Don't Rely on Groome

[RedFoxRick]

Our trip to see family on Thanksgiving was almost over before it started thanks to Groome Transportation. They overbooked our shuttle and their system indicated we should be on a night-time shuttle rather than the morning one that we had reserved and recievd confirmation the day before (due to system transfer error). Family stepped in and helped us catch our flight. Another gentleman was also victim to the overbooking on the same shuttle. The worst part about the whole ordeal was Groome's lack of concern and customer service after the fact. I asked for the charges to be credited back on my credit card. They told me they could not do that without approval of a Manager. However, they would not make one available to speak to. I was told a Manager would reach out to me - one week and four more calls later I am still waiting a call from a Manager. When you absolutely have to get somewhere.....don't count on Groome to do it - and don't expect them to care about it when they don't.

[Keefelane66]

Wake up, get smart call your credit card company and advice of services not rendered.
Same happened to us at MCO pickup said they only give credit on next appointment. Had to have a neighbor pick us up. Master card refunded money to hell with GROOM.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

I asked for the charges to be credited back on my credit card. They told me they could not do that without approval of a Manager. However, they would not make one available to speak to. I was told a Manager would reach out to me - one week and four more calls later I am still waiting a call from a Manager.

Third world country business.

[RedFoxRick]

Thanks. Already disputed with Visa. Waited a week for the promised call from a Manager that never came.

[tophcfa]

Our trip to see family on Thanksgiving was almost over before it started thanks to Groome Transportation. They overbooked our shuttle and their system indicated we should be on a night-time shuttle rather than the morning one that we had reserved and recievd confirmation the day before (due to system transfer error). Family stepped in and helped us catch our flight. Another gentleman was also victim to the overbooking on the same shuttle. The worst part about the whole ordeal was Groome's lack of concern and customer service after the fact. I asked for the charges to be credited back on my credit card. They told me they could not do that without approval of a Manager. However, they would not make one available to speak to. I was told a Manager would reach out to me - one week and four more calls later I am still waiting a call from a Manager. When you absolutely have to get somewhere.....don't count on Groome to do it - and don't expect them to care about it when they don't.

Bummer, but not surprising. That’s what happens when a relatively small local company is bought out by a big national chain. It’s very bad news for the Village’s, many people relied on Workman and the Villages Transportation before it was sold to Workman. If Groom doesn’t get their act together with the busy season rapidly approaching, prepare for lots of headaches and bellyaching. During busy season the combination of many more travelers and the usual winter weather delays have the makings for a traveling nightmare if Groom continues to fully book small vans instead of the larger buses Workman used. Stay tuned.

[Two Bills]

We found the best way to be in control of time when catching flight from Orlando or Tampa traveling from TV was a one way car rental from Enterprise at LS.

[JGibson]

We found the best way to be in control of time when catching flight from Orlando or Tampa traveling from TV was a one-way car rental from Enterprise at LS.

They jacked up the prices of one-way car rentals to the airport from LSL.

[Two Bills]

They jacked up the prices of one-way car rentals to the airport from LSL.

Everything goes up. Would still pay for the convenience and control.

[tophcfa]

We found the best way to be in control of time when catching flight from Orlando or Tampa traveling from TV was a one way car rental from Enterprise at LS.

Rental or private drivers are great for multiple travelers but get very expensive for single travelers.

[Two Bills]

Rental or private drivers are great for multiple travelers but get very expensive for single travelers.

Agree, but we are two, with lots of bags.
If an early flight, we book in overnight, and stay in local hostelry.
Works for us.

[ThirdOfFive]

Its been....how long now since Groome bought out Workman? Six months, maybe? I read TOTV routinely and have seen maybe 5 first-person complaints about their service. Considering that Groome serves (est.) 50 to 100 Villagers a day, that's not a lot of complaints. My thought is that the vast majority of folks find Groome's service completely satisfactory.

Of course, we'd rarely read or hear about that.

[asianthree]

Its been....how long now since Groome bought out Workman? Six months, maybe? I read TOTV routinely and have seen maybe 5 first-person complaints about their service. Considering that Groome serves (est.) 50 to 100 Villagers a day, that's not a lot of complaints. My thought is that the vast majority of folks find Groome's service completely satisfactory.

Of course, we'd rarely read or hear about that.

Or most don’t use TOTV site. We had six different incidents with Groome, with reservations and yet no room on the bus, had to wait for next pickup, two out of the 6, had to have family drive last minute.

