Reviews
95 Customer Reviews
Review from Tina P
1 star01/30/2025
Worst company ever! Can't get someone to assist you when you have issues with your device and device just randomly locks you out even though you do not blow a failed test. The device won't register your blow. Tells you to blow longer, and/or please retry. Then when you retry like the device tells you to, it will lock you out after so many attempts even though the device told you to retry multiple times. You end up having to pay a 35 dollar lock out code fee to get the deviced unlocked, then have to take your car to the shop to get the deviced recalibrated, which is another 80 dollar fee. The techs at the shop tell you that you can go online and dispute the charge and the company will refund your money. However, they tell you they will put a credit on your acct. Just to find out they don't do either. Can't get in touch with anyone in customer service when you call and online chats are no help. They will just end the chat while you're in the middle of typing without any warning. Do not recommend at all.
Smart Start Response
01/31/2025
Hello, the notes in your account show that you were sent a response to the incident report on January 15, 2025. The response in part states:
Thank you for contacting Smart Start. I received your incident report and reviewed your account.
After reviewing your incident report and the device data, I entered a credit on your Smart Start account for the cost of this lockout. You will see this reflected on your Smart Start account on the next service of the device.
Please bring any device issues or odd behavior to the attention of the technician so we may resolve them for you. Please note that Smart Start providing discounts will not negate any readings with the device. ******** is required to be sent to the monitoring authority, unaltered. Should readings become an issue or if you wish to dispute these readings further you may need to request a hearing with the monitoring authority directly.If you have any additional incidents to report please utilize the incident report form.
Review from Nina M
1 star01/18/2025
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!This company has been nothing but a headache since I had it installed. No one knows what they are doing. Never mind the fact that it take hours to get a representative on the phone, when you finally do they have people that are not even located in the united state and who are not properly trained assist. I had a very disturbing experience with a representative from ***** named ******* who made very rude and unprofessional comments. Telling me i should be more responsible as if he knows or understands my situation. I have left several messages for supervisors that have yet to be returned. I am continuously being locked out resulting in additional fees which at this point i feel like it is a system the company has put in place to get additional funds from people that are already in a tough place. I lost my job and only sourse of income due to them locking me out without reason. This company is built on deceit and false representation and advertisements.Review from Sergio C
1 star01/15/2025
Smart Start, quoted me for ******* to install so I would agree to enroll. The shop called me and told me it would be 560. After installation and removal the difference will be over 500. Smart Start then said they have no control over prices but canceling means you don't get the initial deposit back. This is after rescheduling 2 times because the drop off and time estimates are nowhere near the same as when you get to the shops. Ridiculous.Review from Chris E
1 star01/07/2025
They nickle and dime you! They tell you, you only need to get a recalibration every 2 months, they fail to tell you that you must pay for 2 months rather than once a month like any normal bill. They have an app you can use that is useless( customer service acknowledged this, recalibration did to) I setup auto pay on it. No money was coming out of my bank account, thats why I called customer service, They setup auto pay for me over the phone but charged me more for paying my bill over the phone, I told them I used their app and had autopay setup prior, but she was unable to reverse the charge. Kinda stuck over a barrel here. Really forced to use them, I dont wanna spend the cost to have an interlock removed, and a new one installed. Currently looking at legal options over this. Overall, dont use Smart StartSmart Start Response
01/09/2025
Hello, please reach out to me at ************************************ so that I can be of assistance.Review from Cesar L
1 star01/06/2025
Where do I even begin. Id say lets ********************** with their customer service and hold times. Good luck talking to someone within 3 hours of waiting on the phone. Next I want to share my experience of how they tried to (***) make me pay for a device in full as if I lost it when in reality they had received it in the mail on their part and due to negligence, did not document it and so they continued to bill me for a device I never had for months until they found said device but Im sure they would have happily accepted the $2000+ they were charging me to replace it. Once found, they said I needed to pay $200 to bring my account up to date and proceed with the device removal so I agree and when I check my bank statements, to no surprise they go ahead and take $650. I wish I would have checked their reviews before doing business with them because what a nightmare it has been. If I can stop at least one person from going with smart start Ive done my part.Smart Start Response
