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Business Profile

Auto Electric Equipment

Smart Start

Headquarters

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BBB Accredited BusinessA-Rated by BBB

Reviews

This profile includes reviews for Smart Start's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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    Customer Review Ratings

    1.04

    Average of 111 Customer Reviews

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    Review Details

    • Jeremy J

      Date: 10/17/2024

      Smart start was installed in my vehicle per PA law to get my license. Got an email saying I missed my appointment, yet it was installed that day. Can not set up the app they insist you register to. No answer on any part of the 15 options of their phone number, except to set upna new service. Then when transferred from there since I'm already a customer, no answer. EVER! On hold for hours! PA DOT made this a law yet no company in the ************* is worthy of handling people's lives! This is my job and life and my kids lives. I'm tearing it out of my vehicle and returning it to the installation garage. If there's an emergency and I need to take my child to the emergency room I'm screwed!! As a United States citizen and according to the rights given to us I shall not be restricted transportation or quality of life due to a ******** law to make more $ off of us!! I'm sure I'll be arrested for driving but I have no choice! In this year of 2024, to be a citizen of this country to live as a free individual in the pursuit of happiness i shall travel in MY vehicle at any time without restrictions!!Especially since I wasn't even convicted of a DUI!!! My charge was civil, breach of contract with ********. Due to the fact I got over Covid-19 shortly before a cop pulled behind my utv and pulled his tazer on me for not stopping completely at a stop sign. I was not going into any hospital during covid, it was a risk I wasn't willing to take! So as a natural born US citizen, I politely ask you take this law and device and shove it!!!

    • Tamara M

      Date: 09/20/2024

      If I could give zero stars, I definitely would! My husband had to hide this installed to get his drivers license. We have been through pure H*** with this company! Not long after installation, the transmission went out.. We didnt think anything of it, Soon after the engine went out. I started reading about people having engine trouble after this device was hooked up. The guy that does my husbands Calibration even said that it was rumored people were having mechanical problems after installation. Aside from us having to pay $15,000 to get my husbands truck back on the road. As soon as we did the very first day, he tried to go back to work not only could he not start his truck, but the keypad would not work. We spent a half a day troubleshooting and trying to get someone to answer the call. I even saw where they have an option where you can have an account with roadside assistance! Imagine that another way to collect money and pretty much saying we know youre gonna have trouble so lets offer this! Unbelievable!!! Im trying to figure out why theres not a class action lawsuit against this company???? We plan to reach out to lawyer. We have had enough. There is something very crooked and shady going on! They collect fees for everything, Whether youre at fault or not! Im sure they deal with a lot of people that are not on the up and up.. But this is no excuse! Good people make mistakes and they should not be punished in this way! And shame on ************** for even allowing company like this to handle accounts for people already in a vulnerable situation!

    • David R

      Date: 09/20/2024

      Impossible to get a live agent to resolve any or all accounting issues. Charging fees that are not warranted. (illegal) Making it near impossible to get calibration dates for my vehicle required by court, and I'm off 3 weekdays with my work schedule. Poor communication with the courts and quite frankly this is nothing more than a Ponzi scheme to collect revenue instead of keeping those compliant with court orders.I will be filing for a hearing in the county I was convicted of a DUI with my attorney's help to get reimbursed for the fees I was charged that were not warranted.

    • Jett M

      Date: 09/13/2024

      Spent more time on the phone almost in tears from frustration as no one at customer service ever has answers. You are sent to a call center with no answers with no other option to contact the company. The device tells you that you have 48 hrs before you have to calibrate but the app says something else. This is how they get the fees. If you miss the date the device says and go by the app it doesn't allow you to start the car. This leads to having to get a lock out code that has a fee as well as the calibration fee from having the code entered. It has caused issues with me getting to my employment, and caused me detriment. For a company that was started to help one of the founders employees that missed work due to issues with his alcoholism and a faulty device you would think they would have better ways to help people that are trying to do the right thing. I had set up auto pay and then it was not taken out and paid, company could not explain, Never got contract or lease agreement, company again could not explain. After being charged for things I am not even sure why, I spent 3 hours on the phone and told to fill out incident report, which I did and never got a response. Waited 4 weeks never got anything. Was told I had to pay the almost ****** before I could dispute the charges, yet was never told that the during the 3 hour phone call 4 weeks earlier. When ask if I could have it in writing, was told no they don't do that just verbal. They make you pay and sign up yet do not give you any information to view about any of the fees, etc. It feels like a scam, yet people are forced to use it. The people who need this companies device did something wrong, but they are human and deserve better communication and care than this company gives. Especially when they are paying for a service.

