All this person "A" vs. person "B" stuff is a little too abstract, but if I get the gist of this, there are two answers: either the seller is cal ling the buyer a liar (eg buyer didn't send the cash), or is agreeing that the cash was indeed lost in the mail (anybody know the statistics for cash in mail losses as opposed to letter in mail loss ?").
If seller agreed to (or asked for) cash in mail payment, it's his risk, his loss. The buyer fulfilled his end of the deal in posting the cash. One man 's word against another's. Could also argue that if the goods the payment w ere for hadn't turned up
Looking at it from a "legal" point of view and leaving aside the issues of cash payment legality, it is almost always stipulated that goods travel at the risk of the buyer unless otherwise specified (or something to that effe ct). In this case the cash would qualify as goods sent to the "buyer" of sa id cash (the seller). This is customary business procedure. In court howeve r, unless proof of the successful delivery is made, there has been no deliv ery so the sender of the goods must send again or refund.
I only once accepted a "cash in envelope" payment of a small amount, and ex pected it to get lost in transit (cash has a habit of falling out of envelo pes and into "postmen's" pockets in some places). It did arrive, but had it not, having accepted the risk of loss, I'd have considered it a lesson to me not to accept cash payments and left it at that. Probably there would al ways be a niggling doubt that the cash wasn't sent...
So here (for a mere 15 % share of the full initial cash transcation) is my verdict : either buyer sends half amount again by postal order or paypal, o r saws item in half and returns one half to buyer. Because the question ask ed has no definitive answer. 50-50. (Or a duel to the death, or both partie s to walk burning coals).
Furthermore, anybody sending large amounts of cash in envelopes should send to me, I open the envelope to check, and mail on. Failsafe.
Nick March, Agen 47000 Lot et garonne, France.