I ordered a video camera as a surprise gift for my 70-year-old father. Royalcamera had the best price - $699.00. The accessories were overpriced, so I was going to order those from other sources. I placed my order from home at 6:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) before getting ready to going to work, and gave my work number as my contact number. Shipping instructions required I also list a phone number at the delivery address (my father's home).
By the time I arrived at my office, Royal Camera had called twice and requested I call them back. When I did, I was told "Larry" had called my father to confirm the delivery address. "Larry" also told my father he would need a battery, charger, tapes, filters, and a memory stick for the camera, and suggested he add it to the order (which my aged father, not realizing the rip-off prices they were charging for these accessories, did). "Larry" told my father he would have me authorize the additional charges (a whopping $500.00). Not reaching me with the second call, "Larry" then obtained my father's credit card information pending my authorization for the additional charges to my card.
When I called "Larry" back at 9:45 a.m. (Pacific Time), I knew nothing of the conversations he'd had with my dad. The extension "Larry" gave me on both phone messages was invalid. I finally reached someone who directed my call to "Larry." Larry told me he needed the three-digit authorization code from the back of my card to complete the billing. Larry then told me that the new amount was more than $1,200.00, because he had called my dad and told him he'd need additional items to use the camera and offered to include them with the order, and that the order had already been shipped.
"Larry" could not give me the pricing or full descriptions of any of the items he had scammed my dad into including in the order, but told me my dad could return them within 21 days in accordance with Royal's return policy. He said that if I didn't want to pay for the additional items, they could be charged to my dad, instead.
My dad is retired. I wasn't going to suddenly stick him with an unexpected $500.00 charge all because I wanted to surprise him with a nice gift. Thanks alot, Royal.
This company should be boycotted!
Kathy
Reno, Nevada
U.S.A.