Irish Taxi Forum
Public Area => Taxi Talk => Topic started by: U Wha on November 30, 2017, 01:51:55 am
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They seem to be building up a head of steam. Ads on sunshine fm, stickers on taxis, downloadable app on play store.
I downloaded the app, doesn't appear to be fully functional yet. I signed up and sent a seperate email and got a reply saying come in for a sticker but no phone number or address.
The website says taxi cooperative but is it?
If it is for real, then maybe its not a good idea to have two driver owned apps kicking off together.
Might be better to work together for drivers.
Sent a couple more emails but no reply yet.
Any body hear anything or know where they are based?
Like to go and meet them and see if they are a genuine co-op.
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found a number 01 5252888
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Claiming to be a co-op, Can't check it on CRO website as co-ops are registered with Registrar of Friendly Societies. Same building but the records aren't online.
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http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Whistle-Taxi-App-Limited-593891 (http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Whistle-Taxi-App-Limited-593891)
Company Name:Whistle Taxi App Limited
Time in Business:11 Months
Company Number:593891
Current Status:NORMAL
Principal Activity:[4932] Taxi Operation
May Trade As:Whistle Taxi App Ltd
Registered Address:
6 the Court,
Ashbourne Industrial Estate,
Ashbourne,
Co Meath
Directors
John Boyle CO MEATH
http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/White-Dove-Taxis-Limited-477443 (http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/White-Dove-Taxis-Limited-477443)
Company Name:White Dove Taxi's Limited
Time in Business:8 Years
Company Number:477443
Current Status:NORMAL
Principal Activity:[60.22] Taxi Operation
May Trade As:White Dove Taxi's Ltd
Registered Address:
86 Cluain Rí,
Ashbourne,
Co. Meath
A84 KP08
Directors
John Boyle CO MEATH
Frances Comiskey DUBLIN 9
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[url]http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Whistle-Taxi-App-Limited-593891[/url] ([url]http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Whistle-Taxi-App-Limited-593891[/url])
Company Name:Whistle Taxi App Limited
Time in Business:11 Months
Company Number:593891
Current Status:NORMAL
Principal Activity:[4932] Taxi Operation
May Trade As:Whistle Taxi App Ltd
Registered Address:
6 the Court,
Ashbourne Industrial Estate,
Ashbourne,
Co Meath
Directors
John Boyle CO MEATH
[url]http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/White-Dove-Taxis-Limited-477443[/url] ([url]http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/White-Dove-Taxis-Limited-477443[/url])
Company Name:White Dove Taxi's Limited
Time in Business:8 Years
Company Number:477443
Current Status:NORMAL
Principal Activity:[60.22] Taxi Operation
May Trade As:White Dove Taxi's Ltd
Registered Address:
86 Cluain Rí,
Ashbourne,
Co. Meath
A84 KP08
Directors
John Boyle CO MEATH
Frances Comiskey DUBLIN 9
Cool thanks. So not a co-op, they may be telling porkies unless they are setting up a whistle app co-op for drivers that will have some say, own or part own the limited company.
The email indicated they had a new office but no address.
Have to arrange to meet them and find out what they are really about. If it is a genuine co-op, no point confusing drivers with another, see if we can work together, if it is a genuine driver co-op that shouldn't be a problem.
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Let us know how you get on.
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Eventually got through on a bad line to a lady who told me the office was at 23 Fitzwilliam square. So jumped in the taxi and headed in. I met the MD John Boyce. I outlined the proposal for eircab and asked if whistle was an driver owned co-op. He said drivers buy 1 share each for €50. He said he owned one share. It is not a co-operative society it is a limted company so that could be problematic unless very clearly stated. I asked what is in it for him. He said he wants to.recoup his investment and be the CEO/MD. Left thinking
that he was open and answered the questions I asked. The ownership element is vague. Don't know if that was on purpose or maybe unaware how a co-op shoukd be formed and controlled. The shareholder.agreement has holes all over it and quite amauterish. I left saying if I could be convinced that it was a genuine co-op. I would back off with eircab and and get involved and support him. He said he would think about it. Gut feeling wont hold my breath on him calling or its genuineness as a co-op.
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(https://s17.postimg.cc/dow7p3kij/20171130_153143.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/dow7p3kij/)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/bkbuo1dqz/20171130_153154.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/bkbuo1dqz/)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/g67ywemff/20171130_153256.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/g67ywemff/)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/b7kghwl7f/1512061237515882812937.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/b7kghwl7f/)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/68wy3e4jv/1512061259344712435265.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/68wy3e4jv/)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/ks434tku3/1512061283135-786660621.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ks434tku3/)
(https://s17.postimg.cc/oohf0tsyz/1512061309756189524899.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/oohf0tsyz/)
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Wishy washy at best. How much salary is he owed to date? How much is the app owner paid? etc etc etc...
