I have no problem with somebody trying to make a buck. That said, however, I cannot help but wonder if how various businesses see TV and Villagers in general, and how that influences their business practices. Making an honest buck is one thing. Bilking someone is quite another.
Back in the world, car dealerships depend a lot on repeat business. Not only that, but intergenerational as well. As a teen and young adult, I dealt with the same dealership that my parents did because, in my parents' estimation, they were treated fairly. Same thing with the Toyota dealership in Burnsville, MN. I bought five vehicles from them in 15 or so years because I was treated fairly. Had I not been, I would have been out the door as soon as I perceived that I was being taken advantage of, never to return.
It is an entirely different scenario here in TV. There are many businesses here who try to establish a good reputation which leads to repeat business. Many have been mentioned here. Sumter Tire and Auto for example. Several plumbers. Some insurance agents. Landscapers. And others. (Unfortunately, even within those ranks, there are plenty who don't). But to be honest, TV'ers are a transient population. Landscapers depend on repeat business because they deal with us every 90 days or so. But what are the odds that an 80-year-old who buys a new car at whatever dealership is going to show up at the same dealership in 4-5 years to trade? And even if he is lucky enough to reach that age (the odds don't favor it) what are the odds that his wife (or a court order) will have already pulled his keys? And, of course, intergenerational reputation isn't even a factor. Are kids back home in Montana or Michigan or wherever aren't going to drive here to purchase a car from a dealer in Ocala just because we did.
Looking at it that way, there is no valid business reason for car dealerships (as long as things stay within the law) NOT to try to pry as much money out of us as possible. They'll have one shot at us. Maybe at most, two. So why not put the squeeze on us? If I were a car dealership I might have a hard time looking at myself in the mirror the morning after I sold a 91-year-old a new car that he absolutely didn't need (I read about that happening here about three years ago) but other dealers might not have that problem.
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