My elderly parents were on their way from the gulf coast area of Florida to their home in Ohio when they experienced a break down in Clermont, Florida. Their 2001 Ford Crown Victoria was loaded with their belongings for the trip back home, and most locals could easily spot them as returning snow birds. I was at work when they broke down, and their car was towed to the nearest Ford dealership, Ford of Clermont, Florida. They found out that they needed to replace their fuel line.
My parents are very friendly, trusting people, and they told the repair manager that they were heading up north on a tight schedule in order to get to my niece's college graduation. Big mistake!
Mom and dad were pressured into paying over $1300 for the repair. They were also needlessly coerced into "shopping" for a new car to make the trip back up north. My parents on an extremely tight social security income, and I am sure that they also told the manager this as well. The part for their car costs $300 on several online sites. I do realise that this part isn't an easy one to replace, but a $1000 mark-up is a travesty. I ran into a friend's brother, who runs a Ford repair garage in a different part of Florida. He was disgusted at the price gouging - and the coercement into "shopping" for a new car. My parents stayed overnight at my house when the car was in the shop, and I had advised them of the giant rip off - so the manager took off about $100.
Ford of Clermont should be ashamed of this blatant rip off of seniors!!!
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