Ripped Off by EA!
You really should sync your game before quitting by visiting a friends town. So many people make threads like this and it all comes down to not syncing. It is poor design, I admit.
Forum Discussion
Hmm, have you tried contacting iTunes? I hear people have better luck getting refunds from them. You should have had a receipt e-mailed to you as well. (assuming this was on an apple device)