Our family and our friends no longer uses them, since complaints go no where, it’s not worth the headache, of using them. Plus even 10% of business has issues that still 10% who had to find other means of transportation

Our Private guys commented they have close to twice the business since the buy out this year. Hopefully Groome will take notice, but time will tell, around holidays

[Velvet]

I don’t have much confidence in Groome. We tried to book them in advance and they confirmed, took the payment but on the day they did not show. When I called them they said, there was NO RECORD of our booking. Fortunately, I anticipated and had backup plans. The flight we had to catch was critical. I paid by credit card and just notified the credit company. Now if anyone ever asks me should they take Groome because it’s cheaper, my answer is, “Have a backup plan if you want to get somewhere. Maybe Groome will show up or maybe they won’t”.

[kevinm55]

With seemingly unabated growth, interest and expansion of The Villages there is an obvious opportunity for somebody to introduce and run a better service. I am confident people would be interested. Villages’s Van is not much better. They now routinely have passengers transfer from one van to another in the middle of the trip. I will no longer pay to have to deal with overloaded vans, waiting for passengers who don’t show and switching vans on a 1 hour trip!

[PGApromike]

If you are traveling with at least 1 other person, UBER is how I go. $80 with Groome for 2, $90 with Uber for as many that fit in car. Get there without waiting or riding around picking up others. I actually just came home solo 11/26 and still used UBER. I was picked up in 6 minutes from walking outside and brought directly home on Thanksgiving weekend. I used Groome twice. Once worked perfectly, once didn't(won't go into detail). Uber has NEVER been late to pick me up. Just consider what your time and aggravation level is worth and if this makes more sense in each of your individual cases.

[jparsoneau@aol.com]

I have not been impressed with Groom
They packed the bus full, and you may be the first one. You may be the last one or again they may have ever booked and not get picked up at all.
I also had one driver pick us up who got lost and didn’t know where he was or where he was going other than an address that did not show up on his map because of new construction. Which almost cost us our flights because we were 45 minutes late due to him being lost.
There are just too many private drivers operating travel to and from the airport. Especially if you got a group of people is cheaper to take a private transport to his room that charge you by the person.

[TomDTV]

Rental or private drivers are great for multiple travelers but get very expensive for single travelers.

Missing your flight is way more expensive than rental or using private driver for single person. Not to mention reducing your travel time by at least an hour if you're in north side of TV.

[Gerrys]

Suggest you call your credit card company and have the charge cancelled.

[Foxtrot]

We park at Fast Park MCO and its cheaper, faster and more convenient than taking a bus.

[defrey12]

Everything goes up. Would still pay for the convenience and control.

Anyone thought of driving their own car? Haven’t read the whole string, but we’ve done the math six ways to Sunday and it’s not only the cheapest way to go for a week, but the most convenient. Or get a hotel down there…many have a 7-day parking that goes with the room. Just a thought.

[Blueblaze]

Thank heavens for this thread! And I think I might have a reason why some people are missing their ride.

You might recall that the way Groome does your reservation is that you give them your flight time and they give you ride pickup times to choose. Mine is12:37 PM. When I checked my reservation, they had me set up for 9 PM! I guess their app must have confused 12 noon for 12 midnight, and I didn't notice. Maybe I typed it wrong. Who knows. But I've been sitting here with a reservation 12 hours too late for two months. But thanks to this thread I checked, and now I have a reservation for 8AM, just in case they don't show and I have to drive.

Thanks TOV!

[Mrfriendly]

I like Groome and they are my first choice for transport to my home when I come down for a visit. I always meet nice people on the little bus.

[M2inOR]

We use our car for 2 weeks or less trips, and a private transfer for longer trips.

Use the SpotHero app or website to identify daily rates and availability. Typically, they use hotel parking lots and similar independent parking lots.

Use your math skills to determine what's breakeven for you.

In rare instances for early morning flights, we will use SpotHero to identify a hotel parking lot and then stay overnight at the hotel for that flight. SpotHero's contracted daily rates are typically less expensive than what the hotels charge.

Book early, and note well, if plans change, SpotHero will let you cancel and get a full refund, provided you are
before the cancel window closes.

[JMintzer]

I've used Groome at least a dozen times since I bought my home in TV.

The only issue I've had was missing a pickup (my plane was late) and they picked me up on the very next run. I chilled at the airport for an hour, had a snack and a drink...

They've picked me up at my home, on time, and got me to the airport, on time (knocks wood...) No excessive waits, no "crowded" buses...

[Fenster]

I’ve used Groome many times, including recently, with no problems. However, these posts are concerning. I was dismayed when they jacked up the price, but getting stranded is worse!

And the customer service has been good in my experience, but obviously not for everyone.

I think it’s time to look at options.

I used to use Dave’s but it’s a bit steep. But they were always reliable.

[Nana2Teddy]

Anyone thought of driving their own car? Haven’t read the whole string, but we’ve done the math six ways to Sunday and it’s not only the cheapest way to go for a week, but the most convenient. Or get a hotel down there…many have a 7-day parking that goes with the room. Just a thought.
We drove our own car, and we stayed at MCO Hyatt Regency in October for our first trip home to CA since moving here a year ago. It was very convenient, but definitely not cheap. I guess other hotels in the area would’ve been a better deal, but we didn’t mind paying extra for the convenience of staying in the airport, and being just an elevator ride to the security line. It was a great experience!