    • John M

      Date: 09/10/2024

      I had smart start in my car for almost a year almost every week I was hit with violations that cost me a lot of money to keep my car running it got so bad that the mechanic shop that installed it had enough and told me they did not have the time to keep my car from lock out every week so they told me not to come back but not before I had them take it out upon removal I found out that I was supposed to have it taken out after 3 months smart Start never told me just kept charging me now they want me to pay them thousands of dollars that I supposedly owe them for not scheduling a removal with them and the place that told me they had no time for me to come in almost every week and clear violations do not use smart start they will **** you dry and then some

    • Virgil C

      Date: 09/03/2024

      Never worked right. Went in several times. Had about three weeks and switched to intoxaloc. Left me stranded several time Would have to blow about fifty times to get a start. Once stranded in 106 degrees for a hour before I got a start. Watched all the videos on line how to use. But that did not help. I think I went above and beyond to make it work. Had to pay installment and de install. Now they want more money and I paid up at de install. They have caused me so me so much frustration.. don't believe I owe more money. Think I should get a refund for install and de install and NY monies paid.

    • Dyell W

      Date: 08/12/2024

      Call 4 times and was told it would take 3 to 5 business days and receive the same info as day one! But nothing change and not a single one to help.

    • Aaron K

      Date: 07/17/2024

      Aaron K

      Date: 07/17/2024

      PLEASE stay away from this company. Horrible customer service and extremely predatory business practices.These people will do everything in their power to extend your time with this horrible device.They should be sued for these kind of practices. The only way they get away with it is getting people to sign up with them through state mandated sanctions.

      Smart Start

      Date: 07/19/2024

      Hello, after reviewing this customer account it is unclear as to the nature of this complaint. He spoke with a Smart Start representative today, July 19, 2024, regarding having the removal of the interlock device, he was advised to go to a nearby service center to have the removal scheduled.

    • Keegan M

      Date: 07/11/2024

      Trash. This company is trash avoid it at all costs.They blatantly lie on their website to appear to provide tons of service locations. These locations DO NOT exist, it is borderline illegal misleading your customers into believing you offer more than you do. They WILL NOT update the website, they want to continue lying to customers. If you call the 800 # they send you to these literally Non existent locations. It is a serious problem getting serviced from this company.Their hours do not reflect the real world. Their locations are open when they feel like it, and close whenever they want.They have been systematically adding fees without notifying customers. I have a suspicion they got in trouble because they just sent out an email explaining how they failed to let people know due to "glitches" but they started charging everyone more secretly without notice months ago.There is no reason to justify the increase in pricing, I have seen zero updates to any physical location, the website, or the customer service side of the business.I'm looking into getting legal help to deal with this company because it is a nightmare.Do not under any circumstances go with this company

    • Araceli A

      Date: 07/11/2024

      Araceli A

      Date: 07/11/2024

      This is the second time I am being charged a fee to restart my car because the smart start shop I go to made a mistake and my cartridge expired. Both times Ive been stuck in over ****************************************************** unlock my car with a code. O had my calibration scheduled for today but I went in yesterday. They have already charged wmy car but Im still being told I have to pay to have my car started then I have to drive to business to get them to fix their mistake. I would like to be reimbursed for my time and my money.

      Smart Start

      Date: 07/12/2024

      Hello, the account shows that an unlock code fee was charged in the amount of $27.06, this has been credited back to your account.

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