A day of shock and anger. Opening the front door, it became immediately apparent that the instructions to the decorators had been either misread or disregarded. Two weeks ago I had emailed them swatches, textures and floor covering samples and clear instructions on where they should go. For example, swatch 1, apply to walls in Dining Room using eggshell finish. Flooring 1, apply to Dining Room floor, and so on. The only room that appeared to be correctly configured was the kitchen, but then that was fairly simple as it only required a paint finish to each wall. Other rooms had bad joins in the panels, the wrong color paint or incorrect flooring - where did they get those tiles?

I had paid the company on  February 16^th 2011. “Decorators for Life” had received $300 as a down payment, and would get $200 on completion and $100 after completion of any punchlist items. I gave them the key to get into the house and left them to it. They said the job would take about a week, which seemed quite reasonable.

I now have the problem of getting the mistakes remedied. Of course, I can’t visit their offices, as their email address indicates that they live in Korea, but then they could be anywhere, and I am in New York. Nor is there any authority that could take up my case and obtain a refund for me. And there is the root problem of it all in this virtual world of Second Life. While money changes hands freely and rapidly, some form of escrow or a monitoring authority is required to ensure satisfaction.

But this is not a new problem. Back in 2007, as major real-world corporations and advertising agencies set up business along side virtual builders and craftsmen in Second Life, concerns were raised about policing the new economy. Tools for self-builders were non-existent at that time and only those well versed in scripting (and with infinite patience) could create buildings. Some argued that legislation would stifle competition, encouraging a barter economy which was not the goal of the creators.

But those builders and decorators who set up shop early in the game have grown into huge businesses. Each time the resolution of the game increases the poor quality of the existing surfaces becomes more apparent and so inhabitants feel forced to decorate. Driven by major real-world and virtual corporations who have a brand and image to maintain, the decorators demand and obtain commissions in six figures for the renovation of some buildings. As in the real world, there are great companies and then there are those who get carried along as the economy flows. Unfortunately, Decorators for Life is one of the latter and I am $600 poorer. To add insult to injury I have people coming round next weekend and will have to pay a premium to get it fixed by then. Perhaps I’ll just say that we have the decorators in and suggest we go to a nearby hotel.