metro had ample opportunity to communicate with me and straighten things out. If I got an email or someone on the phone and they said, "You know what dude? I just broke my rotator cuff and will be laid up for a month, so I can't get to your order", I wouldn't have said a thing and would have waited patiently for my bracket and wished the guy a speedy recovery. Hell, I might of even sent the guy flowers or something. At the same time though, I would expect them to pull their auctions off ebay until they were able to fulfill their obligations as a reputable seller.
I may order from Metro in the future if they get their stuff sorted out and things look a little more on the up and up. If it is a health issue, I wish them all the best and hope things turn out. If it is a dirty trick to scam cocktail drum nerds out of their hard earned money, then I will let karma take care of it for me - it always does.
R
It's a bummer when a combination of health problems and a crazy economy take a toll on a small business. I wish Metro all the best, but from what I've heard your best bet of getting a refund is to file charge-back with your credit card company (nothing personal, just what I've heard about others experiences) Really do hope things pan out and he bounces back...it's been tough watching the drum industry over the past two years, been some hard hits.
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VinylDrummer
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:50 pm
Metro Mystery
I bought a Hipster from Matthew a few months ago. It took much longer than anticipated to get the kit but that was also the same time Matthew had to have surgery so I figured that's what had caused the delay. The kit looks and sounds awesome! The only problem was that one of the legs didn't match the rest. I let Matthew know and he said as soon as his shipment arrived he would send a replacement right out to me. A week went by and I emailed again to see if the leg had been sent out. He responded that the shipment would be in that week and the leg would be shipped out the next day. Two more weeks passed and I received nothing. I emailed yet again. This time there was no response. I called the number just for grins. You see, I never got an answer when I called that number before. Just a message that said "We are not in the office...leave a message." However, this time I got a busy signal. I've tried it since and that's all I ever get. I've even tried contacting them through their Myspace page. They haven't updated it since July. No response there either. This is just so strange especially since Metro got a very positive write up in Modern Drummer just a few months ago.
Does this mean those of us with Metro kits are screwed if we have any problems or defects in the future?!?!?!???
Does this mean those of us with Metro kits are screwed if we have any problems or defects in the future?!?!?!???
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facemeltingukulele
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 7:17 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
Yeah, I had high hopes for Metro. I heard a rumor on the web that he may be facing bankruptcy http://jeffhaynes.wordpress.com/2008/08 ... rent-drum/
I really feel for the guy, as much as I worry about the money I spent on my kit its a drop in the bucket compared to what he's facing it seems. I've been leaving encouraging messages on his machine, no calls back but I hope having someone in his corner helps him out a little. (considering how many irate customers he must be dealing with right now, not to mention all the financial mess he has to deal with). One thing I don't get though is that I ordered my kit 7 months ago whereas you ordered yours only a few months back. I did order a larger Chubster though. Its definitely a moot point now. I still have a tiny bit of hope that Metropolitan cocktail drums will bounce back and I'll get my kit. But right now I worry more for Mr. Belyea's health and sanity, seems like he's really in a tough spot right now. I highly doubt that he would build this company up, after years of building drums privately before starting Metro, finally creating a pretty decent buzz in the drum world only to try and rip off a handful of customers. Doesn't make sense with everything I've read about the guy nor would it financially in the long run. Call me a sucker, but I'll keep pulling for the guy. I honestly and sincerely hope that he gets back on his feet and lives a long happy life regardless of whether or not I get the material possession that I am owed (I bet the Chubster would've been SWEET though! he was working on a custom "Rasta Fade" for me). Oh well, all the best to you Mr. Belyea wherever you may be!
I really feel for the guy, as much as I worry about the money I spent on my kit its a drop in the bucket compared to what he's facing it seems. I've been leaving encouraging messages on his machine, no calls back but I hope having someone in his corner helps him out a little. (considering how many irate customers he must be dealing with right now, not to mention all the financial mess he has to deal with). One thing I don't get though is that I ordered my kit 7 months ago whereas you ordered yours only a few months back. I did order a larger Chubster though. Its definitely a moot point now. I still have a tiny bit of hope that Metropolitan cocktail drums will bounce back and I'll get my kit. But right now I worry more for Mr. Belyea's health and sanity, seems like he's really in a tough spot right now. I highly doubt that he would build this company up, after years of building drums privately before starting Metro, finally creating a pretty decent buzz in the drum world only to try and rip off a handful of customers. Doesn't make sense with everything I've read about the guy nor would it financially in the long run. Call me a sucker, but I'll keep pulling for the guy. I honestly and sincerely hope that he gets back on his feet and lives a long happy life regardless of whether or not I get the material possession that I am owed (I bet the Chubster would've been SWEET though! he was working on a custom "Rasta Fade" for me). Oh well, all the best to you Mr. Belyea wherever you may be!
I have been watching the eBay postings from Metro and they keep getting refreshed for offers of Chubsters and pedal brackets. Is anyone actually getting their product that they pay for? The Buy It Now or Best Offer listing for a Chubster has been refreshed several times and seems really suspicious now that there are several stories of people paying and not getting anything in return and not hearing a peep from this guy.
It is interesting that my only email from him came when I inquired through ebay about the pedal bracket, and then once I sent the money there was no sign of him. Hopefully, if he is ripping people off, there will be enough complaints and ebay will do something.
He had cool drums and I hope he is not ruining his reputation for a quick short-term scam because of his personal problems.
Really too bad....
It is interesting that my only email from him came when I inquired through ebay about the pedal bracket, and then once I sent the money there was no sign of him. Hopefully, if he is ripping people off, there will be enough complaints and ebay will do something.
He had cool drums and I hope he is not ruining his reputation for a quick short-term scam because of his personal problems.
Really too bad....
Chubster Lost in Action
I had been keeping in touch with Matthew on email and by phone, seems like a genuinely nice guy. He was always quick to respond - that is until he cashed my last check...guess I should have signed up for paypal. He told me my custom Chubster walnut fade was ready, "just waiting on a bracket." I spent $1000, in 2 cashed checks on this set. I spent a year checking out all the options and decided to go with a custom made in the US set from a progressive drum company. I sold my last set to buy this one. Now I don't have any drums. Can't justify buying more after I threw $1000 at it with nothing to show. I can't believe a a drummer would do that to another drummer.
I can understand someone being in a tight spot and not being able to pay the bills. I can't understand paying for a product, him saying it is made, and then not giving them to me - and then continuing to advertise a similar set for other people to buy. Sure, I hope he pulls through from whatever is going on. I've left him many messages of concern and encouragement until I only get a busy signal, and he never returns my emails. I sent the last check out 7/6, he cashed it 7/10, then not a word from him since.
I keep hoping I'll hear from him or get my drums - as it has been a month, I'm going to have to start doing something more than hope.
I can understand someone being in a tight spot and not being able to pay the bills. I can't understand paying for a product, him saying it is made, and then not giving them to me - and then continuing to advertise a similar set for other people to buy. Sure, I hope he pulls through from whatever is going on. I've left him many messages of concern and encouragement until I only get a busy signal, and he never returns my emails. I sent the last check out 7/6, he cashed it 7/10, then not a word from him since.
I keep hoping I'll hear from him or get my drums - as it has been a month, I'm going to have to start doing something more than hope.
I cant believe an astronaut would do that to another astronaut.I can't believe a a drummer would do that to another drummer.
I cant believe an inmate wouold do that to another inmate.
can't believe a politician would do that to another politician.
etc.
It's nice when we form tribes on the net, but people are people.