I think you got what you deserved. If you had planned your study properly you would not have been caught out at the last minute and so you could have checked the document before submission. To actually buy an essay and then submit it as your own work is not illegal but it is unethical. You don't deserve the mark even a good essay would get, nor do you deserve the degree.

What if you are studying medicine? One day you will need to rely on knowledge you don't have because you bought your essay and didn't re-write it yourself (and thus it becomes a legitimate study aid and in your own words so not plagiarism). Your patient dies because you were lazy. Or an engineer or a chemist or anything?

There is no excuse for what you did. I did my MA(Writing) in three semesters, four units per semester and I treated it like a full time job. It was hard work but 8 HDs and 4 Ds proved it was achievable.

Now you whine and moan like a little child because you got caught. I hope they throw the book at you and refuse to award you your degree. Cheat if you must but at least have the decency to take it like a grown up if it goes pear shaped. And one other thing. How weak are you hiding behind a username while naming the company that took your money? I bet you will go into politics or the Church.

Did you post the url and it was removed? Hard to discuss what we can't see.

First of all I am not an American, I am Australian. I left the Philippines a few years ago for the sake of my kids and their future. The purpose is not to promote my web site, of which that is just one of many, rather it is to say 'this is the real me, I exist and I stand behind my post and my opinions.'

Having said that, I purposely laid it on to get a response, to get the debate going because I can see both sides of the coin. I agree on one level that it is not the writer's problem, you are just providing a service. Like a prostitute, executioner, employee of the IRS, lawyer etc. The onus rests on the user of the service and this is why I find it pathetic that they moan when they get clipped.

I have no problem with sites like Degree Essays who have a physical address in Nottingham UK you can visit and speak to real people. It is the Best Essays in the Ukraine I find fault with as far as how they rip off writers. I am sure there are more out there.

I was also plagiarized by Jessica Simpson (not the celebrity) on one of my submissions during my MA(Writing). She got a slap on the wrist for copying swathes of my text verbatim. That irked me no end, I thought twenty lashes would have been more appropriate but apparently those days are long gone ;o)

So, who is right and who is wrong? Wrong to offer the service? Wrong to use it? Wrong to pass off the 'custom essay' as one's own work?

Why did you leave your essay to the last minute? I read this over and over again how time becomes critical yet it is clearly the fault of the student for failing to get organized and do the work. What are you students doing? Drinking, clubbing, Facebook? Why use a service in the first place when the Internet has all the information you need at your fingertips and plenty of free material out there to model off of. If you do use a service (and as a working writer that is fine by me) then don't go by lowest price and use common sense to sort the conmen from the genuine providers. Use Odesk or Elance or a site you can verify has a real address in the UK, USA or where ever.

Huh? You are an argumentative type, aren't you? Can you point to the law that makes it illegal, as in a crime either felony or misdemeanour, to pass off an essay written by someone else as your own? Perhaps in your jurisdiction but not mine. Copyright infringement is illegal but plagiarism is not. It is against the rules and regulations of all schools but that doesn't make it against the law of the land, ie: illegal.

What is wrong with 'throw the book at you'? It is understood by one and all and gets the message across. Keep in mind you are arguably the only person on this forum with superior intelligence so I am writing for the lowest common denominator. Given so many here whine about getting ripped off for essays they should have written themselves I would think it wise to use cliches.

As for you, how come you are still here? Haven't you graduated yet? Or is this the only place you can lurk and exercise that superior intellect? I have noticed you attack all the new posters and basically drive most of them away, yet you have so little of value to offer to the forum as a whole. Still, every group has one and you're ours I guess.

As for my MA(Writing), do your homework and find out for yourself. Oh, BTW, I guess you did it on purpose when you wrote Master's in Writing in lower case. Gee, I really feel put down. Please, go easy on me.....

Gee, and you say I'm insecure. Your rant tells me far more about you than anything you have said about me. It fails to address the topic, fails to rebut any of the statements I made and it weakens any credibility anyone using an alias could hope for. Apart from that you fall into the common trap of stereotyping people based on your own prejudices and values. Anyway, you have had your say and no doubt felt, if only a momentary thrill as you hit 'send', that somehow you might not be the loser you fear you are. If you were obtaining custom essays and intending to pass them off as your own then I fully understand the need to hide your identity. As for 'fat', it is an adjective, not an offence. When you reach my age and have lived my life, come and talk to me. Until then, you are dismissed. That should twist your Wa nicely. A dash of arrogance does wonders, don't you think?

