WARNING: Price gouging at gas stations in Orlando

[ptaylor]

There are a couple of gas stations near to Orlando Airport that are charging over $5 per gallon, and do not display their prices on a sign that is visible from the road. The two offenders near the airport are Shell and Suncoast Energy.

Right by WDW (across from Crossroads) and right near the entrance to the Downtown Disney area there is also a Mobil station that does not display it's prices on a sign, they charge around $4 per gallon.

If you are looking for gas near WDW, use any of the on-property Hess stations. They use the same pricing as off-property (currently around $2.60).

If any station does not display it's prices on a sign, be prepared to be ripped off once you are at the pump.

The city is currently taking legal action against these locations, but it's taking a while to get anything enforced.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

I belive that some members of the FL legislature were trying to make a law last year that would require gas stations to display their prices on a visible sign because of these issues in Orlando. Unfortunately I think it was overturned.

 

[Master Yoda]

This is a good warning to keep out there.

If I am not mistaken this has been going on for a couple of years at these stations around the airport. What is happening is they are nabbing people returning there rental cars who are filling up at the closest gas station to the airport. You will find that many gas stations near any airport will have significantly higher gas prices (20-50 cents over market price is common) but the situation near MCO is way out of control.

 

[worldfanatic]

I understand charging a higher price due to a favorable location. Totally understandable.
But $5/gallon.......... in Florida??
Without clearly visible signage??

That borders on criminal.

I'm no thief.............. but if I was, I'd target those

 

[Testtrack321]

I've seen several airport gas stations that have increased prices, but those are just expensive compared to the rest of the city, not a near two fold increase!

I also think they're trying to catch out of country visitors who don't know the prices here. This is very shady and thanks for the heads up!

 

[rct247]

Doesn't surprise me.

There is a Shell station off of Vineland Road (on the other side of I-4 from the Crossroads area outside of Downtown Disney) that is always about 10 cents (sometimes 20cents) higher than the Shell station down the road on 535 going away from Crossroads area. On my GPS, the less expensive one doesn't show to exist, and at night, the less expensive one closes leaving the more expensive one the only one open.

I have also seen the more expensive one not list the price per gallon AND have also seen the pumps display a different price than what the sigh lists.

Price gouging is definitely a problem in the high traffic tourist areas.

 

[UberPlannerMom]

I think it is just something that "everyone" knows when they use rental cars alot. Even in the 80's and 90's I can remember my mother freaking out about how much more the gas was at the only station close enough to not get her a "gas refill charge" for her rental car! Honestly I want to giggle when I think about it not because it might have only been a 5 cent per gallon increase. At the time that was highway robbery, but now I know plenty of people who refuse to go to a station on the other side of the road for only 5 cents a gallon! Anyway, It might not be true all the time but I am sure you noticed he used the word many as opposed to the words all or every.

 

[828tnt]

I'm no thief.............. but if I was, I'd target those

niiiice....... let's get 'em!!!!

 

[828tnt]

WOW! Who ed in your Wheaties this morning? :shrug:

agreed. it is a fairly common practice- sorry, i won't take the time to google a random source.

capitalism at it's finest.... why is it so hard to believe? an unethical gas/oil operation....

 

[Master Yoda]

That's not true at all. Where are getting this information from (or are you just making an assumption and presenting it as fact)?

Jacksonville FL Lowest gas price $2.56 price near airport $2.79
Los Angeles CA Lowest gas price $2.93 price near airport $3.15
Atlanta GA Lowest gas price $2.39 price near airport $2.65

How about them facts? To drive the point home even further not every station reports their prices. Much of the information on gas prices comes voluntarily from the station or from user input. In the case of the airport I am most familiar with (JAX) there are at least 2 stations known for steep prices that are not listed on any online gas price monitoring site.

Source gasbuddy and MSN Auto

 

[jakeman]

Jacksonville FL Lowest gas price $2.56 price near airport $2.79
Los Angeles CA Lowest gas price $2.93 price near airport $3.15
Atlanta GA Lowest gas price $2.39 price near airport $2.65

How about them facts? To drive the point home even further not every station reports their prices. Much of the information on gas prices comes voluntarily from the station or from user input. In the case of the airport I am most familiar with (JAX) there are at least 2 stations known for steep prices that are not listed on any online gas price monitoring site.

Source gasbuddy and MSN Auto

There seems to have been a little editing in this thread. :lookaroun

My experience is anecdotal, but it does involve about 8 years of travel all over the country.

