Smart Start Reviews

All they do is lie about the price. $120 install? Yea right! It was $200. $44 bi-weekly is what I was told. The bill is $162 for the last 2 weeks. Bogus service fees. I wish there was a 0 star option. Nothing good to say about any of it.

If I could put 0 stars I would!!! I am being charged for 28 days of service when it's supposed to be 30! They said at shop it was due to short months, only have 1 short month in a year!!! I have repeatedly asked for a copy of the orders for device install since Oct 2024 and still NO RESPONSE!!! This is the absolute worst service out there!!! See less

Worst company I have ever dealt with. They lie and they do not do what they say they will do. I have done what I am supposed to do. If you call them you will never get anyone that you can understand or hold an intelligent conversation with. If you ask to talk to management or a supervisor they only tell you they are busy talking to other people and they will call you back in a day or two.

I am extremely disappointed with Smart Start and the way this situation has been handled. My son had a Smart Start ignition interlock device installed through one of their authorized service locations, Carphonics. Within about 15 minutes of leaving the shop, he blew into the device and passed, but the vehicle would not start. He was stranded about an hour away from home and needed help immediately.

My experience with Smart Start was extremely disappointing. I found the company’s pricing and fee structure to be unclear, with additional charges appearing that were not fully disclosed upfront. The overall cost ended up being significantly higher than expected. Customer service was also frustrating to deal with. Communication regarding billing, service requirements, and account issues lacked transparency and consistency. I felt that important information should have been explained more clearly before services were started. Based on my experience, I would encourage potential customers to carefully review all terms, fees, and service agreements before committing. I believe the company needs to improve its transparency, customer support, and business practices to better serve its customers.

We have had numerous issues with this company over many years. We have issues with their equipment malfunctioning and end up having to pay either lockout fees or trouble shooting fees-most of the time both. You call to discuss and they tell you file a complaint/claim/incident report online. You fill it out and submit all documents and it says they will be back within 7-10 days. You don't hear back from them so you call again and they tell you to fill out another form but the person you are talking to can't help. You ask for a manager to see if we can discuss further and they either say no one is available or I've even been put on hold until it actually hangs up on me because I sat so long waiting.

I have to agree with so many people in here that they suck. Costing me over $500 a month when it should only be 130.. and then their machines malfunction all the time and then they blame us for it being our mistake. I had to change everything that I ate, drank and take.. I carry a backtrack breathalyzer in my truck and have one in the house that I blow into all the time.. and when I do get a violation after five minutes of blowing in and it approving me saying that I pass it’ll violate me saying that it gave a positive sample.

Smart Start is a scam. Smart start is a scam and fraudulent company, who offer poor customer service. Smart start only cares about billing you without even explaining what they are billing you for. They have refused to merge my smart start and low cost account, therefore, I cannot access my current account to navigate my payments or files. Please choose any company that isn’t smart start.

WORST COMPANY!! Appointment changed 3 times due to no part or camera at installation Center. Then had to leave at installation center cause it is hybrid and mechanic told me himself he has never installed one on hybrid. The next week when went in to pick up vehicle, we were not trained like shown on video. The person who came out to train us insisted that only the violator had to breathe in device so they did not train my driver, nor did they have us sign paperwork that we were both trained properly, which is a requirement in Pennsylvania (I found this out afterwards). Then we start down the road, and I watched it go from Violock 05DAY to Violock04day.

So I had the Smart start installed, I was quoted $60 every two weeks, I been paying $96, this month alone I had two malfunctions and I ended having to pay $186 for their equipment malfunction. I would not be telling people to go to smart start for the ignition interlock, find another company to sign up with and the customer service is another big issue.

The whole company is scam. The garage where got installed are on drugs or drunk. They take money and schedule me for service twice a month and have 90 day payment schedule from 90 days ago and refuse to send any of my documents. So I would give them no stars. Don't even want to leave this but have to and they are closed when I'm scheduled so now they will charge more money.

The handset I got 2 months was faulty. It would constantly tell me I wasn't humming hard enough, or it would just randomly go into Initializing mode and reset itself when I was trying to give a sample. I got stuck multiple times after work because I couldn't start my car and had to call a $40 Uber to get home then have my wife drive me back to work the next morning. It frequently took 10-15 minutes and 10-15 tries to get the thing to accept an initial startup test.

I am not a customer but I am so upset as if I was. My husband is going thru a lot with this company and their customer service. MVA say 1 thing and they say another. It's never a supervisor available. They installed this device in August 2025 and to this day May 7th they have not sent the form to MVA that this device has been installed. But yet monthly take our money for this installation. This is the worst company ever. DO NOT use them ever. They need to be out of business.

I have to honestly say that Smart Start has been one of the most difficult companies I’ve ever dealt with. Trying to reach the correct person for assistance feels nearly impossible, and unfortunately the customer service experience across multiple departments has been consistently unhelpful and rude. I understand these situations can be stressful for customers already, which is why professionalism and communication matter so much. Instead, I’ve repeatedly felt dismissed and bounced around without real resolution.

I had an extremely frustrating experience with Smart Start. This company charges multiple fees that feel completely unjustified, especially for customers who are fully compliant and following all requirements. The biggest issue is the excessive delay in processing compliance paperwork. I’ve been waiting over two weeks just to get a compliance form completed so I can have the device removed. In that time, I’ve had to go to the DMV twice, only to be turned away because Smart Start failed to provide the proper documentation. Other companies in this industry do not take nearly this long, which raises serious concerns about their processes.

