[BTCOG]

Not sure why you're being downvoted for providing a good answer here. When you use Bitcoin, or cash it is solely your responsibility to protect that counterparty risk via your own means. Without a contract and receipt, the same would happen to your cash if you walked into a business and the owner decided to keep a small sum of your money with no record of transaction. If you gave a shop owner or autobody mechanic $50-500 cash with no receipt he could very easily just keep your cash. You have no recourse. Call the police? Doesn't matter in real life because you have no receipt or contract. It's your word against his. Since I see that you've just replied and still want "recourse" if someone steals your money I'll just clearly spell that out for you. You cause the level of recourse of your stolen money that you require. Whether via violence or a counter-theft and damage to the thief equaling what was stolen from you. It's left up to you with Bitcoin. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. We don't want government intervention.

[horsawlarway]

Except you just wrote a long comment telling me that I should be using government intervention if I want to actually trade bitcoins for goods or services.

You hinted that somehow a general user of bitcoin might have the power to influence or extort a third party to offset risk - but the reality of the situation is that the only entity I'm in contact with that can provide the resources to influence or extort a 3rd party is my government (doubly so if we assume I'm still bound by my local laws and rote violence isn't an answer).