Vinnie Vincent Boxset - I was ripped off by Vinnie!!!

[erg2]

In 1997/1998, Vinnie Vincent had a website that was selling a $150 boxset of unreleased, re-mixed, extended and re-recorded VVI and KISS music. I was/am both a huge fan of KISS and Vinnie Vincent's music. However, I was VERY poor at the time. I lived in a rented room and found the vinnie site while borrowing some AOL time over at a friend's apartment because I couldn't afford internet.

note: why would I be spending $150 when I clearly didn't have it and could live without a VV boxset? I'm an idiot.

So I downloaded the order form, wrote a personal check for the purchase and sent it in. (My favorite part was that you could choose if you wanted a "glossy" cover or a "matter" cover to the box. WHY?!?!?) It never came and never came and never came.

About a year later, things were going better for me. I had a better job, had my own place and my own internet. (Yay PORN!) I began hounding Vinnie for my money. I would send emails and letters constantly asking that I get either the boxset or my money back. Eventually I received this letter in the mail with all kinds of pages of meandering crap. It was clear that whomever had written it was trying to make it sound as if there was an actual record company with an actual staff of employees behind the Metaluna name...but the writing is so poor that I'm pretty sure it was just Vinnie in whatever home office he had pretending he was still a big shot.

It wasn't too long after that I found the Kissasylum forums. I told my story there and found a few others that had been ripped off. I also found that Vinnie had pretty much squandered all his money and Metaluna didn't really exist anymore. (If it ever really did.) I gave up on my dream to ever see my $150 back in my bank account or to be hearing the boxset. (I would still prefer to have the boxset!)

Enclosed (hopefully) is a PDF of the letter and all the contents.
Sorry about the quality. Took the pictures with my iPhone...

[erg2]

Sorry guys, I tried to upload PDFs and jpgs...but the system just keeps crashing every time I try.
Is there a size limitation?

[Genebaby]

How big is the file? There may be a size limitation. Try making it a .zip if you can.

If things are going well it shouldn't crash, just tell you that either the file type is not allowed (mp3, would like to change that) or possibly that it's too big, though I haven't seen that one.

Sorry to hear Vinnie ripped you off. Make no mistake, he would have enjoyed a nice dinner with your money.

[erg2]

PDF was denied as an unacceptable format.
I tried uploading JPGs. Originally 5MB each. But they also crashed.
I resaved with higher compression and got them down to 1MB each. But the system would just spin for 15 minutes. I tried again. It spun for another 15 minutes before I gave up.

[doublev]

yes, all those letters were from vv. he likes to make things soung bigger than they are. it was totally unacceptable that he didn't return fans money. That is one of the main reasons any business he ever tries to do will fail.

Thanks for coming forward.

[Slayer]

Uhhgh! You have company here brother!

[erg2]

Hey, the upload is working!

This is an update sent out a little later, basically saying to continue being patient.

The original be patient letter, page 2.

[Genebaby]

Why the hell does he charge more for international orders on top of what it costs in the US + extra shipping? That makes no sense. The price should be the price, plus the postage to your country.

It's the same with the guitars. This is how we know the real Vinnie is behind all this, the overcharging of overseas customers.

well, that and the ripping off of everyone that ordered, regardless of where they live!

[doublev]

basically he is fining fans for living overseas. it makes very little sense.

i can not believe he had the nerve to up the price even before anything was shipped. I am glad in a way the guitar was too expensive so no one can get stuffed like this boxset. if he had offered the guitar for a price people could afford i would have been real worried about them loosing their deposit.

[doublev]

the only way to sell vv's new guitar is on ebay as far as i can see. and to get interest the first one should start at a dollar. then they would also get a good idea of what people are willing to spend. but i doubt its much more than 2k .

[Genebaby]

If the new guitars were Jacksons they would have people interested in them. Look at that fantastic Moser guitar you posted about, it has not much interest and no resale because the name is not big, but it's a great guitar.