[spinner1001]

I've used Groome at least a dozen times since I bought my home in TV.

The only issue I've had was missing a pickup (my plane was late) and they picked me up on the very next run. I chilled at the airport for an hour, had a snack and a drink...

They've picked me up at my home, on time, and got me to the airport, on time (knocks wood...) No excessive waits, no "crowded" buses...

I have changed my thinking about using a shuttle to and from MCO since the operations changed from Workman to Groome.

A delayed flight arrival into MCO and missing one’s scheduled Groome shuttle increases the risk of a big shuttle problem. @JMintzer was lucky that time. Groome uses vans having fewer seats compared to Workman’s vehicles on average. If the next Groome van is at capacity with people (who have reservations or otherwise jumped on ahead of you), you can’t get in that van. Then, if you wait yet again for the next Groome shuttle an hour later, you have a similar risk of a full van and no space for you. In the winter season, this risk is much higher than the summer season when shuttle vehicles are not so full. The practical problem with this situation when flying into MCO is no good transportation alternative for getting to The Villages if Groome cannot take you.

In the future, I likely will drive to and from MCO most occasions instead of shuttling on Groome. I was a big fan of Workman.

[DB]

I was not picked up by Groome on November 21 and was on hold with them for 55 minutes. Finally drove to the airport. I also called and asked to speak to a manager, when I arrived at my destination. Of course, there wasn’t anyone with whom to speak. I left 2 messages and finally went to their office when I got back. I was told they needed to see where the problem was and then would make a decision on giving me a refund. I felt he was blaming me for an error in making the reservation, though I made it via phone, not e-mail. Haven’t heard anything yet. I will go back next week to see where they are in their investigation of the problem. I will be contacting Seniors and Crimes here in The Villages. I suggest we all do that!

[ThirdOfFive]

I've used Groome at least a dozen times since I bought my home in TV.

The only issue I've had was missing a pickup (my plane was late) and they picked me up on the very next run. I chilled at the airport for an hour, had a snack and a drink...

They've picked me up at my home, on time, and got me to the airport, on time (knocks wood...) No excessive waits, no "crowded" buses...
Yep. I'm sure that's the case far more often than not.

Unfortunately, it is the "not" that gets by far the most play.

[BlueStarAirlines]

Its been....how long now since Groome bought out Workman? Six months, maybe? I read TOTV routinely and have seen maybe 5 first-person complaints about their service. Considering that Groome serves (est.) 50 to 100 Villagers a day, that's not a lot of complaints. My thought is that the vast majority of folks find Groome's service completely satisfactory.



I never bothered to complain about my Groome experience on TOTV, but I'll never use them again. They had a van breakdown, so they were behind on airport pickups. Instead of dispatching two vans to get caught up, everyone had to wait 2-4 hours at MCO to get on a van. Pickup wasn't based on how long you have waited, it was who could push their way to the front.

I travel weekly for work, so see the issues and can confirm they are not a "one-off". The advantage Workman had was they had multiple size vehicles, from vans to busses so could scale up or down as needed. Groome has one size, so when they are full that is it. If someone lands early and takes a seat, that seat is no longer available for those that actually reserved a seat for that time. Groome is a national chain, so your complaint is one of hundreds.....Workman is local.

If you have issues, make sure you let the corporate office know (FAQ - Groome Transportation - Book Now (https://groometransportation.com/faq/#contact-us) ). They won't step in until the complaints reach a level where THEY know there is a problem.

[Black Beauty]

crap shoot

[kendi]

Our trip to see family on Thanksgiving was almost over before it started thanks to Groome Transportation. They overbooked our shuttle and their system indicated we should be on a night-time shuttle rather than the morning one that we had reserved and recievd confirmation the day before (due to system transfer error). Family stepped in and helped us catch our flight. Another gentleman was also victim to the overbooking on the same shuttle. The worst part about the whole ordeal was Groome's lack of concern and customer service after the fact. I asked for the charges to be credited back on my credit card. They told me they could not do that without approval of a Manager. However, they would not make one available to speak to. I was told a Manager would reach out to me - one week and four more calls later I am still waiting a call from a Manager. When you absolutely have to get somewhere.....don't count on Groome to do it - and don't expect them to care about it when they don't.

Not fair to ban them for one bad experience.

[Velvet]

Not fair to ban them for one bad experience.


“One bad experience”? How about the rest of us? In fairness, there were times when Groome did show up, on time etc. But I wouldn’t count on it, if it was important. Unless you’re ready to hitch hike.

[Arletti]

That’s such a shame. I’ve taken them several times, and they were so reliable before they took over town center shuttles, in addition to the house to house shuttles.

