Just been ripped of big time in a shell garage on Vineland, $5:99 a gallon !!! Didn't noticed till after everywhere else is $3:45 ish, lucky we only put in a small amount we were not filling up.
Just been ripped of big time in a shell garage on Vineland, $5:99 a gallon !!! Didn't noticed till after everywhere else is $3:45 ish, lucky we only put in a small amount we were not filling up.
You do tend to find Petrol stations closer to International Drive and in the main hotel area/tourist stream the petrol is up over $5 per gallon. The fuel is a lot cheaper the further out from the I drive, Just last week the majority of the stations were charging $3.45, but on Thursday of last week, we have had a new wawa station open up close by and the fuel is $3.37 every station in a few miles raduis then dropped the price to match. Wawa has been reported in the news last year as a retailer that is changing the face of fuel and offering cheaper fuel than anyone.
CERI
We did exactly the same just after we got here. Visited Premium Outlets - the one at junction 68 off the I4. The red light came on and Peter was panicking as he had no idea how much was likely to still be in the tank so we pulled in to the only filling station round the Outlets. 5.99 per gallon! Only put $20 in but it leaves a nasty taste! Funnily enough - we were the only people buying fuel!Originally Posted by donny
We have been caught out at this place as well. I think it is terrible that they charge nearly double the going rate and whilst you assume you can save a bit of money by shopping around I would never have imagined that it could be this much. You just assume there is a going rate for this sort of stuff.
They never seem to have anyone filling up there mind, although I guess that they are making enough margin ripping people off that they don't need that many customers.
"They never seem to have anyone filling up there mind, although I guess that they are making enough margin ripping people off that they don't need that many customers. "
You could argue though , that isn't this EXACTLY the type of business model most of us villa owners want to run? We'd rather have half the number of rental Guests paying twice the return? Less wear and tear and overheads etc. IF the price is advertised clearly, and not one of these that doesnt tell you till you've filled up, then just as with any other retailer you have made the decision to accept their "offer" price and , galling though it is, to find out you could've paid a lot less (or got more for your money) there isn't much you can do about it.
Thanks for the heads up though, it's another to add to the list of ones to avoid if at all possible, if you run out thouh you dont have a lot of choice, especially with an unfamiliar car, at home you would probably know what your reserve was.
Babblin Boo
Although, I do think that they are entirely different models.
Petrol retailing is a volume game, typically high through put low margin, but it works because there is large volume, regular demand. Whilst, of course it is possible to differentiate on quality and service (different grades of fuels, pump attendants etc) the difference is usually fairly marginal (a few pence a ltr in the UK).
With villas, IMHO, there is a huge differential in quality and service. You can find cheep, higher volume properties but expect it to be worn out and not a lot of service, or you can pay a bit more and get one that is loved and supported by a helpful owner. The product at the end is worlds apart where as, for me at least, petrol is petrol... it makes the car go... that's it and there is a clear, fair, market price.
So, the main difference for me is that this petrol station is just there to catch unsuspecting people out and is therefore deceitful (I say this because it is not 5 or 10% dearer, more like 100%) where as a good quality, higher cost villa is there because it is individual and provides a much, much better holiday experience for it's guests.
If you happen to have a Costco Membership you can use it in Florida and the petrol there on the OBT is usually the cheapest around.
Andrena
Just remember to let the attendant know that you have a UK Costco card, as they won't be read by the machines like the USA cards do. The attendant will need to manually turn on your pump.
Tony G
Luckily we have the US Amex Costco card, it is cheaper to join and pay your membership in the US.
Andrena
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