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-   -   Groomonopoly (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/groomonopoly-352082/)

Arctic Fox 08-12-2024 10:11 AM

Groomonopoly
 
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 08-12-2024 10:15 AM

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

tophcfa 08-12-2024 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox (Post 2359295)
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 08-12-2024 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dewilson58 (Post 2359300)
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 08-12-2024 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dewilson58 (Post 2359300)
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 08-12-2024 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC (Post 2359313)
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 08-12-2024 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy (Post 2359317)
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 08-12-2024 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dewilson58 (Post 2359320)
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 08-12-2024 01:36 PM

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 08-13-2024 06:02 AM

Never Again
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox (Post 2359295)
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 08-13-2024 06:59 AM

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

ThirdOfFive 08-13-2024 07:16 AM

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 08-13-2024 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redstag (Post 2359534)
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 08-13-2024 07:49 AM

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 08-13-2024 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Desiderata (Post 2359602)
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?????


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