I take your point but I can't agree with it given he turned on me within two or three posts and I can't see why, other than he feels this is HIS forum and he is the arbiter of taste.

The thing with trawling the archives, it is time consuming and you can't seriously expect people who use an essay service with hours to go before deadline to spend the time reading old posts, especially when they feature the ******** and backbiting exhibited by some on a regular basis.

This is not a phenomenon restricted to this forum but something one sees on forums everywhere, although Phyleeks will no doubt point out a MA should use 'flora' for the plural of forum. I would still like to see Essaybrah's web site.


And you are clearly an idiot who has a very high opinion of themselves. Who made you the King of the Forum? Who declared you the Arbiter of Taste for this forum? You virtually live here so that tells us a lot but to defame my professional ability from behind the cover of an alias is pretty low. How do you know whether I am a native speaker or not? On what do you base this superior assessment? Actually, don't bother to reply as your opinion is worth nothing to me nor to every new poster you have attacked since you signed on here in 2009.

If you were so busy and making so much money you would not have the time to make so many posts.

Fair comment then jboy and my apologies if my remarks stung, however they did elicit more information from which I can make a more measured assessment. Have you ever considered reviewing your work load? As for exposing yet another scammer, well done on that. Taking money for their product means they have a duty of care to ensure they meet their promises and obligations, obviously they failed and in your case you paid twice for this.

As for Phyleeks; you are entitled to your opinion regarding my writing as you are to anything and everything else. Opinions are like a-holes, everyone has one, some, like you, are one. When you leave the personal attacks, spite and vitriol behind and post a balanced, thought out rebuttal I will reply, until then you are not worth wiping with a reply.

It is a pretty basic, 'raw' site but it gets the message across. I think you should include more tangible contact details to show you are someone who is legitimate and obtainable. All the scam sites don't do that (I phrased that to give Phyleks something to crow about) and the good ones do.

The theme is ok but I prefer plain backgrounds rather than hitting them over the head with the "this is a writer's site" thing. If you look at the professional writing sites around they tend to stay clear of that paper, typewriter, pen motif kind of thing and keep it clean and modern looking.

I commend you on finding a great niche to market to (Bodybuilding forum), but of course don't rely solely on the iron pumpers and fitness types. Think of other things you like or are good at and target them too.

I would look at five good essay writing sites and five scammers and see what leaps out at you. Keep in mind the scammers get a lot of business so don't worry about modelling some of their site features. The objective of the site is to have a point of contact as well as promote your services. Providing a legitimate service can be done to 100 respondents from a scammer type site (talking look, feel and features) as it can from a legit style of site that only gets 50 clients. Bottom line it your product and service and in time your reputation will override any 'cheesy' features of the site. Or pe4rhaps I am wrong (I threw that in for Phylexis, too)

BTW, it might be fun but slinging mud back and forth at Phyleics does nothing to promote a professional, trustworthy image. He is so uber-cool and successful no doubt he can get away with behaving like a little child but then he hasn't posted his web site here, has he?

But you don't give 'estimates'. You don't even say who you are or where your web site is. All you do from what I have read is lambast other posts and posters, especially those who are new. Anyway, I appreciate you feeling sufficiently threatened by my joining the forum to attack me and to take the time to do so phrase by phrase. When you reach that level of threat or importance to me I will reciprocate. Until then, I did say you were dismissed, right?

When you have the courage to identify yourself to me, either on of off list, I will dignify your remarks with a reply. Until then, and we both know you will never come out from behind your anonymity, you have been dismissed.

jboy, you might have more response if you keep it impersonal. Just say:

"Due to your breach of the contract between us by not providing the agreed upon work, I request that you refund my payment in full within 7 days. Failure to do so will give me cause to commence recovery proceedings."

Never ever threaten anyone, it only shows you are scared or desperate. Tell them what the issue is and the remedy you wish and then what you will do if they do not oblige. Not as a threat but as a statement of fact. Then if they do not comply, do it. No warning needed. Never say you will do something you won't and always accept that if you do take action, there may be unforeseen consequences you will have to live with.

