John, they are not kidding you. The initial transactions were pending inquiries to insure that the account number they used was valid. This can be quite common and they stay in "pending" if you're looking at your card information online. It sounds like their order system does an inquiry multiple times...which certainly bites. In the end, you should only have one "actual" charge for $188.40 plus the shipping. If that doesn't hold true, you can dispute it.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...