Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Smart Start Canada's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Smart Start Canada

  192 - 2301 Premier Way Sherwood Park, AB T8H 2K8

• 

  Smart Start Canada

  17518 105 Ave Edmonton, AB T5N 2P5

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:28/04/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  After making service appointments for the ******************* provider cancels at last minute while you were in the parking lot waiting for your appointment to take place. This is happened twice so far, which is highly frustrating after taking it days off work to get the machine calibrated. The service provider in ******** cancels the service within minutes of your appointment. this causes people lost wages time and money. Id like the company to put into place a ** hour notice of cancellation policy to protect others from happening to them.

  Business Response

  Date: 22/05/2025

  Please feel free to reach out to Smart Start Canada at ************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/04/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  March 28 and April 1st 2025 I have been dealing with trying to remove an interlock out of my car. I have spoken with the ********************* and they have also said I'm scheduled to remove it. My first attempt at removing it was march 28th, they wouldn't remove it because they said I didn't have an appt for removal, which i made with the employee months before and have record of the appt, the employee wanted me to pay $100 in order for me to leave with my car. I waited on hold with main office and they agreed to reschedule to April 1st with no fee. So we reschedule to April 1st and i show up, they then tell me they cant remove it that day. I didn't understand why and i called the main office again. The lady I spoke to was talking down to me right away and claiming my appointment was for the April 2nd even though I have a confirmation email for April 1st. I asked to speak to someone else to try and solve the problem and she refused and then hung up on me. I have now been on hold and left a callback number and am not getting a response. Nobody seems to know what is going on and they refuse to acknowledge my confirmation emails and just claim that I didn't have an appointment. I have now missed two days of work and been given the run around both times and don't know where to go from here to solve this problem. They are also telling me my program is not over till April 4th after all of this, even though i have an email from ********************* claiming my last date is march 28th

  Business Response

  Date: 14/04/2025

  Smart Start has contacted this client and explained the situation in further detail. The client was very understanding once the details were provided.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/01/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  They charge lease fees for faulty equipment. They refuse to provide unfaulty equipment. When their hardware fails I have to suffer the associated expenses, smart start service call + 3rd party contractor installer fees, towing, wage loss, accommodation, meals and incidentals, even though I paid for a working device. They charge me to replace their faulty equipment with different faulty equipment even though it doesnt correct the issue. They fail to provide the consumables/mouth pieces that we pay for. They dont even give you a holder for the head and then blame you for abusing it. I have had 2 units in two months, both failed, heater recalls, but no replacements available even though it is January. Good thing global warming is helping us out a wee bit. I had to go to two different locations to have the new unit installed, at my cost.Why do I have to pay for such intolerable service and equipment.The managers wont return calls or answer the phone. You cant escalate your issue to a manager, email only and you dont get the managers email.They force you to use a computer even if you dont have one. Discriminate against me becauseI dont have a computer or cell phone. Not everyone can afford cells and computers, especially if you have a dui. I had to sell mine to pay smart start isnt that ironic.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 16/01/2025

  Happened to me a third time Jan 15, 2025 2 weeks after the second one. Even worse response. Car is dead and I have to tow to them or pay to have a new unprogrammed head shipped to me. ****** equipment again. Life safety freezing in a car in an area without cell coverage and without heat because smart start unit is broken, again 3rd time.   Always my fault that I have faulty equipment. This is costing me a lot of $ and I dont understand why since I pay a lease fee to rent the equipment, take care of it and follow the rules 

  Business Response

  Date: 06/02/2025

  
                 Smart Start has contacted this client and explained the situation in further detail.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 13/02/2025

   
  Complaint: 22777442
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  No one from, Smart Start has contacted me and I am still having the same issues
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 24/02/2025

  Smart Start has contacted this client and explained the situation in further detail. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/03/2025

  Where is the smart start response I can't find it I can't navigate this web site I don't use computers

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/03/2025

   
  Complaint: 22777442
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Smart Start has not contacted me or provide the receipts for the money they claim they did not receive
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:29/10/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was required by law to have the Smart Start Ignition Interlock installed in my vehicle for 36 months, which i did. Since having this unit installed there have been several issues with their equipment failing that have resulted in several additional fees for me including early service appointments, lock out fees, missed test fees. These additional fees are a result of their faulty equipment. I have submitted refund requests which they have refused. I've requested a call back from a manager which I received and again was told that they would not refund my money for these additional issues and try to claim that I'm provide improper samples. I've had the unit for well over a year and know how to use the machine, their own technicians tell me its the equipment and I'm owed a refund. When I asked for the managers name she refused to provide it. I was requesting the violation reset amount of 85$