It is much harder not to threaten than it is to do so. Most threats are merely ways to let off steam and not feel so vulnerable and helpless. When threatened, if you feel you can manage it, invite the threatener to act right then and there and you will find 99% of the time they will have some excuse ready not to. If they were serious they would do what they threaten to do. Once you call their bluff they have lost. Of course, if they do act you might need to work fast.

How did you pay them? If by PayPal or Western Union you should contact them and lodge a formal complaint. If by credit card, perhaps you can have it reversed and taken from their account. Always go for the hip pocket, it hurts the most. Perry

Thanks for that. It made me laugh to see Phylicks in the flesh, so to speak. As you say, he seems otherwise such a nice boy but for some reason he feels he has to pretend he is the tough, know all writing expert. Pheeelux, I have made more money from my ****** books on a lot of things than you have had hot dinners. What have you written that is out there under your own name? What have you accomplished other than amusing the kids between Acts at the high school play?

Never mind, I don;t really wish to know and I am not about to get into an angry contest with someone who has to stand so much closer to the trough.

There are rules? And yet you behave like such a spoilt little brat. Why not PM me with the details then?

MeoKhan, are you a moderator? If not then thankyou for your feedback but I will let the moderators manage my adherence to the rules or otherwise, thanks.

Ahem! You were saying... about my poor English... And how is 'par for the course' any less cliched than 'throw the book at them'? Hahahahahahah

And you have the temerity to say my grammar sucks! Look it up if you have to. On second thought, don't bother. It really isn't worth arguing about, is it?

You get the last word in again Feeelicks. You win. Once again your superior intellect and command of the English language has ruled the day. I bow to your superiority and leave the thread to you. I bet you can't resist replying though. I bet you.

Why bother? If you were worth the effort I would but it is only you who considers the grammar of the post an issue, not I. Once again, you have won and have the last word, albeit perhaps not in chronological order but I will repeat it here to save you replying to this post...'were.'

I would argue that point, MeoKhan. This is the difference between the theoretical and actual uses of English. While I accept your point regarding the subject/clause relationship, such a sentence would never be constructed and used in that way by a native speaker.

I have found that English as taught and used on the Sub-Continent (Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) is still very much the way it was taught pre-Independence. I have found similar usage in the Philippines although there the influence of course was pre WW2 US English with most of the text books still using English as it was back when the US first invaded and occupied the islands (1898).

In practise this tends to have these L2 English users construct sentences that are grammatically correct yet often use words rarely heard by L1 English speakers as well as the way the words are used being 'old fashioned' or rather formal English. Is this wrong? No. I don't think so however I do think that it 'places' the writer somewhat. It can jar the ordinary English reader's ear or it might make the reader form an opinion of the writer and the material that is biased and thus detracts from the veracity of what is actually written.

As for obeying the rules, I appreciate your concern however I am a big lad and will take my chances. Must be the Australian Larrikin in me. Cheers Perry

Perhaps Phylks' concept of a wire transfer is a more US centric one and thus his firm belief it wasn't such? I agree with MeoKhan and think you should discuss the matter with your Bank, but I would not hold my breath. Do you know where they are physically located? You can always make inquiries with the authorities int heir own country. You never know, you may be the complaint they have been waiting for so they can pounce.

If they are a UK registered company then you should be able to apply some pressure. I would check the address, probably an accountant offering an address for the company. You should be able to trace the owners via the registration number etc. Are you in the UK? I would use Google Maps and check out the address, it looks like a residential home, tatty street. Not far from my cousin's house. You can always take out a Statement of Claim and deliver via registered mail, too.

What is it with the posters on this forum? What a catty bunch of people some of you are. Arrogant? Look in the mirror. How do you know what I do or don't know about second language learning? You base that assumption on what, precisely? Do you know what other languages I speak?

Why would I want to impress you, of all people? I was trying to have a civil discussion but your thin skin has obviously been scratched. Willingness to defy the rules of this forum? Grow up sonny jim and worry about something serious when it comes to breaking rules, not what you think others should do on a forum for gawd's sake. Talk about anal retention. I wasn't required to read and acknowledge having read any rules. I joined up and posted and if it was important a moderator, someone with authority and not self imposed at that, would have taken me to task. It is not your place or job to do that. As we say in L1 circles, mind your own bloody business.

You missed my whole point so don't talk to me about ignoring logical argument. I think if anything it exposes the culture of this forum, such as it has become.

