So I dropped off my banjo at the music shop to get new strings and the head replaced about 2 months ago, and they said the work should be done in 3 days. I called them 3 days later, lo and behold it wasn't finished. OK, no big deal, I thought. The person I spoke to said that they would call when it was finished. I never heard back from them, and forgot about it. Fast forward to today, when a co worker and I are talking about Ricky Skaggs, and I remember about the music shop. I look all over the place for the ticket, and can't find it, so I call them. I give the woman my name and she says she'll look for it. A few minutes go by when some dude picks up the phone and tells me I need the ticket, otherwise there's no way they'll give it to me even though they have my name, address, and phone number on file. I can't show my ID and pick it up. So I'm apparently out a $300 banjo. But here's where things seemed a bit odd to me. He seemed evasive, and it also seemed like his confidence went up once I "fell for it". My bullshit detectors went off the charts. I think they either sold it or one of the employees took it home after it sat for a while.
So let me ask-is something like this normal? All I want is to pay for the work and get my property back. If not, where to? Lawyer up? Call the cops? I hate to invite the man into my life, but if I have to call them I will. I'm fairly certain this would be a civil matter but I'm not 100%, and if it is, I don't want to waste the po-po's valuable time. I was thinking about going up there and asking to see it just to make sure it was physically there. I don't want to shoot myself in the foot for later, though.