always got the sense that PV was supposed to be an arbitration sub in way that it resolved user/mod disputes objectively and didn't get emotionally involved in order to effectively arbitrate the issue.

We can be but most often we find that we are the ones having to call the mods into question ourselves and fight for the rights of users. Ideally that would be the case but no it hasn't been a traditional role of the mods here. Very rarely it happens you get user and mod/s that will sort things out and we can help. You saw me try to make a deal here between you and and the OP here a day ago and it didn't work out. Other times it has. Sorry for the two replies I reread and realized I didn't really address that bit.