The VVMG is in the same boat. Float one on Ebay and you'll find out the price they can sell for, but after the first one the second might sell for less as there is one less fan bidding, and so on.

[ankh]

would be fun to know about the keyboard player who did imitate V down to his style and sound, as it was stated in that newsletter

[erg2]

Interesting. I was just reading other posts and saw that someone else had posted their Boxset letters as well...and they are different than mine. That means he had to be typing these things out regularly. It's pretty hysterical.
I just noticed that I forgot to blur out my address, but I guess it really doesn't matter as I haven't lived there in over 12 years...

[shramiac]

Vinnie must be psychic! He no like Australia fans the most!!!??? Must have known that Vic was going to start this forum!!!!!

21 Peachtree Lane sounds like a street out of a Brady Bunch type show! No wonder you left!

[doublev]

what amazes me is that he still is talking about music coming out just around the corner.

what the hell is up with him. Put the music out and tell everyone when its out.

the thing is no one will work with him so he has to sell it himself (or through TM1) and anything can and will happen.

I used gag the boxset boys on the old board but vv certainly has killed the little support he had recently.

[erg2]

21 Peachtree Lane sounds like a street out of a Brady Bunch type show! No wonder you left!

Ha! I left because it was a dinky little townhouse next to low income apartments. It got a little dangerous to be out after dark.

[doublev]

I left New Orleans for that reason . It's crazy that you have to think about not getting killed at night.

[shramiac]

I left New Orleans for that reason . It's crazy that you have to think about not getting killed at night.

I thought it was because no-one would throw you any beads!!!

[doublev]

everyone i knew in new orleans has had violent thoughts from time to time about what they would do to tourists throwing beads and bourbon street. my dad grew up a few blocks from bourbon street.
the thing that i hate about new orleans is that the tourists that go there don't want jazz or zydeco etc but they want blues or stupid shit like the average white band (who were british). There is more jazz in the small town i used to live in italy in than in new orleans. enough of my ranting.

[Detroit]

Hi everybody,
I wasn't rip of by V-man for I didn't send him any money. In matter of fact at the time I didn't know that there was such an offer. If I would have known I'd another victim for sure. But I think I've seen a picture of this box and as far I rememer it was designed for C-casettes. Can this be correct (c-casettes around -97/-98)?

Second thing: When I look my Archives Vol 1 (2001) cd-cover it looks somewhat like the cover of the box as I remember seeing it. I assume that this cd contains some of that material that was supposedly be published in the Box set. So V-man actually deliver something (in this certain sense)... If this is so why did he not published more Vols. from the archives?

[Genebaby]

Hey Detroit, Get Up! Get Down! Move those feet!!!....lol....

The Archives were indeed to be released on cassette, the only reason I did not send money, I was waiting for a possible release on CD, I was not buying cassettes in 97/98.

Speedball Jam most likely would have been on the Box Set, but we'll never know for sure unless Vinnie brings it out as intended finally, one day.

[scottysixx]

21 peachtree lane

[doublev]

I believe he said a live jamm would be in the archives, which we all guessed was Speedball.
Scotty no idea about your humour, can you explain.

[poserboy71]

...the only reason I did not send money, I was waiting for a possible release on CD, I was not buying cassettes in 97/98.

Me too !!!

[shramiac]

I believe he said a live jamm would be in the archives, which we all guessed was Speedball.
Scotty no idea about your humour, can you explain.

I think it was in reference to my earlier post about Scotty's old address.

[metatron]

I was ripped off as I never got one as they don't exist. Only the advertising existed, but no product. So I/We all got ripped off in term of opportunity cost. Thank God I never sent him any money for this.

[doublev]

I always gave him benefit of the doubt on this.. but giving him that will bite you in the ass.
Anyone who is emailing vv nice notes and letters of support after the assult charges should put there money where their mouths are. Go ahead and give vinnie a deposit on some of his products he offerers or his ripped karma ridden guitar.

