OK, humor first then I'll make some suggestions: I was taking a class down in New Orleans where I was pretty well known. An instructor from Arizona and I were talking about deals. "What happens if a deal goes bad?"
"I call Vito."
He was puzzled. "Vito who?"
"People like Vito don't have last names."
His puzzlement only deepened. The lady running the school happened to be passing by. He asked her, "People like Vito don't have last names?"
Bless her, she either caught enough of the conversation to understand or just rolled with things knowing me. "That's right, people like Vito don't have last names!"
Now, hopefully that was a postal money order. Even if it wasn't, the mails were used to commit a fraud. The postmaster general and his people can get interested in tiny cases, the dollars involved with a couple pool cues is plenty to get their attention. Do all of your due diligence before contacting them. When you hand them a case all wrapped up with a ribbon around it they are more likely to jump on it. Police are hit or miss, mostly miss. Again, they want as much work done for them as possible.
I have had people try to defraud me a few times. When they found out just how loud I would squeal they decided it was easier to do what it took to make me happy than to continue down the paths I was on. If he turns out to really be working, calling his place of work once or twice a week seeking him can often put some heat on him. I worked for some people a week or two. They didn't pay me the agreed upon price. Since I was already laid off and it was ninety-five miles to the workplace I fired off certified letters instead. To the company I had worked for who was a subcontractor on the job, to the general contractor, to the papermill we were working in, a few more people of the government type. cc:ed everyone on bottom of the letters. Needless to say, the general contractor and plant didn't want to be involved in such crap! I was paid within days.
The people that just roll over and accept they have been screwed aren't doing any of us a favor. By getting your money back you not only help yourself but everyone else that might run across this person too. You leave a paper trail behind with all the people you try to work with. That makes a con man have difficulty continuing to operate.
Hu
. To post and take up space.