[Pixelpups]

Not even 6 months - try August 31, 2023.

[ithos]

If I am leaving on an early flight for work I will usually take my own car and pay for long term parking. If it is later I will take a shuttle scheduled to arrive at least 3 hours before departure but usually 4.

When returning and I didn't use long term parking the shuttle is best since there is no concern for missing an expensive flight. But that is still risky if you arrive late at night especially if your flight was delayed. The last couple of times it was packed.

[JGibson]

They don't do refunds either even if you cancel your trip a month in advance.
They will only give credit valid for 1 year only.

I did a chargeback on the CC.

I suggest filing a BBB complaint.

[Bogie Shooter]

Had a question on an upcoming reservation. Called this morning, 16 minute wait for response, that is acceptable to me.

[EdFNJ]

I see most people are complaining about "being PICKED UP" (actually not being picked up). I assume you are using their "door to door" service where they come to your home. I can see that being more problematic then going right to the bus at SS, LSL or brownwood due to people not being ready at pickup. Been taking their bus from Lake Sumter for years and never an issue. Always on time. However, since it is a BUS on the TURNPIKE, extreme traffic can be a problem just as weather can delay your flight. Wife has a trip Christmas EVE and New Years Eve, hopefully our good luck string continues! :D

[patfla06]

Our trip to see family on Thanksgiving was almost over before it started thanks to Groome Transportation. They overbooked our shuttle and their system indicated we should be on a night-time shuttle rather than the morning one that we had reserved and recievd confirmation the day before (due to system transfer error). Family stepped in and helped us catch our flight. Another gentleman was also victim to the overbooking on the same shuttle. The worst part about the whole ordeal was Groome's lack of concern and customer service after the fact. I asked for the charges to be credited back on my credit card. They told me they could not do that without approval of a Manager. However, they would not make one available to speak to. I was told a Manager would reach out to me - one week and four more calls later I am still waiting a call from a Manager. When you absolutely have to get somewhere.....don't count on Groome to do it - and don't expect them to care about it when they don't.

Thank you for the warning!!
Definitely call your credit card company.

I tried to book them at Brownwood Hotel and their website is absolute garbage. Tried calling them & was worse. No house pickup.
All private cars booked.
Finally went to The Villages Van ( always took them in past ) and it
couldn’t have been easier. Pick me up & drop me off at my door.

[Nana2Teddy]

I never bothered to complain about my Groome experience on TOTV, but I'll never use them again. They had a van breakdown, so they were behind on airport pickups. Instead of dispatching two vans to get caught up, everyone had to wait 2-4 hours at MCO to get on a van. Pickup wasn't based on how long you have waited, it was who could push their way to the front.

I travel weekly for work, so see the issues and can confirm they are not a "one-off". The advantage Workman had was they had multiple size vehicles, from vans to busses so could scale up or down as needed. Groome has one size, so when they are full that is it. If someone lands early and takes a seat, that seat is no longer available for those that actually reserved a seat for that time. Groome is a national chain, so your complaint is one of hundreds.....Workman is local.

If you have issues, make sure you let the corporate office know (FAQ - Groome Transportation - Book Now (https://groometransportation.com/faq/#contact-us) ). They won't step in until the complaints reach a level where THEY know there is a problem.
Groome has the big buses that pick up and drop off at the Brownwood Hotel just like Workman did. Maybe at LSL too? But all I read about is the small vans that pick up door to door. Has anyone used the big Groome buses recently and had a good experience? Just curious.

[retired guy]

The vehicle they use ( bus , big van, small van ) depends on the reservations they have.
I've been picked up at home & LSL with no problem getting me to the airport on time.
1 time returning from MCO during covid we waited a long time & it was door to door so many stops along the way. We now go to LSL or Spanish Springs.
My last trip in on 12-16 I was the only person on the van picked up @ MCO 10PM.
I guess it depends on the time of your trip.
Always allow plenty of time.

[Bogie Shooter]

Used at Christmas to and from MCO……no issues.

It’s unfortunate that only exceptions are posted to TOTV. The guy whose coffee got cold, steak not prepared right, didn’t get a tee time, mail not delivered as expected, on and on.
The many, many times things went right ,including the shuttle trips don’t routinely get posted.
Yep, I feel sorry that things didn’t work out for some, but………#@&% happens.

[JGibson]

Used at Christmas to and from MCO……no issues.

It’s unfortunate that only exceptions are posted to TOTV. The guy whose coffee got cold, steak not prepared right, didn’t get a tee time, mail not delivered as expected, on and on.
The many, many times things went right ,including the shuttle trips don’t routinely get posted.
Yep, I feel sorry that things didn’t work out for some, but………#@&% happens.

In all fairness TOTV wasn't loaded with Workman complaints or when TV ran the shuttle complaints.