MeoKhan I was trying to discuss the issue, even speaking in your defence by acknowledging your awkward sentence construction might be technically correct but that it is not idiomatic. But never mind. As for breaking the rules, like who cares? If it were worth worrying about a moderator would have managed it. Someone with the authority to act, not someone who takes it upon themselves to impose their mindset on others. The insults are a sad indictment of this whole internet anonymous animosity thing. I am sure you would not speak to me this way if we were face to face. Have a nice day.

Fair enough Pheelix. I dare you to not reply to this post. If you do then you are a Sukki Lah Lah (which is the worst insult my 7 year old can throw at anyone so it is pretty powerful stuff).

MeoKhan... "delicacies of the latest research in Second Language Learning." Delicacies? not how an L1 would use that word, that's for sure. The closest I can get to your meaning would be "delicacy |ˈdelikəsē|

noun ( pl. -cies)
1 the quality of being delicate, in particular
- fineness or intricacy of texture or structure : miniature pearls of exquisite delicacy."

because I can't get it to fit the rest of the examples;

"- susceptibility to illness or adverse conditions; fragility.
- the quality of requiring discretion or sensitivity : the delicacy of the situation.
- tact and consideration : I have to treat this matter with the utmost delicacy.
- accuracy of perception; sensitiveness.
2 a choice or expensive food : a Chinese delicacy."

Even 'intricacy of structure' is drawing a very long bow. Or did you mean to use a different word? Not having a go at you, I doubt my other languages are up to your standard of English. Just confused by the word choice. Or maybe the research has reached a certain stage where delicacies is now the right word. People say 'texted' instead of 'sent a text' so anything is possible.

Thank you for your attention and comments, they are much appreciated. If nothing else they vindicate my statement that you are a coward. I must say it amuses me that I am such a locus of control over your emotions that you see fit to attack me right off the bat. Have a lovely day.

So go there and knock on the door and ask for your money back. Scare the heck out of them. Stay calm and if they refuse, smile, walk away and go to the court, lodge a claim and have a summons served on them. Worth the few quid of the summons, which you can serve yourself on the registered premises or possibly be registered mail. Mind you, how much did you lose compared to how much to do this? Is it worth it? It is always much cheaper to buy a gallon of petrol and a box of matches.

I think the phrase 'na nah na nah nah!' is the one you are looking for. And now I double dare you to reply to this one! Suki Lah Lah!

So, what was the outcome? Turnitin are still out there I believe.

You are sad, but I forgive you. I understand how this is the only place you can get any sense of value for yourself and if that means you attempt to insult me and my family then so be it. Once again, thank you for your comments and I appreciate the time and effort you have expended to reply. As the man said, if I don't accept the gift of your abuse then guess who is left with all that spite and vitriol... you.

I just sent you a PM so do check your inbox. I also just had an epiphany and figured out why you have this hate thing for me. I am genuinely sorry about what happened to you to make you go off like this and I hope one day you will receive justice. Until then, if it makes you feel better, go right ahead. I can take it. Perry

What? Cat got your tongue? Just posting my double dare is not replying. I win, mweeeah! No returns. Infinity.

Phelyks, I could keep jerking your chain post after post, you simply can't resist replying.

Heremeout, (shouldn't that be Hearmeout?) I wrote it to the level of the average reader here, like you. How would you like to post something relevant to the points raised instead of rattling the bucket with this rubbish? Or tell me where, in your professional opinion, the clarity and coherency is lacking? Now if you were willing to pay me for my time I would give it a re-write, maybe add some citations, a few song lyrics, whatever gets you going.

Freelance Writer, are you holding your breath waiting for the $1,750 or sneaking the odd sip of air, I mean traffic in NYC being what it is and all?

I am hoping to draw Hala out, or anyone from that mob, with this post. I am amazed they haven't responded yet, normally they are very quick to fire back with their rebuttal and denials, followed closely by the threats of legal action.

BTW Heremeout, does this post meet your standards?

I gathered that from his sentence construction. I am sure he is fluent in Swahili but I'm afraid there isn't a lot of call for it at the moment. The sentence that made me chuckle was "How do you expect to win a case if clarity and coherency are still vocabularies to you? " I have no idea what he means by 'still vocabularies to you?'