I would say a vast majority of gas stations charge more the closer you are to the airport. Very rarely do I remember seeing gas prices cheaper near the rental return.

 

[Master Yoda]

There seems to have been a little editing in this thread. :lookaroun

My experience is anecdotal, but it does involve about 8 years of travel all over the country.

I would say a vast majority of gas stations charge more the closer you are to the airport. Very rarely do I remember seeing gas prices cheaper near the rental return.

At least we have evidence of the ziff man's brilliance preserved in my post.:drevil:

 

[wbc]

It's not price gouging because there is no current civil emergency.

 

[Master Yoda]

It's not price gouging because there is no current civil emergency.

Technically correct. From a legal standpoint I do not think the stations around the airport that jack up their prices are doing anything wrong. From a moral standpoint I think that they are the scum of the earth and are taking advantage of people. All we can do is warn as many people as possible and hopefully enough people will avoid those stations and they will go under or return to more reasonable business tactics.

 

[Space Mountain]

Doesn't surprise me.

There is a Shell station off of Vineland Road (on the other side of I-4 from the Crossroads area outside of Downtown Disney) that is always about 10 cents (sometimes 20cents) higher than the Shell station down the road on 535 going away from Crossroads area.

Price gouging is definitely a problem in the high traffic tourist areas.

20 cents? I go past this station almost every day and the price is usually $0.50 to $1.50 higher than the average prices everywhere else in the area...Yesterday the price for regular was $3.789, compared to $2.689 at the Hess station on 536

 

[snowpony]

For $5 a gallon, I expect a carwash, window washing, and some snacks!

For those flying in, thank goodness for Magical Express! :sohappy:

There are a couple of gas stations near to Orlando Airport that are charging over $5 per gallon, and do not display their prices on a sign that is visible from the road. The two offenders near the airport are Shell and Suncoast Energy.

Right by WDW (across from Crossroads) and right near the entrance to the Downtown Disney area there is also a Mobil station that does not display it's prices on a sign, they charge around $4 per gallon.

If you are looking for gas near WDW, use any of the on-property Hess stations. They use the same pricing as off-property (currently around $2.60).

If any station does not display it's prices on a sign, be prepared to be ripped off once you are at the pump.

The city is currently taking legal action against these locations, but it's taking a while to get anything enforced.

 

[raven]

There are a couple of gas stations near to Orlando Airport that are charging over $5 per gallon, and do not display their prices on a sign that is visible from the road. The two offenders near the airport are Shell and Suncoast Energy.

What is happening is they are nabbing people returning there rental cars who are filling up at the closest gas station to the airport. You will find that many gas stations near any airport will have significantly higher gas prices (20-50 cents over market price is common) but the situation near MCO is way out of control.

This is exactly what is going on. If you rent a car and need to return it full, try driving about 2 miles away from the rental place and you will notice a dramatic price decrease. This happens all over the place and not just near MCO.

On a side note, I found the gas on property to be cheaper than the stations that are near where I live.

 

[mrerk]

Technically correct. From a legal standpoint I do not think the stations around the airport that jack up their prices are doing anything wrong. From a moral standpoint I think that they are the scum of the earth and are taking advantage of people. All we can do is warn as many people as possible and hopefully enough people will avoid those stations and they will go under or return to more reasonable business tactics.

Exactly. FL law only requires the price be posted on the pump, which it is. The bigger signs that most stations have on top of the pumps are not required by law.

I just fill up at whatever Hess I am near before I leave property and drive to the airport. Never had a problem with the car not being "full" enough upon return.

 

[jhastings74]

I am also a supporter of the on-property Hess station...I would actually make it a point to fill up there after a shift so I wouldn't have to pay the price on the beachside near home (Melbourne Beach), which was usually higher-priced.

On a semi-related side-note, I always thought it was funny that in Melbourne, gas would be one price. If you drove 5 minutes over the causeway (over the Indian River), gas magically became more expensive by about 10-15 cents.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Ok, can I just throw out a little point that may or may not be taken well?

How many people eat a resteratunt without looking at the price before they ingest the food?

How many people throw down their credit card at their local department store without knowing what they are paying for?

How many people actually pump the gas before looking at the price on the pump?

If anything the complaint should be, "I had to drive and find another gas station because the price on the pump that was not posted on a sign was ridiculously high".

If gas is too high at a store when you go to pump it, leave.

Or am I missing something here?