Join the new world

OK This is my first article in my first paper in this already incredibly addictive game, and it is with great sadness that I am forced into the media spotlight not through congratulating the efforts of my esteemed compadres in eWorld, but with the sad need to highlight one of the more depressing aspects of the eCommunity - plain and simple dishonest scoundrelhood.

As a relatively new player, only 17 days into my first hard-worker medal, I am still trying my damndest to get into the finer points of the game. Still feeling my way around the eWorld around me, and still trying desperately to get a handle on the type of people that we have playing.

I have seen some delightful papers; very well-written, well informed and logical assertions - political debate is already blossoming and ideas are bandied around from all sides but with the common and interesting thread of the fascinating history of our eNations.

I have particularly enjoyed seeing shining examples of honesty between players, of different nations, and different ambitions, as seen, for example, here:

http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/the-stupid-and-the-honest-1262284/1/20

However, I am simply the stupid in this story; there is no honest. I ill-advisedly responded to an advert by Home enforcer deluxe, purporting to sell homes for as little as 1.5 gold for a Q1

The reply to my enquiry was quick. "donate the gold and reply with the exact url where you want me to instantly transfer the house (if different from your own citizen)" so I replied that I wanted to use my citizen account, and promptly sent off the gold.

I checked my incoming donations to find a piece of bread, Q1... now exchange rates are funny. Market prices are funny. Translation is funny. But 1.5gold for .11GBP's worth of food? Come on!

I have since returned the bread, and requested the return of the gold or the transfer of the house, but with no reply. Instant response the first time, now it has been over an hour since my last pm. I smell a fish.

I put my hands up. - given exchange rates and prevailing values I should probably have known better - that is silly cheap, but optimism and ignorance carried me through, I just ask that you vote this page as high as you can so that others won't be taken in by the same dirty, low tricks.

Thanks in advance and all the best to the better amongst you, let's not let this happen again!