What SLosers! Another story for the books.
When Fashion Fitz graciously sacrificed this blog space allowing me to tell my story, I admit there were some grand ideas in my head. Justice! A juicy expose on that all too painful topic of SL trust gone bad off my chest. Exposure of the bad guy; yadda yadda. Believe me I've gone over this not only in my own mind but with anyone who would listen. Choice real life therapy time when I should be discussing familial obstacles, work related slights and the like cast aside to the back of the legal pad for what you are about to hear. But now, when the blog chips are down, all I can muster is a laugh at myself for being so naive. I thank you in advance for humoring me that some little bit of justice will be served here. Read on please.
Yes I grant you there on honest people in SL. I actually consider myself one. I've taken financial loss to make good on SL promises. Silly me for expecting the same. I was thinking I'd met an honest person in Jedediah McDunnough, an old land buying colleague of mine. We met up again and he was quick to tell me his great news. His land company Land Investment Income Fund (LIF) was going IPO baby! on the International Stock Exchange of SL (word fictitious in very small letters). Tales of great riches realized already and the sky's the limit. Barb invest! So I did. To the tune of 5000 US Dollars. Oh yes I hesitated. There are after all no guarantees. But wait Barb! We will pay you back all the money you invest, we promise. Notecards were passed by his fashion challenged partner Stetson Rail (this would be a Fashion Fitz blog piece that only a month could do justice) with a cut and paste of how he so graciously gave someone 10000 Lindens because they were scammed on a land deal. Here is where I failed. I took the copious assurances of money back guarantees at their word. After all as Stetson says, if you don't have your word in SL you don't have a thing. There were skype conversations, cell phone numbers passed etc etc.
A point came when it was clear these guys were playing a game with their investors money and I opted out. Releasing dozens of thousands of shares without asking shareholders, me all of a sudden becoming a board member NOT a partner yadda yadda again. I just opted to walk away. Money on the way Barb. Weeks of asking passed. IM's ignored. The one where Stetson pretended to be his daughter bidding on sim auctions was especially humorous.
Then, with the help of the Ginko fiasco, the jig is up. Barb "it aint gonna happen." Hmmm. All of a sudden there isn't money left. Damn I thought. Mortgage due. Out on sick leave. These guys got me good.
I went to the stock exchange. No help. But wait! You said this was like real life? Oh I see finally. It's real life when the money is going THAT direction. I see.
As I said tons of therapy and selling stocks we didn't want to later, I was getting over it. My therapist says I am an "experiential" learner. What the hell is that?? I'm 40. How have I not heard this before? But over it I was getting. Until.....da da daaaaaaaa. The notecard........
I get this notecard from a guy who claims, oh and I believe him, that Stetson Rail agrees to buy a private sim and pay him 1300 US Dollars. Stetson pays 800 then disappearo. This guy says I am still listed on the Board and wants the money from ME?? Oh boy I needed that laugh! We straighten this out and finally with pressure he gets his money. Pennies! that 500 bucks!
So here's the rub. No money to pay me back but they own at least 4 private sims and are buying more. That sounds like Texas math (really don't mess with Texas).
So if justice is to be served which part of my experiential learning has been it likely won't, don't buy land under a spinning Land Investment Income Fund box. Don't rent from them they charge WAY too much! They practice insider trading with their stock just bad bad bad.
If you got this far thanks for sticking with it! This isn't a scorned investor story. It's that fine line where SL and RL bump into each other. Perhaps glancing off and someone loses. I've accepted that's me and have learned from my experience. Don't lend money without RL papers and don't invest in SL stocks.
Here's to some nice experiential learning in the future!
Barb
Yes I grant you there on honest people in SL. I actually consider myself one. I've taken financial loss to make good on SL promises. Silly me for expecting the same. I was thinking I'd met an honest person in Jedediah McDunnough, an old land buying colleague of mine. We met up again and he was quick to tell me his great news. His land company Land Investment Income Fund (LIF) was going IPO baby! on the International Stock Exchange of SL (word fictitious in very small letters). Tales of great riches realized already and the sky's the limit. Barb invest! So I did. To the tune of 5000 US Dollars. Oh yes I hesitated. There are after all no guarantees. But wait Barb! We will pay you back all the money you invest, we promise. Notecards were passed by his fashion challenged partner Stetson Rail (this would be a Fashion Fitz blog piece that only a month could do justice) with a cut and paste of how he so graciously gave someone 10000 Lindens because they were scammed on a land deal. Here is where I failed. I took the copious assurances of money back guarantees at their word. After all as Stetson says, if you don't have your word in SL you don't have a thing. There were skype conversations, cell phone numbers passed etc etc.
A point came when it was clear these guys were playing a game with their investors money and I opted out. Releasing dozens of thousands of shares without asking shareholders, me all of a sudden becoming a board member NOT a partner yadda yadda again. I just opted to walk away. Money on the way Barb. Weeks of asking passed. IM's ignored. The one where Stetson pretended to be his daughter bidding on sim auctions was especially humorous.
Then, with the help of the Ginko fiasco, the jig is up. Barb "it aint gonna happen." Hmmm. All of a sudden there isn't money left. Damn I thought. Mortgage due. Out on sick leave. These guys got me good.
I went to the stock exchange. No help. But wait! You said this was like real life? Oh I see finally. It's real life when the money is going THAT direction. I see.
As I said tons of therapy and selling stocks we didn't want to later, I was getting over it. My therapist says I am an "experiential" learner. What the hell is that?? I'm 40. How have I not heard this before? But over it I was getting. Until.....da da daaaaaaaa. The notecard........
I get this notecard from a guy who claims, oh and I believe him, that Stetson Rail agrees to buy a private sim and pay him 1300 US Dollars. Stetson pays 800 then disappearo. This guy says I am still listed on the Board and wants the money from ME?? Oh boy I needed that laugh! We straighten this out and finally with pressure he gets his money. Pennies! that 500 bucks!
So here's the rub. No money to pay me back but they own at least 4 private sims and are buying more. That sounds like Texas math (really don't mess with Texas).
So if justice is to be served which part of my experiential learning has been it likely won't, don't buy land under a spinning Land Investment Income Fund box. Don't rent from them they charge WAY too much! They practice insider trading with their stock just bad bad bad.
If you got this far thanks for sticking with it! This isn't a scorned investor story. It's that fine line where SL and RL bump into each other. Perhaps glancing off and someone loses. I've accepted that's me and have learned from my experience. Don't lend money without RL papers and don't invest in SL stocks.
Here's to some nice experiential learning in the future!
Barb
