Yes, I have been well and truly bitten. But of course the internet is a great way of warning others not to make the same mistake. I feel sorry for the ones who arrive with their kids straight away....full of hope. At least I had the sense to leave them in school in Scandinavia - which of course is free, and where education is a legal right. It's all about supply and demand I guess, but the Ministry of Education should put an immediate end to this non-refundable application fee scam. I guess for a lot of people their companies pay, but for individuals like me it is a direct personal loss. Oh well, onward and upward. The next country beckons.