FreelanceWriter, I understand. I gave her the benefit of the doubt for several months. Then a small amount would come in, but always well after it was promised. Then more delays, more excuses, more BS and then the second lot. In the interim I checked her story with SWreg and found it to be totally at odds with what they said. I still gave her a fair go for two reasons. First she was always polite to me and previously responded very promptly. The praises she sang for my writing I took with a grain of salt, I was sure either she was genuinely impressed or just trying to massage my ego and keep me writing etc. After her adamant promises of 2 Jan, 7 Jan and then 11 Jan I have heard nothing since 14 Jan when all I got was her auto responder saying she doesn't reply to non-work emails between certain hours etc.

You have nothing to lose by being polite and patient. Who knows? I decided after weeks of nothing, including no orders posted, that things are going horribly wrong for the business and consequently she doesn't have the money to pay me and is ignoring my emails simply because there is little point replying (from her point of view). Rather than admit this, she remains silent. Maybe she genuinely meant to pay me when she promised to but events got away from her and she couldn't fulfill that promise. Maybe not. It makes no real difference. I have not been paid. When I got to the point where I believed the chances of being paid were less than those of getting any more money, I posted here. If for no other reason than a little payback, feelgood, vengeance is mine sayeth the writer.

Stu4, I take it Stu is short for stupid. You are not even replying in context let alone coherently. Are you Heremeout's tug-buddy?

FreelanceWriter, I have to say if you have $1750 outstanding and given the lack of orders posted of late (unless I was cut out of the loop), you must have been waiting for payment for several months, or there is only really you and me writing for them. I haven't seen an order for some weeks, at least two and then not much before that. Hala said the exact same things about me and my writing and I believe it to be true (he said modestly). I do hope you get paid the full amount owed and today or tomorrow. Personally I would like to think this is all a sad mix up however, I think I am being too trusting there.

Freelance Writer, that runaround of implausible excuses sounds familiar. In my experience things are usually pretty cut and dried, black and white. When they start to get complicated and illogical then it is not genuine. $12,000 in advance is a confidence trick to get you to keep trusting her. Is she actually in NYC? Why fly from Orly? I thought the offices were in Manchester, they have flights to NYC all the time, same for Heathrow. Or is she trying to convey how important and jet setting she is? Makes me want to trust her just knowing she can type words like 'Orly'.

Friday is over in NYC and I would bet London to a brick you never got your money, never got your dinner, never got your advance and never even got to meet her 'driver'. What, she has a personal driver just hanging around NYC for when she visits? How very colonial. I'll have my man in Istanbul organize a couple of carpets for your office wall...

I had money sent to me from her friend in Cairo, all very bizarre. How come he sent the money? Why not her? Is she really in England? How come nobody has done the usual thing with this mob and taken me to task for my posts and allegations? Could be perhaps they are true and thus without a leg to stand on and knowing I'm not an dumb schmuck like Heremeout they are ignoring me.

BTW Heremeout, I don't have an ass, I'm Australian. We have arsessss and keep your eyes off mine. Of course now you have shown me what a terrific writer you are I will trawl through old posts and find your work and revere it. Hell, I might just claim some of it my own as. (an attempt to speak in Heremeout vernacular). I wonder if your clarity and coherencys can be vocabularies to me... or whatever it was you said.

Freelance, we both know how this is going to end and I am so sorry to read this. My attempts to get paid for work dating back to July started around October, also. I got $170 on 25 Oct from Global Direct aka SWreg and then $225 via Moneygram in Dec. I might point out that after the first payment I asked for all that was outstanding and was told the usual thing as how I would be paid bonuses and so on. By mid-November I stated I was unable to continue writing, got the tuck back into bed, did some more and in late November to mid December was given the 'Moneygram Runaround'.

First of all the pick up code wasn't right and then I found out the name they said I was to be paid under was incorrect and this all took lots of back and forth so it was not happening. I recieved this from Hala:

Had assiate send from cairo, Egypt to avoid extra 10% service charge
Seder: mohammed Ibrahim
Tel: 01006487767
Pickup code: 50595935
Service: moneygram - western union system was down
Amount: 250$
Pickup USD 225

So why have an 'assiate' in Cairo send the money? What extra 10% service charge is she referring to? Western Union is never 'down' and if it were, not for long. They charge about $7.50 to send to the UK from here so I imagine even twice that to go the other way would be just $15 and nowhere near 10% of the total let alone an extra. And this Moneygram cost $25 and that was taken from the $250 total? I think it was another couple of days before I collected the $225, say around the 7th December. I was promised the balance and a bonus, all up $400. I just wanted the $50 I figured was outstanding. She kept promising $400 and how it was for Xmas, for my family and how she valued my writing and at some stage offered me the job to take over the Australian end of the business and another call mentioned the sum of $2000 a month retainer and so on.