01/09/2025
Hello, please contact me at ************************************ so that I can be of assistance.Review from Theophilus N
1 star12/31/2024
I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction with Smart Start and the device installed in my Tesla. This device has been nothing short of a nightmare. It frequently turns my car on without reason, which has resulted in 11 lockout violations in just two months. This is absolutely unacceptable.Ive contacted your customer service countless times, enduring hold times of two hours or more. When I finally get through, Im passed from department to department without anyone providing a clear solution. To make matters worse, *** submitted four incident reports requesting reimbursement, and not once has anyone from your company bothered to respond.This level of service is beyond unprofessional. Ive seen numerous complaints from other customers about similar issues, and I have no idea how your company is still allowed to operate given such widespread and unresolved problems.I demand immediate action to address this situation. I want:A Reimbursement for all lockout violations caused by your device.A Reimbursement for all charges that I had to pay the auto partner as well.If I do not receive a satisfactory response within 7 days, I will have no choice but to escalate this matter further, including filing complaints with regulatory bodies and sharing my experience publicly.I expect prompt and decisive action.Smart Start Response
01/09/2025
Please reach out to me at ************************************ so that I can be of assistance.Review from Andrew S
1 star12/09/2024
Smart start has the most horrible customer service I have ever had to deal with in my life. The device regular shows false violations and then the company charges for you to have to visit the technician to recalibrate the device every time it gets the false violation and the company refuses to reimburse you for the additional cost. The customer service representatives have regularly hung up on me and provided false or misleading information. The phone menu system makes it nearly impossible to speak to a live representative.Smart Start Response
01/09/2025
Hello, your account shows the last violation was in May 2024. Please let me know if there is a recent issue that you need assistance with. I can be contacted at ************************************Review from daryl l
1 star12/03/2024
car battery died, Tried using a jump pack. gave me a violation. Had to have my car towed to get a new battery installed. Called smart start waited for hour and half before anyone responded. said i needed to pay $35 for the unlock code and then to pay $125 to have it recalibrated. Then they proceeded to tell me i needed to take batter care of my vehicle and this wouldn't of happened. after arguing and them saying there is no manager or supervisor to talk to and they are "Offshore" and then they just hung up on me. Like to over talk when i was trying to speak. Rude and a total joke. **** ******* the CEO is running a total ******** of a company that scam and over charge for every small little thing they can. Also the phone number to call and "talk" to someone is pathetic. just number pressing number need to get your s*** figure out for the millions of dollars you guys make every month. f****** jokeSmart Start Response
01/09/2025
Hello, our records show that the unit logged a skipped test while the vehicle was unattended. Per the response to your incident report: The state regulates that active devices initiate a rolling retest after the vehicle has started. It is your responsibility to be able to see and/or hear the machine as it signals the testing window. If the device requests a test you are required to take it with in the allowed time frame. This includes leaving an active unit unattended or skipping the final test of your drive, which is a user error and not a device malfunction.
Your account does not show that you were charged or paid for an unlock code fee or have to pay $125 to have the device recalibrated. The account shows you were charged a $75 lockout fee due to the skipped test. This is in addition to the monthly device lease fee.
Review from justin s
1 star11/26/2024
Sh$t show, don't do business with these guys.. just read the comments. If I could give them less than 1 star, I would .Smart Start Response
01/09/2025
Please contact us at ************** if you are in need of assistance.Review from Tambrin J
1 star11/21/2024
The price gouging..misinformation.inability to SPEAK to someone who COMPREHENDS what I as a customer am trying to convey via email (which have lapse in days between the correspondence), chats (that robotically tell you the same things over and over again and end abruptly), hour long phone conversations (with departments that dont even handle the issues at hand) is OVERWHELMINGLY FRUSTRATING and ANGERING!!! To be held accountable and financially responsible for the INACCURACY OF AN EMPLOYEE is totally WRONG and absurd to me!!!!! The one star rating is TOO MUCH TO GIVE! ????????Smart Start Response
01/09/2025
Please contact us at ************** if you are needing assistance.
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Average of 95 Customer Reviews
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