Anywaysanall, did he get 50 notes outta you?
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ERM cabs only a nifty and I will show you how a rank works how to recognize somebody with their hand out good places to take a piss and how to put juice in your motor .One off payment info last you for life .
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Said he had paid €30k up front for tailored app development with a deal of 10c per job processed through app instead of paying 400k up front. The last page of shareholder agreement that I posted earlier says MD salary shall not exceed 2k per week.
He claimed to have 800 drivers signed up early in conversation. Then later on hesaid he had 220 x€50 shares paid up already. Might have meant that in a different context. He was walking me out and stated that a driver had given him €10k because he believed.in the idea. Bit confusing was that for shares or a loan.
I reckon he should have waited til new year for radio ads because it is busy now and it will be lost in the christmas noise. Know soon enough either way. Worth going in because it gave me a perspective of wheter I was convinced by the story from the outside.
No didn't give a nifty. Not convinced yet. At this stage I reckon money would be better spent on erm cabs advice.
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Said he had paid €30k up front for tailored app development with a deal of 10c per job processed through app instead of paying 400k up front. The last page of shareholder agreement that I posted earlier says MD salary shall not exceed 2k per week.
He claimed to have 800 drivers signed up early in conversation. Then later on hesaid he had 220 x€50 shares paid up already. Might have meant that in a different context. He was walking me out and stated that a driver had given him €10k because he believed.in the idea. Bit confusing was that for shares or a loan.
I reckon he should have waited til new year for radio ads because it is busy now and it will be lost in the christmas noise. Know soon enough either way. Worth going in because it gave me a perspective of whether I was convinced by the story from the outside.
No didn't give a nifty. Not convinced yet. At this stage I reckon money would be better spent on erm cabs advice.
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Why not put yourself forward for MD at first AGM with a promise to refund the €50 to the first 112 (a Nelson would be unlucky) shareholders that vote for you, out of your own pocket? It'd cost you less than 3 weeks wages.
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BTW, the original website stated that the app supplier required no up front payment. Also, not sure how tailored app development fits in with the assertion (on first page posted) that "we will use a taxi software company whom are already running taxi apps successfully in Europe".
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You are right, if it was a true co-op /driver owned company anyone that joined could stand.
I don't play cricket so a nelson would be ok..... Don't think anyone would get the opportunity. If you read the shareholder agreement, there is a 8 man committee rather than a board. He said his goal was not to own it but have the MD's job. Bit all over the place, could have genuine intentions but I am not convinced at this point. Would have to form a proper co-op or a have a iron clad share structure checked by lawyers for loop holes, to ensure no back door takeover by the boys down the road. To be fair he could be ignorant or unaware of how it should be properly set up. If his ambition is to be the CEO running it under the direction of a board elected by drivers, fair enough, but he would be have to open to competing for the position with others, if it is to be fair and transparent. He would likely have a lot of support as a founder but no guarantees.
Anyway I have no ambition for a MD's job other than running eircab until the 1st AGM, when I would stand down. What's in it for me then? My end game is that when I graduate I will set up a business that consults start ups. The process of researching a business idea, checking the feasibility and going through the set up stages will give me experience and if eircab got going it would look well on my CV and be my first start up client, especially a social enterprise. If it never gets past research, feasibility or early set up, no big deal, I still learn and it will be helpful to me either way.
Yes, he mentioned that they were using a company that had designed other apps but something along the lines of developing a stand alone version for whistle. Not defending the change/s (if any) in how it is being done, but as you know in business things can change, might have had to re-adjust or renegotiate his position depending on his circumstances. At the same time any changes should be made public or at least to drivers. Maybe they did, he mentioned a whats app group that he uses to update drivers/members.
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He mentioned that the developers weren't progressing as fast as he had anticipated. Think he mentioned it was meant to go live next week in some fashion but having some hiccups.
That is the danger of going with a deal like the one he describes, where an app development company controls & owns the platform, poor performance, no control of the platform and the data. If they ever wanted to develop their own platform, the current app developer/provider might not release the customer database, history, data etc.
It solves a start up problem but could be sowing the seeds of bigger issues down the road. Might be better to have venture capital firm fund the development of an in house platform with non voting equity/share as security until the investment is repaid.
(In house development and ownership has the potential to create revenue for the driver app as the platform could be modified and sold/leased to operators in other countries) just an idea! I get all excited at this hour of the morning, must be the MMDA.
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Taxi apps are two a penny. €30k is lunacy for something you don't own or control. In a limited company environment the directors are generally (re)elected by the shareholders in AGM. Maybe the drivers shares are of a non-voting class or something.
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My comments are based on a conversation and a badly worded document, may be lost in translation or context, but gut feeling says it isn't.
