Not a mod but I've always PM'd mods and they've been awesome in private conversation and they're all very receptive and open to discussion if approached politely. I don't think you'd start a PM by laying into them but who knows what people will do. The times I've spoken with the mods who replied to you, both @Ronin and @jf-08 have been great in PM's. I'll also mention that @Shaggy is awesome as well, he's the head honcho as the board/site owner.
Just thought I'd share my experience as I've been in a similar place you are and didn't know where to turn. Those who replied are a good place to start.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the moderation!
Everyone should know that the moderation team are a resource to the entire community here on ASFN.
I expect the service to improve even more now that all mods accept the major credit cards and Paypal for