PH cheque scam fraud possibility?

[condor]

I think I've been scammed by a fellow PHer that sold me a Silverstone Classic weekend ticket - I sent a cheque for £42 to a long time PHer ( name currently witheld for legal reasons) who after a few weeks said the cheque hadn't arrived. I then sent another cheque for £42 which was accepted as payment for the weekend ticket.
The day after I'd sent the second cheque...the first cheque got debited to my account...with my replacement cheque getting debited a few days later.
I'm willing to accept it's a misunderstanding....but what is the legal way to get redress?

[ShadownINja]

Tell them to check their account and send you a cheque for the refund?

[condor]

I did that already.

[ShadownINja]

Wait for their reply, I guess.

I would also speak to your bank about it. They may be able to reverse the cheque. It might cost a little, though.

[mcflurry]

Maybe the first cheque was stolen and was cashed by the thief, rather than a scam?

[blindswelledrat]

mcflurry said:

Maybe the first cheque was stolen and was cashed by the thief, rather than a scam?

THat was my thought.
Ask your bank for copies of the two cheques that have cleared and see if they were cashed in the same account.
You may well find that the name has changed on the original one.

[blindswelledrat]

It is a ludicrously small amount of money for a long term PH'er to rip you off over.
Curious to know how this turns out.
I reckon once you have the copies of the cheques- if it is definitely the same person you have every right to call the police.

[eddie1980]

Never send out a second cheque until you have cancelled the first one. I learnt this the hard way too.

Although these days I refuse to use cheques at all, think I have written about 10 in my life and had hassle over at least 6 of them, besides there horribly slow!

[condor]

blindswelledrat said:

mcflurry said:

Maybe the first cheque was stolen and was cashed by the thief, rather than a scam?

THat was my thought.
Ask your bank for copies of the two cheques that have cleared and see if they were cashed in the same account.
You may well find that the name has changed on the original one.

Having spoken and shown evidence to PHer at Silverstone, I'm certain that he didn't receive the first cheque. My thoughts are that it's a dishonest postal worker. Earlier today I went to my bank and viewed ( on a comp) copies of both cheques. They are paid into separate banks but fairly local to each other. My bank's fraud dept has taken the case on, and they've said someone will contact me in the next 7-10 days. Even though it's a trivial sum, both our reputations, I suspect, have been questioned...me of him, and him of me. It's now a matter of principle to find out what happenned .

[Steve748]

It's possible the first cheque got miss-delivered to another address by maligned postie and receiving pikey paid it into his bank account. Should be easy enough to find where it has gone

[condor]

Oh yes we'll find out what happenned eventually
I've sent e.mail to PHer with more detailed info as it's been unwelcome agro for him.