Barndog,
while i've never dealt with Ritzcamera.com (and doubt i ever will), i don't feel they've done anything illegal, unethical or underhanded with regards to this.
Credit card "authorizations" are pretty common, and with all due respect, i'm suprised this is the first time it has happened to you. Might well have for smaller amounts beforeand you never noticed.
Ever book a trip where you reserved a plane ticket, a hotel and a rental car for 3 weeks from now? I'll almost guarantee you'd have 3 authorizations on your card the second you booked the reservations.
So while i'm not defending Ritzcamera.com as a great place to shop (i've never dealt with them), i didn't want you to think CC authorizations is a Ritzcamera.com exclusive.
