Groomonopoly

[Arctic Fox]

Having swallowed up Workman Transportation, Groome has now taken over Village Airport Vans.

The e-mail from them mentions all of the benefits, but it doesn't usually take a monopoly long to bump up the prices.

[dewilson58]

The Free-Market will fix that if there is an abuse.

[tophcfa]

Having swallowed up Workman Transportation, Groome has now taken over Village Airport Vans.

The e-mail from them mentions all of the benefits, but it doesn't usually take a monopoly long to bump up the prices.

Many years ago when the shuttle business was Villages Transportation it was a great, well run, and reliable business. When It was sold to Workman, it wasn’t as good, but still plenty adequate. When Groome purchased the business from Workman it went significantly down hill. Now that Groome has taken over their primary competitor in the Villages area, they have even less incentive to provide a good customer experience at a competitive cost. Competition is a wonderful thing for consumers.

[Stu from NYC]

The Free-Market will fix that if there is an abuse.

Only if another company thinks there is a large enough market to make it worthwhile to enter.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

The Free-Market will fix that if there is an abuse.

Theoretically, yes,

in reality, will take awhile as someone needs to make the investment with a high probability of an expected return.
Most likely single independents will enter the market at a slightly lower price, 5-10% before a new company will enter.

But the best issue is for TOTV posters who find the price to service ratio unacceptable to make the issue known for a more widely appropriate response to the company.

Same answer for philanderers, make the issue known for shame. . if there is any to be had. .

everyone takes after the leadership of the Morse family, hoping to build their own micro monopoly

[dewilson58]

Only if another company thinks there is a large enough market to make it worthwhile to enter.

or if there are excessive profits being made by the solo provider

[dewilson58]

Theoretically, yes,

in reality, will take awhile as someone needs to make the investment with a high probability of an expected return.


Of course, that goes without saying on both fronts.............but you did.

:pepper2:

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Of course, that goes without saying on both fronts.............but you did.

:pepper2:

had to lest someone thinks that new competition will show up tomorrow. . just because

[Ignatz]

Could be a good opportunity to run an airport shuttle service focused on the South of 44 area.

There's a growing customer base (new villages/younger base), lots of visitors for these new residents, some folks are still working and traveling heavily, and it's real close to the turnpike for easy access.

[Redstag]

Having swallowed up Workman Transportation, Groome has now taken over Village Airport Vans.

The e-mail from them mentions all of the benefits, but it doesn't usually take a monopoly long to bump up the prices.


Just an FYI, on Friday August 9th I had a relative picked up by Grome at Orlando airport. He bordered the bus at 7:00 p.m. The bus left the airport at 7:30 p.m. He spent 3 hours on the bus and 2 and 1/2 hours driving to the Brownwood area of The Villages. That's more time than he spent on the plane to get here. There were 10 people on the bus, he was the 8th drop off that means some people probably took over 3 hours driving time to get home from the airport.

Their website claims they are open 24/7. The next day, while trying to cancel the return trip, we spent more than an hour and a half trying to get someone to answer the phone. Since he had booked his reservation through Village Airport Vans the person on the other end couldn't find the reservation and had to go find someone else to figure it out. Never again.

[Iowatransplant]

Southern Oaks SUV is a great alternative. A little more $$ but private car, prompt on time pick up and no being the 8 th stop drop off!!

Used them this morning for the wifey!!
Southern Oaks SUV | Villages (https://www.southernoakssuv.com/)

[ThirdOfFive]

There are still private couriers out there. The cost for a one-way trip to MCO or back with one of them might be near three times what Groome might charge for a similar trip but if you add riders (family/friends at the same pickup address) the cost drops significantly. Blue Line also has rides to and from the airports at Gainesville, Tampa and Sanford as well as Orlando and also offers service to Port Canaveral. It has been awhile but I have used them: punctual and reliable.

Though I do share some of the misgivings about Groome's monopolization of airport transport, they are still far from the only game in town.

[golfing eagles]

Just an FYI, on Friday August 9th I had a relative picked up by Grome at Orlando airport. He bordered the bus at 7:00 p.m. The bus left the airport at 7:30 p.m. He spent 3 hours on the bus and 2 and 1/2 hours driving to the Brownwood area of The Villages. That's more time than he spent on the plane to get here. There were 10 people on the bus, he was the 8th drop off that means some people probably took over 3 hours driving time to get home from the airport.

Their website claims they are open 24/7. The next day, while trying to cancel the return trip, we spent more than an hour and a half trying to get someone to answer the phone. Since he had booked his reservation through Village Airport Vans the person on the other end couldn't find the reservation and had to go find someone else to figure it out. Never again.

That sucks. However, it was exactly the same with Villages Airport Service before Groome took it over. You can take Groome from Brownwood, and for an extra $15 they will send a small vehicle to pick you up at your home.

[Desiderata]

Groome does not honor credits you might have built up with The Villages Van service. The Villages would give you a free ride for every 10 trips that were made to your address. Groome does not.

[golfing eagles]

Groome does not honor credits you might have built up with The Villages Van service. The Villages would give you a free ride for every 10 trips that were made to your address. Groome does not.

Point being?????

