Smart Start

Stay away from this company. I have been using it for 11 months & have had 3 different machines so I know what I'm saying. I may have to blow into it 4 times before it will work, up to 10 a few times. It will say blow longer when you start blowing. It's not me. I have tried every different way to try to make it work right. There are other companies out there so you have choices. No one will answer the phone unless you check that you are from the court.

Where do I begin. This company cares zero for you as a customer, human, or otherwise. I have been lied to, hung up on, and overcharged during a deadly global pandemic. I have been told to ‘not use hand sanitizer’, As it will set off the device, putting not only my health at risk, but also those in my community, my elders who I love, and basically anyone I come into contact with. Is this even legal??? I had been given an old broken device from another car, which was randomly giving violations, honking, and sucking my car battery dry. The electric in my vehicle was always going haywire, sometimes working, sometimes not. This is VERY dangerous. Drinking and driving is dangerous, but I only did that once. Smartstart as a company has forced me to drive dangerously, risk the health of my loved ones daily for ten months.

The people on the phone are very rude. The client portal app is a joke, you can’t even put your info into it. This place is a money funnel, they are pretty much allowed to wantonly rip people off, and they know it. If you are allowed to pick your own ignition interlock provider, for god sake do NOT use this outfit. Don’t ever call, the only human you’ll ever get is one that will take money. Dealing with outfits like this is more than enough to make one never drink and drive ever again. AVOID.

I cannot really add to the reviews that precede mine. I agree with all of them. The device, the service, the company, and the use of this failed unit is deplorable. There is nothing consistent with any of these. The device must have been programmed by 1st grader. It gives conflicting and nonsensical errors, e.g. "blow longer" as soon as I start blowing. I may have found a trick to "resetting" the device.

Smart Start new and improved device is unusable for me! I've contacted the 800 number at least five times about it and asked to have my old device put back on. The thing says blow longer even while I'm still blowing in it! I'm having it removed and selling my car!!!! Their customer service is HORRIBLE! They LIED to me saying they contacted one of their service centers and the service center had a couple in stock and could put the old system in. I drive to the service center and they DIDN'T HAVE ANY, nor were they contacted!!!! WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!!

Terrible experience... They make this company mandatory in Canada to deal with and everyone at Smart Start knows it so they take advantage of everyone. My device requires me to blow when I turn my vehicle off and go in a store. I’ll come back and catch the device counting down from 10 minutes asking for a rolling retest... and most of the time I’m not so lucky. 60 bucks a pop and 5 days to make your appointment which is a 3 hr drive for me. This happens several times a month. Within 4 months the lady said my account is now at 1400 dollars paid from violations not including the 500 dollar install. All fingers are pointed at me... keep paying if you want to drive even if you're being scammed.

I don't know where to begin with this company, Several problems at installation? Customer service? The businesses they use to represent them for equipment install? Let's start first with my latest complain, how they will basically steal your money. I have the unit for 3 months now they put the cord across the top of the steering wheel where it was contently ribbing and actually wore a hole thru the cable but the thing that got me was it ran down the side of the ignition switch. Well one time when car was shut off the switch didn't go all the way to the off position causing a false alert that the car was left on by making horn go off and lights flash. I went back into the garage and found this to be the problem.

I’ve had a Smart Start installed now for 18 months. I’m an air conditioning installer/refrigeration mechanic and average at least one - two if not three unscheduled services a month due to the contaminates on my clothing or on my hands. Eg refrigerants, pvc glue, hand sanitiser or refuelling my vehicle with the window down and allowing fumes to enter my vehicle. Obviously none of these mean that I’ve consumed alcohol and still receive Breaches. I’ll try and keep this brief and only describe three unscheduled services....

Terrible and RUDE customer service!! Had the device in my car TWO months longer than court ordered because SmartStart would not process the letter from my court stating it should be removed on certain date. Repeatedly sent emails trying to communicate and received nothing in return. Was supposed to get out on July 11 and finally got it out SEPT 16. - Another car at the shop where I was FINALLY getting it removed at had been sitting there for OVER a week because SmartStart would not send them the code to fix it. DO NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE!!!!

To be blunt - I am scared shitless to get in this car. Their advertisement of Easy to Use is just ridiculous. It is so difficult to blow and I am so scared that I will be stranded on the side of the road (happened the first day) that I don't want to even go near the vehicle. There was no booklet, no directions and little to no training provided at install. The unit is also massive. Had LifeSafer before which was so easy to use. Never felt scared to drive the car or that I would be stranded. The unit itself was also smaller and more discreet. Very disappointed so far and scared to death to drive it.