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/07/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Smart Start Canada is the provider of ignition interlock devices in SK and needed to have an interlock device installed in order to be issued a drivers license by ***. I used their services for several months (prepaying). In early 2021, my vehicle was impounded for a month in ********, SK by an ex girlfriend of mine, and when it was released, I discovered that the handset for the interlock device was missing, along with other belongings of mine, such as an amplifier and radar detector. I subsequently have received absolutely NO services whatsoever from smart start canada, but after a few years have passed now, I was recently informed that smart start canada has been charging me over a hundred dollars a month, despite me having been provided with no service or products from the company, and that the total amount they allege that I owe being approximately $6,500.00. They stated that the replacement cost of the handset that I no longer have is approximately $400. I informed them that I would be willing to pay the cost of replacement for the missing equipment, but smart start told me this was not possible and that until the part was returned, they would continue billing every month, apparently for the rest of my life, regardless of whether I pay this alleged debt to them or not. Anyone in the world when presented with an accurate account of the facts would agree that this company's actions are extremely unfair and that they have no legal right to be making these demands of me. I spoke with someone from smart starts collections department named ***** from *********************, AB who suggested that I make a proposal to them, ie. Payment plan for their consideration. I immediately responded to this request asking for a statement of account, detailing the charges amounting to the $6500 they say I owe, but have yet to receive a reply to my emails or voicemails left for them, and when I call in, I've had no luck speaking to anyone who can provide me with this info.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/04/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Their device malfunction and they charge me for their device malfunctioning. They have lied to me several times on recorded phone calls there are avoiding the situation of a meeting their device of malfunction after lying to me several times about appointments, and being qualified to handle the situation and not letting me talk to a manager And even the managers do not have answers, so they are extorting money from a malfunctioning device.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/03/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My smart start device has put my car in some kind of *****. lock mode. And nobody knows how to fix it. I have called Smart Start and they have been saying that it is not there fault and they will do nothing about it. They are putting the whole blame on me and charging me to change my device to another car. I do work, I am trying to change my life around and I am doing so. But when big companies with all of there money don't want to help the user and blame them for something that the user had no say in. The user ends up try to bypass the system, and then gets in trouble because they are trying to save money. Now after everything I will be down roughly about $2500. I need help from someone please, I do not have the extra money to pay for all of this. I have a family also to look after. But what does smart start have to say about that, tough luck everything that has been done has been done by the user. If I had done something wrong than I will take responsibility for it, so why can't Smart Start. It started when the device was getting installed in another car of mine that I had to buy because the other car my son needs for College, and on my wife needs other car for her work. When the person was installing the device my battery had died, the technician charged my battery and it was ready to go. I know it wasn't the installers error, it has to do with the device. So the car drove for about 3 days and then one day all of a sudden the car would not start at all and my battery had died. Bought another battery and installed it and started car up. It started for 1 minute and then died out and after that my car did not start no more. Took it to ******** automotive and the had the car for 2 days and they could not find anything wrong with the vehicle. They did every kind of test but nothing, and they still charged me for looking at my car. I had called around to the states to Japan to the ****** company to *****. repair shops and all of them had one thing to say, your device messed up your car. So I tell Smart Start this and they tell me that there is no way that the device did this to my car and everyone else is lying. All of those specialists that are the best at there fields they said don't know anything about the device. So can someone please call me to help me out. My bank account is draining so fast from all of this. I don't know if I have to buy another car, and if I do no one is going to reimburse me for the expensise that I have acquired from all of this headache. PLEASE SOMEONE PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME OUT. They should not be able to get away with this kind of stuff, Smart Start is supposed to be helping people like us out not stealing from our back pockets.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:16/02/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid a deposit of 250 dollars suppose to be refunded at the end of term ihave waited over 3 months with nothing contacted them they won't give me any information won't let me talk to accountant they also charged me for an unlocked for that didn't unlock my device had to call back to get another code that they charged me again go get it removed was told it would be refunded ND just going in circles trying to get my refund wich they have not given me or any information they also booked me an appointment at the wrong place and when i missed the appointment because i was at the other locarion they charged me for a missed appointment I sincerely feel they are doing this to numerous people given the circumstances the people they are doing it to they think they can get away with it and it's wrong

• Initial Complaint

  Date:13/02/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On January 19th 2024 at 5:05pm the interlock device failed me on an attempt to start the car. It then prompted me to blow again and gave a clear reading allowing me to drive and so I thought nothing of it and proceeded to go for dinner with friends from church. After dinner, on my way home, it failed me on a running re-test, and as a result I have had my condition extended for three months. I believe this to be unjust as I have been sober for quite some time and have adhered to the rules set out by smart start as much as possible. I have had a few violations over my time with the device in the car but not one was because of me drinking an alcoholic beverage. I had missed test violations from leaving my car running and missing a blow. And I have had minor violations due to either condensation build up from leaving the device in my car over night or using windshield washer fluid and having the vapor leak into the cabin of the car. I rely on my vehicle for work and have done my best to adhere to the rules. I accept that I had a problem with alcohol in the past and after getting a DUI I decided to quit drinking altogether in order to better my health and to never be tempted to drink and drive again. Because of this test failure on the 19th and the extension I am now afraid to drive the vehicle and risk another device failure. I have reached out to smart start about this and they have not been helpful. I have trustworthy sources that can verify my sobriety but they are not willing to hear my appeal. I am at a loss and feel as if this system has inaccurately judged my case. All I want is to have the device removed and have my file closed as I believe the time have have served has been sufficient. I cannot afford to lose my license again and I'm terrified of that happening now as it seems I cannot trust the accuracy of this device nor the company Smart Start Canada.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:20/12/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On December 9, 2023 my vehicle started on fire , no fault of my own. The vehicle has been wrote off. I now get a call from Smart Start Collection agency asking me for $377 to have someone come out and retrieve device from my vehicle. I have and reported to them that I have the handset. I pay $12 a month insurance for a policy that states if no fault of owner device is stolen or damaged this insurance covers $1600. I have asked and the gentleman says don’t understand the question. Puts me on hold numerous times. Long story short if I don’t pay $377 I can not get another device installed in a new vehicle they I have $2000 from insurance to buy. I am a 64 year old female on disability and can not afford this extra expense. No one will answer my questions or tell me who to call. I wish Smart Start Canada had competition then maybe they would give better customer service