How to proceed: an incomplete trade with a dealer?

Nearly 4 years ago, on R.G.P, I offered a CPAP & BiPAP machine in trade for pinball parts. Got several interested emails, responded, and eventually came to a trade agreement between myself and a prominent member of the pinball community.

Shipped him my BiPAP machine in March of 2011. Got no acknowledgement, other than the confirmation of delivery from the USPS. Finally I asked if he'd received it, which he had.

Over the next 3+ years I made numerous, and repeated attempts to get him to complete his side of the deal, resulting in claims of having not received my message, of my not responding to his message, but which never merited his reaching out to me, in an effort to complete the trade. Now, four years from the beginning of this exercise in frustration, when I again contact him, he claims he shipped his part of the deal, over a year earlier, without so much as letting me know it was on the way, and apparently, with no form of tracking/delivery confirmation.

My assertion is this begs credibility, in this day and age, when even the most basic of shipments are tracked, especially as this individual is an active tech and dealer in the pinball community. Also, I would think, with it taking so long to complete a trade, one would make an effort to track/confirm and/or let someone know that they had made good on their part of a deal.

So, I come here, as I do not see that I've another resource, and I do wish people to know that not everyone merits the sterling part of some people's reputation.

I do appreciate any constructive thoughts/suggestions.

Ray~

Tron- Yes, it is beautiful here, and still some of the best foods. Moved back here from the Bay Area, and am just getting things set to be in a position to work on my machines again, at least I hope so.

Had hoped that there would be an agreeable resolution- I'm very well acquainted with less positive sides of human nature, but optimism still hangs on. No getting around it, I realize that I have been taken, and yet I still feel bad about needing call him out.

It was -name and e-mail address removed-

_{Post edited by moderator: Please do not post names, contact info and personal info on Pinside.}