[metatron]

No one will do that Dino. Not Us, Not the Starfuckers. No one will give him cent. Starfuckers just want to see their Name posted on his page. 1% of people posting on his Youtube page really care. The rest are just along for the ride cause his name has appeared in the media.

[poserboy71]

I actually care. I wasn't expecting Vinnie to post my letter. I am all for hearing what is said in court.It seems to me that at least one of them was drunk. Mix alcohol with any argument and you get many lies. We shall see from whom. Plus, I look at this as a possible eye-opener for Vinnie.
Honestly, Like I have always said, he can retire. It seems like he is on a better path with his girls and that is for the best .

The one thing in his statement that really bothers me is that he said that our lives are filled with pain in one way or another. I would hope for anyone with that outlook to enjoy their family more and get out in public more. It is the law of magnetism . You will attract into your life what you give off. If you are a sad fucker, the only people you will attract are people with sadder stories.
Give a smile , get a smile. It happens this way more than not.





This added statement from Vinnie on Youtube seems promising as well:
*thanks for your touching emails-It may take awhile but i'll try my best to answer u..

[metatron]

I know u care Rick...Geez, You care more for VV than VV cares for himself. That's a given

[poserboy71]

I care about everyone. I like to spread the disease like a thin jelly.

[doublev]

I'm interested who sends nice emails to a guy who according to police beat his wife. Pretty interesting. What about nice emails to his wife. The statement clearly shows that v is going to try and discredit his wife just like he does everyone he consistantly uses people over and over.
Very interesting , but also just like all the supposed overseas sales of the guitar that was a lie maybe the emails were not real.
I look forward to Vinnies email replies.. first thing they will say is dont listen to police reports or online forums.
I have a list of over 50 names of famous people or people who have worked with him you can email if you want to here some truth.

[metatron]

Run those 50 e-mails addresses up the proverbial flag pole.

[Brooklyn_Born]

I would Love to know the truth... To have a clearer understanding of what sort of person Vinnie is... To know why so many people have said bad things about him... I like to believe that there is a good person there but all of the negative info we have heard over the years unfortunately suggests otherwise...

[erg2]

I believe he said a live jamm would be in the archives, which we all guessed was Speedball.

This was a while ago but I remember there was going to be:
- live jams (I think I'm with everyone in assuming this is Speedball Jam, that it was originally intended for the boxset and released later on it's own utilizing artwork from the boxset because he owned that tune and the boxset artwork free and clear.
- "original recordings" of KISS songs from Creatures and Lick It Up with his "intended guitar solos and lead guitar work" since Gene & Paul forced him to tone down his compositions. (In retrospect, this should have been a BIG red-flag. There is NO way that he would have been able to release un-released KISS material. Re-recordings maybe...but nothing that in any way included members of KISS.)
- "original recordings" of VVI songs from All Systems Go with "intended guitar solos and lead guitar work" since Chrysalis forced him to tone down his compositions. (This was a little more believable since I assumed he owned the copyright on the songs.)
- A cassette of just the ballads he has written with his "intended" solos

I remember the cassettes were some kind of super-duper, high-quality tapes. I thought it was weird, but assumed he was duping them himself to increase his profit and because he didn't have the equipment to dupe/label CDs on his own. My plan was to gently open the box and copy all the cassettes over to CD.

[erg2]

I'm interested who sends nice emails to a guy who according to police beat his wife. Pretty interesting. What about nice emails to his wife. The statement clearly shows that v is going to try and discredit his wife just like he does everyone he consistantly uses people over and over.

Personally, even though I have been ripped off by Vinnie with the boxset and have read many stories about how Vinnie has ripped off and used others in the past, I am going to reserve judgement until Vinnie has had his day in court. At most we have only heard one side of the story, which is his wife's via the police report she filed. To date, Vinnie has not given any form of account of what HE perceives to have happened on that night.

Is Vinnie a delusional douche-bag? Most certainly.

Is Vinnie a wife-beater? I will not make a comment until a judge/jury makes a decision.