Complaint Review: Imperial Majesty Vacations

I've read a few reports on this site already, and it sounds quite similar to my experience, so I'll jot note the lead up.

- Signed up for "something" at a trade show
- Received a call 1-2 weeks later (Tuesday April 15, 2008) saying I was lucky to have qualified for this wonderful discount!
- Asked to provide my credit card number immediately, told there were no paper ways to provide it, only over the phone.
- Realized too late what had happened.

I've been trying to receive a refund since the accident (Today is April 17th, two days later.) The first time I called them I was on hold for 6-8 runs of their "2-4 minute wait time" speal, then got cut off. I called back again, and I was transferred six times, was told repeatedly (~26 times) what a good deal I was getting, was given a year's extension on the vacation date - oh my god, for FREE! - and then finally told that I could be given HALF of the deposit back "In CASE I change my mind." I settled with that for the time being.

I called the next day in the morning and was given a much easier time, regardless of how insistent I was that I had no intention of taking the vacation, they needed to keep some of the money as a "deposit" to keep the "amazing price." So I got all but 145$ back this time.

Here's the hitch, I talked to my credit card company about it and have called them once a day about it since. The first day, I was charged 613$, which I finally realsed must have been after the exchange rate. I hadn't seen the "refund" yet, and finally today, after calling my credit company back, I was told that there's a SECOND 600$ transaction - NOT a refund... I'm tempted to call the police.

To add a cherry to the whipped cream on top of the pile of crap that is this scam, I can't do ANYTHING until the charges go through. In the meantime, I can't decide whether or not to call Imperial Majesty back and demand a refund again and risk another six hundred dollar charge to my mastercard, or to wait and fight it out then. I'll update as it occurs.

Amy
Innisfail, Alberta
Canada