Reviews
This profile includes reviews for Smart Start's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Review Ratings
Average of 111 Customer Reviews
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Review fromKaty Jane K
Date: 03/22/2024
5 starsSmart Start claims to be the safest and least expensive IID company, however, its marketing and customer service are atrocities. Their equipment is ineffective and out of date. They also take your information and use it against you. I told them I was required to have an IID for six months and then at that six-month ***** I was given a false positive reading I was charged $140.00 for the false positive. They told the *** that it was a false positive yet they told me that it was "customer error" They told me that food and nonalcoholic drinks could cause their equipment to malfunction. They are also non-communicative, to charge you more money. My parent's credit card information was stolen and that is the card I used for my account. My mother canceled the credit card and Smart Start continued to try to charge it numerous without letting me know and charged me $750.00 in fees. I feel that they should not have BBB accreditation because they are deliberately dishonest or MADD affiliation.Review fromTRACY G
Date: 03/18/2024
1 starI really wish I had read these reviews first, instead of just going with the first interlock company I saw. I am in awe how this company could not be sued into inexistence with how fraudulent their practices are. There are multiple instances I could provide of them teetering on outright theft of my money, but this last one has me near rage tears. My device malfunctioned with the 'Abort' signal, causing my vehicle to not start in a blizzard at a CVS store. Not only did I have to wait two days for it to be dug out, I had to pay for a tow to the Smart Start facility. And then I had to pay for a lock out fee. They told me I need to submit an incident report to have that credited back. I did, & waited, didn't hear anything, did the song & dance of calling, being on hold, & finally getting texted back. They told me they were crediting me back the lockout fee. ************ at my next calibration they have no record of this credit. It is now time for my next monthly ************ *** call/text to see if I can get that ************* tell me I have to submit ANOTHER incident report & wait another SEVEN business days. I call billing, push 2 and its just dead air. I call back and push 4 and the system just hangs up on me. I just don't understand how they can get away with all this, I honestly don't.Review fromBrittany L
Date: 03/18/2024
1 starI was traveling (cali) out of the state I had the interlock installed (wa). I was told that they couldn't provide a lock out code to **************** i had it towed to because they were out of state. Although **************** went through the requirements to obtain the code by calling from a landline to verify they're a legit business, they were still denied a code which would've allowed them to work on my car without having to blow into the device. ********************** implied that they could only give me the code if my car was back in Wa( so i would've had to tow it from ********* to ******).....The other suggestions Smart Start offered me were to have the service techs blow into the device so they could service it ( which i thought wasn't illegal)...or to have me sit there at the shop to blow whenever. **************** was barely any help. It's true, they're all so miserable. They don't take accountability when they give misinformation. And nowhere did it say in their docs that they can't provide a lock-out code to a service shop located outside of the state where the car had the ignition interlock installed. After a week of dealing with Smart start and their constant BS, no solution was made by them. Don't be surprised though. It's true, everything about this company is a scam. Their devices will freeze if you, for some reason, don't fully blow or, not even for any reason, it'll just freeze up and automatically switch to missed test without giving you a chance to blow again. I have it on video. Also, I had a violation when I blew into when I had about 3 to 5 seconds left before it would be considered a missed test. This was when i first had the device. I had forgotten about it, had my music blasting and didn't hear it go off until i had stopped my car and turned down my music. i then noticed i had like 10 seconds to blow. I blew into it, and still, it gave me a violation missed test even though i clearly had a few seconds. A few seconds is a few seconds.Review fromSalina H
Date: 03/07/2024
1 starI called to inquire about a refund when the customer service team as I will be removing my device well before the time I paid through and wanted to see if it could be used toward my removal cost fee. They stated they do not offer any prorations for payment. When I asked where this information is located they referred me to my contract. I informed the agent that this information was not on the website, and I did not receive this contract. When I requested it from the agent, she then forwarded me back into their calling queue, only to have that happen again by another agent. I don't believe this print is in the contract and they are not providing me factual information. As it should be this difficult to locate the documentation to support their claim. Please help.I'm not asking for a credit. I'm asking to use funds I paid in advance for service that will not be used to be used toward additional fees.I feel like companies like this are allowed to exploit their customers based on the incidents that brought them to utilize their services in the first place and it is not right.Review fromLaura S
Date: 02/29/2024
1 starTerrible customer service and the device is terrible! Do not use this company!Review fromAshley M
Date: 02/22/2024
1 starAshley M
Date: 02/22/2024
These people are on power trips I have a judges signed paper with the state seal on it and they refuse to take the device. Was on hold for a hour and a half for the lady to hang up on me. They are just trying to take every ***** and breaking the law to do it. They think that they are over a judges signature.
Smart Start
Date: 02/23/2024
Hello, per the notes in the account dated February 22, 2024: client is irate, saying she showed the shop a copy of a court order saying she could give back device, the shop took a picture and uploaded 2 days ago and she still saying we aren't allowing her to give back device
reso - told her the document doesn't specify she can be released from the deviceAs of 2/23/2024 Smart Start does not have a removal authorization letter from the court in our system, however, the account does show that a removal was done today.
Review fromHunter H
Date: 02/22/2024
1 starHunter H
Date: 02/22/2024
Worst business ever. If you ever need to call them you will be on hold for minimum of 30 minutes, the device malfunctions 24/7 at your expense Ive had to tow my car 5-6 times because the device stops working while Im driving and looses power. Choose any other option!Smart Start
Date: 02/23/2024
Hello, a review of the account shows that the last time an issue was reported to Smart Start regarding the functionality of the device was on November 2, 2022. The account is currently on a credit hold with a balance due of $1,550.00 due to the unit being written off as missing. The most recent note in the account states: INFOMRED HE OWES $1124.69 INCLUDING THE L/O FEE. CLIENT STATED HE WASN'T GOING TO PAY. INFORMED IF LOOKING TO REMOVE THE BALANCE WOULD BE DUE IN FULL. HE STARTED CUSSING AND SAID HE'LL RIP THE **** OUT AND HUNG UP.
************** will need to re-contact our Credit and ********************** to resolve the past due balance.
Review fromKevin O
Date: 02/17/2024
1 starThese people are a bunch of crooks , how are they even in business?!?! 3 years of paying these thieves and their bs fees and charges as well as their faulty devices and authorized installers . I hope someone starts a lawsuit with this joke of a companyReview fromAlex T
Date: 02/02/2024
1 starAbsolute horrible service when you're established customer. Disrespectful and lacking. They do the **** minimum and deflect as much as possible to avoid responsibility. If you EVER try to speak someone, verbally or text, you're waiting at least 90 minutes on a good day, 3 hours on a bad one. An example of said deflecting is the *** which required this device has a procedure which requires the business to contact them via email to request approval removal. If I contact Smart Start via email they never answer back, even though it states you'll 'receive a response in 7 business days'. If you contact them via phone they say "We do not request removals for anyone." Also, that's i"t's my responsibility." Responsibility to do what, force a government entity to change its policy? Horrible, absolutely horrible service.Review fromBecca H
Date: 02/02/2024
1 starThe cold causes their systems to be faulty and register fees the customers have to pay. To start your car again you have to pay them for the faulty lock out. When you try to call (ever) or to request a refund you have to go through a lengthy process and sit on hold for anywhere between 30 minutes and 3 hours. I've spent a total of 10 hours trying to receive a $150.00 refund for their faulty systems.
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