Smart Start Reviews

Instead of making sure the installation was properly reviewed and corrected, we were pushed back and forth. Smart Start customer service has refused to let me speak with a manager, even though this involves an important MTO/court-related device. I also want to be clear that I am legally allowed to speak with Smart Start about this matter because my son has given me permission to speak on his behalf, and I am also the owner of the vehicle involved. I have had to reach out to multiple people and organizations for help because this has not been handled properly, including Smart Start, Carphonics, the BBB, the Ministry/MTO, my MPP Lisa Thompson, the police, the Ontario Ombudsman, the Back on Track program, and Premier Doug Ford’s office.

This situation has caused stress, wasted time, and extra expense. We have also dealt with rude behaviour, threats, and abusive comments connected to this matter, some of which were later deleted. I have screenshots and video evidence related to what happened. Smart Start needs to take responsibility for the businesses they authorize to install their devices. Customers should not be left stranded, blamed, ignored, or refused access to a manager when there is a serious problem immediately after installation. I want Smart Start to properly review this matter, explain why this was allowed to happen, address the conduct of the service location, and resolve this issue properly.

I've left multiple voice mails and emailed multiple times. I've got delivery receipts and read receipts for the emails since I get no response. A couple times they have deleted my messages without even reading it. If I do get a response, it is only by email and says to contact their number and we repeat the same cycle over and over. I have been fighting with them this last time since August 2025 on 1 issue that they still won't resolve. Since August, we have had 4 or 5 more issues regarding lockouts, mouth pieces, and credit holds with no resolution or call back.

I take video recordings every time showing that I’m blowing into my breathalyzer and it’s all zeros. I have UA test all the time for treatment. I have been sober.. in April. I was on my way to the gym at five in the morning only had water to drink. It passed me when I started the truck and five minutes later when I got to the gym, I had to blow in and it violated me five times before it gave me a pass.. Their equipment sucks. They know that they are screwing people over and I think that their computer systems purposely violate people.. I am gonna work with My attorney to sue them.

I have video recordings of every situation that I’ve had with them and yes, one was my fault because I was jumping somebody else’s car and helping them out on the side of the road and I missed a blow sample because the machine did not alert me. It did not beep and give me indication that it needed a sample.. and still with recordings and proving that their machine is malfunctioning they still say it’s operator error. I do not recommend these people, and I am in the process of changing over to another company..

These people are pirates and ruin peoples lives. And the only reason why I have this device in my truck is because I was prescribed medications. That caused me to have serious mental health issues that I don’t even remember the things that I did.. So now I’m stuck with it because of something that I not purposely do. I hate alcohol. I hate drugs. I hate all that stuff. I love living a sober life and because of a doctor prescribing me a medication to help me sleep. I am now reaping this horrible experience.. Smart Start are pirates and I pray to God that they get what they deserve. The other thing is their system will not allow me to upload the videos to prove myself innocent.. Smart Start is corrupt.

I wasn't exactly sure what that meant and I immediately called the service installation center and their response was they did not know. So we get vehicle home only to find out it is going to lock out in 4 days. Why was it in Violock05day when we picked up vehicle- that had to have happened at service center prior to us picking it up. My vehicle is now sitting outside service center and will continue to sit there until the state restores my driver's license and I can drive vehicle. In the meantime, it is now going on almost six months since I have been waiting for my license, while SMART START is getting money every month. Totally terrible company and no accountability. Do not get DUI or refuse to be tested in PA and do not go with SMART START if you need an interlock or anything.

About 2 weeks ago I got a missed test violation on a rolling test because I was humming and blowing, humming and blowing and the device either told me to hum stronger or just kept restarting while I was trying to give the test. I finally took it back to the test center. *They confirmed that the device was faulty* and gave me a new one. The older one was bigger, had the round blow tube on the top. The new one is smaller, has the blow part on the front and the blow part is more "mouth shaped". The new seems to be working much much better in the 2 weeks I've had it.

Anyway, for the missed test violation on the old device, which was totally not my fault, Smart Start wants to charge me over $200. The installer says I need to call them to ask that they don't, but of course you can't actually get anyone on the phone; all you get is a series of automated prompts, none of which gets you through to *talk to an actual person*. All the while their own automated system keeps calling me once a day to tell me that I need to call them! It's very frustrating.