By 29 Dec I had had enough waiting and told her. There followed numerous emails until 14 Jan when she stopped replying other than her auto-responder. She had promised all sorts of things, blamed SWreg and what have you (I have all the emails). I was already in contact with SWreg and they denied any instructions to pay me from anyone although they were not at liberty to name clients and fair enough. The last email Hala responded to she said:

From: HK
To: perry gamsby
Sent: Saturday, 14 January 2012 12:09 PM
Subject: Re: Non Payment

No. Will have legal call them. I just get into shouting matches

Sent from my iPad

This was in response to my email:

On 14 Jan 2012, at 03:08 AM, perry gamsby wrote:

> I just checked my PayPal account and still no sign of the deposit. I have not heard back from SWREG either. I just called the hotel in Tathra and cancelled our two nights mini-vacation as we were relying on that money coming in on Tuesday to go. The kids are, as one can imagine, gutted but that is life. I wonder if anyone at SWREG gives a toss? Cheers Perry

>
> Perry Gamsby, MA(Writing), CertIV Bus, CertIV Trg&Assg

Which was my reply to this load of cobblers (According to SWreg, no such call is recorded by them):

From: HK
> To: perry gamsby
> Sent: Sunday, 8 January 2012 12:39 AM
> Subject: Re: Non Payment
>
> I just called and yelled at them.One of my partners, the company lawyer, will emil and remind them of how many finance laws thy broke. They always respond to hs emsils and shape up. Well. The best thing about 2012 is that we are changing them

>
> Sent from my iPad

So if you get your $1750 I will be very happy for you but I doubt this will occur. Con artists like her prey on people who are genuine, honest and trusting. People who want the work and need the money and so are willing to suspend disbelief and hope that it will all work out, that they will keep their promises. It is hard to take a stand and say No because there is a niggling doubt in all of us that says, well what if....? There is no if. She will not pay. Unless just to prove me wrong she pays you, which I hope she does. As for what she owes me, I doubt I will ever see a penny and I certainly don't believe a word she says and to be truthful, I never did. Nevertheless, like you, I figured it was a Pascal'

s Wager kind of situation. I had more to gain by giving her the benefit of the doubt than I had to lose by calling her bluff. Until it became obvious she was doing a runner at last.Cheers Perry

"She explained that her father built this guest house on the roof of Trump's building with a special permit." That says it all for me, right there. You can't believe a word this woman says. While I object to queen sheeba's racial slur (Arabic conwoman)it is apt, at least the conwoman part. Freelance, nobody builds guest houses on the roofs of New York buildings to house drivers. She can't even keep her stories straight and they have to get bigger and bigger to accommodate all the objections and excuses. I would be surprised if you get a fraction of your money. I am stunned I got $400 out of her but I no longer harbour any misconception of getting a penny more. Nobody is that jet lagged and still conscious. Nobody can have so much trouble getting money to you given her alleged resources of a 24/7 driver and the cash already in his paws and $12000 of it. C'mon. Wake up, smell the coffee, mate.

$1750 is a lot of writing. I hope you gt it but I am willing to be whatever is owed to me you don't. So ad as Hala seemed like a really nice person etc. But then every con artist I have ever met or read about comes across that way, its how they get as far as they do.

MeoKhan, mixed metaphors aside, it is not bitterness at all, rather a simple observation of fact. I don't care about the $50 I am owed as it is not worth worrying about. Better to get on and write for paying customers. I am disappointed in Hala as I really hoped she would be honest. It seems there are no honest services out there (honest writers, yes, but the companies seems to all be rotten). Perhaps it is the taint of the trade, after all we all know these students don't use the essays as models and examples but rather hand them in as their own work. What is really sad is how they don;t seem to think that is wrong in any way, or have any shame or embarrassment coming on to a forum like this and letting everyone know they were gypped.