An unadvertised phone number — and allegations surrounding it — are creating acrimony between two of Athens’ three cab companies.
GO TO Cab promotes the phone number 740-590-GOTO in newspaper advertisements and on all five of its vehicles. Athens Transportation, which owns 594-RIDE Taxi, promotes and primarily uses the phone number 740-594-RIDE.
However, GO TO Cab is accusing 594-RIDE employees of falsely representing themselves as working for GO TO Cab when potential customers call the number 740-594-GOTO, which is only one digit different from the company’s normal 740-590-GOTO.
And a White Pages search showed that Athens Transportation’s 594-RIDE Taxi can be reached at the landline telephone number, 740-594-4686 (GOTO).
Gary Kerber, GO TO Cab founder and owner, is very concerned about the possible finger slip.
“I’m losing customers. When people call the 594-GOTO number, are told that’s the number for my business and aren’t told any differently, my number starts to have no value,” Kerber said. “A shockingly similar number that’s going to my competitor and former employer is definitely not at all good for my business.”
Before Kerber started his own taxi business, there were only two cab companies: Tabs Taxi and Athens Transportation’s 594-RIDE.
Kerber left his job as a driver for 594-RIDE in 2007, starting GO TO Cab in 2008. In four years, Kerber’s company has developed a larger fleet — with five cars — than 594-RIDE, which has two.
Terry Boyer, the manager for 594-RIDE, said that, although he bought the similar number for a one-time $40 fee, his motivations were purely economic and nothing personal.
“If we were advertising this number, I’d consider it taking Mr. Kerber’s business,” Boyer said. “But he’s got five cabs out there and can pay the insurance and the drivers, so obviously we’re not taking his business.”
Boyer denies all allegations that his employees misrepresented themselves as GO TO Cab drivers.
“That’s not something that I would allow,” Boyer said. “I can understand why Mr. Kerber would be angry that we have that number, but we’ve got our business and he’s got his. I think there’s enough in Athens for all three cab companies.”
But when The Post called 594-GOTO, the line was silent for several seconds before a recording said, “Goodbye.” Athens Transportation said the number was down intentionally, not because of any complaints from GO TOCab. The number was not functioning at press time.
“We had to shut it down due to the weather we had over the weekend,” Boyer said. “Not at all due to any complaints from (Mr. Kerber). As far as I’m concerned, it’s not illegal to own a phone number.”
594-RIDE’s owning the 594-GOTO phone number is legal, said Kenneth Ryan, an Athens attorney who represents GO TO Cab.
“There’s really nothing I can do (for Kerber) without further evidence,” said Ryan, who works at Eflocker & Oremus. “If (594-RIDE) has represented themselves as my client’s company, then they would certainly be liable for action in a civil lawsuit. Unfortunately, everything we have now is merely anecdotal; I would have to have some verification that the company has actually represented themselves in affiliation with GO TO Cab.”
Kerber first learned of the similar telephone number last summer, when customers and friends told him they suspected 594-RIDE Taxi Service not only used the 594-GOTO number but also falsely told callers that they had reached GO TO Cab.
The source of the first tip came from an acquaintance of Kerber trying to arrange a ride with GO TO Cab last
summer.
The source agreed to share experiences with The Post but was uncomfortable sharing his or her identity because of safety reasons, saying he or she called what he or she thought was a GO TO Cab last summer and spoke to a person who identified himself as a GO TO Cab employee.
“Gary (Kerber) said he was on duty that day, and he would have gotten that call if I had called GO TO,” the source said.
Other GO TO cab customers have expressed similar concerns.
“Customers were telling me that they called what they thought was our number but they got drivers from 594-RIDE instead,” said Chris McCauley, a GO TO Cab driver.
McCauley, 64, has been a driver since 2008 and is concerned about both the dishonesty and the loss in business.
“I was wondering why the calls really dropped off; we were receiving what seemed like a third less calls per day,” McCauley said. “Being off by that one number, that call goes to them instead of us.”
McCauley, an OU alumnus, works two other jobs in the area. He and his wife drive for GO TO during the weekends, and he said the loss of business doesn’t sit well with him and his family.
“I think it stinks. I wouldn’t do anything like that, and I wouldn’t want to work for somebody that thinks that way,” McCauley said. “I would starve before I worked for them, or anybody else that would do something like what they’re doing to us.”
jj360410@ohiou.edu