Drivers having one share (at €50 each) and he claims to only have one himself. A limited company can have an authorised share capital of a million or more, depends how it is set up. Maybe couple of thousand paid up (issued) so still leaves a lot for 'others' to buy and dominate the driver shares.
Like I said very vague, which may raise questions, not the best way to convince drivers that it is fair, open and transparent, at best I might say he just doesn't know how to set it up properly, it is a complex matter. But first impressions stick.
I have learnt a lot about the need to present the ownership in the right way, so all good.
Definitely said he gave €30k up front, that they had 800 drivers signed up (although that became 220 that had paid €50 later in the conversation).
Is that €11k paying for the radio ads, it's on all stations, interesting to see how long they last. Bad timing either way!
Also said he had people who knew what they were doing, investment wise, investing because they believed in the idea. So are they loans or share purchases and if so how do they relate to the drivers shares?
Tripping up along the way, maybe attempting to lend the business more credibility than it has. If he is genuine, he is fooling himself by beefing it up, because any reasonable person can see through it.
Shame.. could have been good. Ah well back to eircab.
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Haven't heard the radio ad yet, is it running on Xmas FM? There doesn't seem to be a rider app on Google Play. Anywaysanall, I'm not keen on investing €50 in an app firm that doesn't seem to own or control an app. If it was PPJ I'd have no hesitation in signing up. There's a need for competition in app based dispatch so whatever the ultimate agenda I wish them well.
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I went in got the speech too
Dont think it doing well
Its running low in funds I think
Heard the adds on sunshine
I think the 50 euro from a taxi drivers is blood from a stone
However mytaxi is scared of competition I hear
Ya need 250. 000 to launch a app properly id say
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Lad invested money in something beyond his educational reach going to lose his bollox but wants moronic arseholesw ho drive taxies to bail him out if you invest in this your kids showd divorce you you fucking idiots .
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50 hardly a investment
Wouldn't get u a nite out
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It's being marketed as an investment insofar as you get some class of share in return. Funny enough, if it was a sign up fee (possibly credited against future commission) I might be more inclined to pay it. €250k would finance 25,000 tenner vouchers, not sure where that'd get you or if spending it on billboards and/or other advertising would earn a better return. The problem, of course, is that €250k is nothing to the multinationals. Seems a little odd that there's no marketing executive listed on the schedule of salaries given that the marketing department is going to spend the lion's share of the annual budget.
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Well u wud know with ur saytaxi adventure
Srir dont know if id spsnd 50 on it
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I wouldn't, we never had a marketing budget but the app cost nothing which is a €30k saving on Whistle's approach - although I take no credit for that, Roy negotiated the deal.
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BTW, I still can't find a rider app on Google Play and the links on http://www.whistletaxiapp.com (http://www.whistletaxiapp.com) are all dead except the "become a driver" one. You'd think they would have working links to the apps on their website before advertising the service on the wireless?
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My impression but I could be wrong its disorganized and amateur
They could make it I dont know but slim chance id say
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I remember an assholes trying to convince drivers to invest €5K in a new taxi company.
Even got a ropey Politican to throw his oar in.
Apparently, in 5 years time there would be 2500 drivers paying freight.
I believe they have 50 or less 12 years on.
I bet one or two of them will get another pension out of it!
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According to the Whistle app driver page on the oul Facebook they're gonna be incorporating some sort of PIN system to pay by card that sounds remarkably like the selling point of the Flag app.
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The in-app comments from management suggest an extremely successful launch... despite the negative (potential) passenger feedback on the toy shops.
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Two customers have asked me if I'm on the Whistler?. They're buying adverts on the radio and space on the back of buses so they might just make a dent come January when drivers are more aware of the 12% Mytaxi commission.
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Two customers have asked me if I'm on the Whistler?. They're buying adverts on the radio and space on the back of buses so they might just make a dent come January when drivers are more aware of the 12% Mytaxi commission.
The problem they might have in January or February is earning enough to sustain their advertising .Mytaxi will have drivers available for the reduced number of passengers so they wont have to try another app .Has anybody got any idea of the waiting time between hitting the button and the car arriving .
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Management seem happy with how it's progressing. I'm sure they're aware of the need to cover expenses including advertising, servicing high interest loans, salaries, rent, light and heat, uniforms, lunch, elevenses, afternoon tea, parking, taxi fares, etc, etc... If they listened to you it wouldn't exist!
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Management seem happy with how it's progressing. I'm sure they're aware of the need to cover expenses including advertising, servicing high interest loans, salaries, rent, light and heat, uniforms, lunch, elevenses, afternoon tea, parking, taxi fares, etc, etc... If they listened to you it wouldn't exist!
And they would still have their cash .
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They have more cash now. They're collecting wages, expenses, etc...
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Customers asking about the Go whistle app are being told it's run by a disgruntled taxi renter, peopled by disgruntled drivers...by me.