My experience with this company has been horrible. I would never recommend this company to anyone. I had the NC DMV operator in my vehicle with me and she saw how they ruined my car because it would not start even after passing the test. She agreed that that had indeed ruined my car and also stated she definitely would never recommend this company to anyone in the future. They blew a fuse on my headlight while installing the machine. I've had to replace my battery and alternator because of improper wiring. Unfortunately I didn't see the BBB reviews and Consumer Affairs until it was too late. It clearly states that Smart Start is known for battery drainage and it's so true. I had been driving around for over two hours blowing in this machine every 45 minutes and then suddenly I get a violation but exactly 32 seconds later it beeped again and I passed.

I would never recommend Smart Start to anyone. They totally messed up my Volvo. It won't start and it's killed my battery repeatedly I had to replace my alternator and they blew a headlight out when installing it incorrectly. The NCDMV licensed operator was sitting in my car with me and she agreed that they screwed my car up and also said she would not be recommending this company to anyone in the future. It is the worse service I have ever experienced in my 54 years of life. You cannot get anyone on the phone and they also falsely bill you for charges that are not true and then don't won't to remove the equipment until you pay a fortune. It is awful that this company remains in business. They should be shut down!

This has got to be the absolute most horrible company. Customer service is nonexistent. Surprise fees for everything. They fail to provide a breakdown of random lockout fees. They double-charge for these lockout fees. Would not recommend to my worst enemy.

This company is a perfect example of why our system is broken. They prey on people who have no choice but to use their product, as they falsify test results in order to charge you lockout and service fees every 2 weeks. They steal your money, they never pick up the phone, they overcharge and lie about free installation and a free month of your equipment lease. They have no oversight committee and no one to answer to, so they rob and steal every chance they get, and I have absolute proof of their bullshit.

Horrible customer service and have had nothing but issues with the ignition interlock itself.

Worst company, gives false violations all the time and not accurate at all. Big scam and illegal money grabs from customers/victims. Someone needs to sue this company and get them shut down.

This was my worst experience ever! I wish I had read the reviews before I went with this company. I had a coupon for a free installation. The Smart Start South Mississippi Area Manager, David **, said to pay the installer the $214. and then call smart start and they will give me a credit. Have been on the phone for over 4 hours yesterday and today and find it is impossible to get anyone on the phone that can help me. I finally got a person and he could not help me and transferred me to the recording that is the start of all of the 5 numbers I have to call. It is a maze that goes nowhere. This is going to cost me way more than they quoted me. It is a big scam. Stay away and go with one of the other three companies. They have to be better.

I still have this in my car. I haven’t drank in 5 years. I have gotten so many violations and I am terrified to get in my car. They have taken any joy out of my life. I have had this for 4 years now. I have 1 more to go. I have had probably 15-20 violations and one for sure is my fault I missed a blow. Other than that it’s not on me. But they have only given me 1 credit towards my future balance not my money back. And when they sent me the email they acted like they were doing me a favor. I hate them. They are class action waiting to happen. I can’t be alone in this. We need to make a change for the next round. I paid my pied piper. I don’t need this company to decide the tolls I need to pay for my sins.

DO NOT GO THRU THIS COMPANY!! I'm not joking when I say that. EVERY time I have called them they have given me wrong info...whether it be pricing or information it has been wrong... The latest thing was the day of calibration my starter went out in the parking lot of the calibration place & they wouldn't calibrate it so got it towed then finally get it fixed at a repair shop but it's locked out now so have to pay $500 for the tow to get it calibrated to unlock it but was told I just needed a code... In Washington state they won't give you an unlock code.

Use anyone else. Anyone. Device locked my wife (who doesn't even drink) out of the car, which of course is impossible according to the snots they use for their "customer service." Rude, arrogant, and not very intelligent.

Smart Start is absolutely the worst experience I've ever had with any service IN MY LIFE!!! I HIGHLY recommend you run as fast as you can away from the thought of doing any kind of business with these clowns. Rude, ignorant, conniving and most of all they boldly lie about SO much. Look, don't listen to me. Find out for yourself and you'll be writing the same review. I guarantee it.

Absolutely horrendous customer service. Can't ever get a person to talk to in person it will not work with any kind of circumstances you have. All they care about is the money. They have zero respect for people.

Customer service is nonexistent at Smart Start. The representatives are very rude and do not care to provide the customers with answers. They will hang up on you if you disagree with their policies. Moreover, their billing process is incredibly confusing and predatory. They will stack on charges without explanation. Avoid this company at all costs.

I do not recommend anyone get this installed. Customer service is a joke. Talking to a live person takes forever. It's a big $$ grab. I paid my fees every month like I was suppose to. Auto pay never worked, so I always had to go into the app and pay myself. It's set up a month ahead. Every time I would go in to get a calibration done they would say I was behind on my payment. I knew I wasn't. I had my bank statements for every month I paid. When it was time to get it removed the shop said I was behind 2 months. I had to pay so I could get it removed.

Like another review I read, I have never written a review about anyone or any company but Smart Start is truly the worst experience I have ever had. I don't even know where to start. They keep your credit card on file so they can charge you at will. They set dates for your service and if you miss one they will still charge you and will also charge you a penalty.