[Obrez]

I had a bad experience using Groome recently, I reported it to the company and never got any inquiry or apology. Monopoly is a great thing if you own the company!
OSB

[paulajr]

The villages Transpotation was never “sold to Workman”. The Workman’s ran The company, but when busses were used in other areas it was confusing, so they just changed the name to the Owners name.

Many years ago when the shuttle business was Villages Transportation it was a great, well run, and reliable business. When It was sold to Workman, it wasn’t as good, but still plenty adequate. When Groome purchased the business from Workman it went significantly down hill. Now that Groome has taken over their primary competitor in the Villages area, they have even less incentive to provide a good customer experience at a competitive cost. Competition is a wonderful thing for consumers.

[Desiderata]

Point being?????

If you had credits with The Village Van service you no longer have them. We had several. This obviously only affects folks that frequently used The Village Van service for themselves and their guests.

[golfing eagles]

If you had credits with The Village Van service you no longer have them. We had several. This obviously only affects folks that frequently used The Village Van service for themselves and their guests.

And I had frequent flyer miles with an airline that was taken over, and they went bye-bye as well. Not uncommon at all.

[gorillarick]

About a month ago, my delayed flight got in too late for very last bus back to TV.
Called Groome, got me on a beyond midnight mini-bus, door to door for the same price as LSL drop-off.

Sure beat waiting til dawn.
Thanks Groome !

[YoRomeo]

Having swallowed up Workman Transportation, Groome has now taken over Village Airport

It’s too bad that the village’s does not have a site where people looking for transportation from the airport cannot connnect with other people that are looking for transportation at the same time. They could Uber together, not have to wait for the van and it might possibly be cheaper and faster than the shuttle service, depending on the number of people.
If there were at least three people, then it would definitely be cheaper. Just a thought.

[jarodrig]

Only if another company thinks there is a large enough market to make it worthwhile to enter.

And there certainly is that !

[YoRomeo]

[QUOTE=Arctic Fox;2359295]Having swallowed up Workman Transportation, Groome has now taken over Village Airport

It’s too bad that the village’s does not have a site where people looking for transportation from the airport cannot connnect with other people that are looking for transportation at the same time. They could Uber together, not have to wait for the van and it might possibly be cheaper and faster than the shuttle service, depending on the number of people.
If there were at least three people, then it would definitely be cheaper. Just a thought.

[jarodrig]

Yo Romeo Writes …..

It’s too bad that the village’s does not have a site where people looking for transportation from the airport cannot connnect with other people that are looking for transportation at the same time. They could Uber together, not have to wait for the van and it might possibly be cheaper and faster than the shuttle service, depending on the number of people.
If there were at least three people, then it would definitely be cheaper. Just a thought.

That sounds simple enough….

Why do t you start one ??

[WiseSpender]

To me, $45 per person ($90 for my wife and I combined) is still cheaper than any other alternative (I priced one day car rental prices and they cost at least $65, then add in cost of gasoline and tolls and that is easily an extra $10, then factor in the time and trouble you have to put yourself through to get and return that rental car). However, I can see the numbers favoring a one-day rental if the size of your group will be 3 people or more.
However, in the 3 years I have lived here, we have never had a party of 3 or more going to or coming from Orlando International Airport.

Groome is still reasonably priced for us single or dual travellers.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Groome is still reasonably priced for us single or dual travellers.

is price the only determinate of quality service?

[spd2918]

Parking was $10 a day the last I checked. They shuttle you to and from the lot.

I like the convenience of having my own car and keeping my own schedule.

[kchilder1973]

To me, $45 per person ($90 for my wife and I combined) is still cheaper than any other alternative (I priced one day car rental prices and they cost at least $65, then add in cost of gasoline and tolls and that is easily an extra $10, then factor in the time and trouble you have to put yourself through to get and return that rental car). However, I can see the numbers favoring a one-day rental if the size of your group will be 3 people or more.
However, in the 3 years I have lived here, we have never had a party of 3 or more going to or coming from Orlando International Airport.

Groome is still reasonably priced for us single or dual travellers.


We use Uber when we have 2. So far that has worked well. It was $72 the last time I used them. It does depend on the time of day. I set up my trips ahead of time.

[jarodrig]

We use Uber when we have 2. So far that has worked well. It was $72 the last time I used them. It does depend on the time of day. I set up my trips ahead of time.

And for those that may not be aware , the price varies greatly on where you live (County ?)

For example , I just did a Uber search to the Orlando airport from my home near Sawgrass Grove and as you can see , my “fee” is more than 2X what you paid …..

For me, Uber is not the way to go…..setting the trip up ahead of time makes no difference in price.

PS- I did 3 other simulated rides from different parts of The Villages.

One of the rides I simulated was from the Villages Hospital and that was even higher !

[bilcon]

That sucks. However, it was exactly the same with Villages Airport Service before Groome took it over. You can take Groome from Brownwood, and for an extra $15 they will send a small vehicle to pick you up at your home.

No more pickup from your home to bus station available. Groome dropped it.

[twoplanekid]

If I can hang in there for maybe another ten years, Elon Musks robotaxie might be a good alternative. Things will change in the future.

[tophcfa]

If I can hang in there for maybe another ten years, Elon Musks robotaxie might be a good alternative. Things will change in the future.

I’d rather crawl to the airport than take one of those things.