If you do have proof, you could take him to small claims court. Check with the closest court office to see if you can file there or if you'd have to file in his state. If you can file locally, he will have to travel to you. If he is a no show you will win by default. He will have a court order to pay restitution and possibly court processing fees. Don't be one of those people that just lets this stuff slide. That empowers these fools to think they are untouchable because its over the internet. Don't let him get away with it.
My mother is an antique doll dealer who deals with only the finest items. She purchased a $7000 doll for her shop from a famous online auction house. She asked of condition and it was supposed to be perfect. It was flawed and she wanted a refund. Long story short, my mother filed a suit against them. Things started coming out of the woodwork about the many sour deals from this auction house. As it turned out, the wife of the famous TV producer (Aaron Spelling) has a very large suit against the same auction house for bad dealings. It took some perseverance and documentation but it never ended up in court. They gave her refund. First they tried to make conditions of the settlement that she couldn't speak about the incident (so she couldn't give testimony in court or warn others about them), but she declined and continued with the suit. They paid her and she can tell whoever she wants.
But hopefully you can get back what you've lost, and even help protect the next guy from it happening again. You shipped him your items, so it isn't like you can't find him for serving papers. Maybe just getting notice that you've filed suit will motivate him to be reasonable.
My mother is an antique doll dealer who deals with only the finest items. She purchased a $7000 doll for her shop from a famous online auction house. She asked of condition and it was supposed to be perfect. It was flawed and she wanted a refund. Long story short, my mother filed a suit against them. Things started coming out of the woodwork about the many sour deals from this auction house. As it turned out, the wife of the famous TV producer (Aaron Spelling) has a very large suit against the same auction house for bad dealings. It took some perseverance and documentation but it never ended up in court. They gave her refund. First they tried to make conditions of the settlement that she couldn't speak about the incident (so she couldn't give testimony in court or warn others about them), but she declined and continued with the suit. They paid her and she can tell whoever she wants.
But hopefully you can get back what you've lost, and even help protect the next guy from it happening again. You shipped him your items, so it isn't like you can't find him for serving papers. Maybe just getting notice that you've filed suit will motivate him to be reasonable.