Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/09/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was involved in a fender ****** when a teenager on their phone clipped my bumper, I then pulled over to the side of the road. While outside of the vehicle which was parked but idling. A queue for a test went off, I was in the middle of exchanging insurance information so I just turned the car off. I was just told by technical support that there was no way around having to pay a $55 dollar fee for missing a test even though I immediately got back into the car, blew clean & went along my way.I now have to take time out of my day to go get this serviced & pay for a test that should have been cancelled when I turned off the car anyways.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/12/2022

  Hello, the ignition interlock rules and regulations are established by the state, not Smart Start. The state requires that any skipped / missed test results in the unit enterlng violation lockout which requires an additional service be performed by Smart Start. There is a fee for this additional service. Although we understand the situation described, the only time a lockout fee is credited is if the violation was due to a unit malfunction. The data log shows the ignition interlock device was working properly. The request for a credit or refund is declined.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/09/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was advised to put in an incident report by one of the technicians at a 3rd party smart start location. Smart Start is saying they are not responsible for refunding any parts. I spent over $1000 replacing my starter, battery, and alternator on my vehicle that did not need to be replaced. After being told time and time again that my car was the problem and not the interlock by smart start. I finally got my device taken out earlier this week and lo and behold it is working perfectly fine now. The technician that took it out had to apologize and told me that an attachment was used for a HYBRID vehicle when my car is not a hybrid. It was definitely an installer error and they fail to acknowledge it. The actual smart start location was extremely neglectful. I basically pleaded to have them look at the wiring of the interlock because after changing my alternator it was still having issues and was turned down. I am out so much money because they could not take the time to check out their own work. What a terrible company. This is now my second BBB. The initial installation day my car did not start and I had to get it towed the very next day because they didnt wire it right and I had to fight to get the tow refunded. I accept the fact that I had to have the interlock in and did not mind paying monthly. However, having my vehicle fail to start because they did a lousy job should not fall on the customer. I wish they could have listened to my concerns when I took it the first time. Just ridiculous. This place takes no accountability. I would check out a different interlock place if you ever need one because this company *****. My car is 2018 too btw! Not old at all.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/16/2022

  Hello, as stated in a prior response: Smart Start does not reimburse for batteries, starters, or alternators as these are a wearble component of the vehicle which require maintenance pn a regular basis. In the event of replacement of these types of items it is your responsibility to obtain proper service and diagnosis of the devices to ensure replacement is needed and warranted. In the event of an old or weak battery, replacement is often needed when another electrical system is added.   The device is designed to stay on for roughly 5 minutes after the ignition turns off.  This includes the restart timer and it gives the unit time to log the system events and enter its standby mode.  This is not a malfunction of the Ignition Interlock which draws less than of an amp while the vehicle is not operating, and of an amp when it is preparing for a breath test. This is a very minimal amount compared to your cars stereo, or clock!

  The description of the problem from ****************** was as follows which clearly shows a vehicle problem caused the issues, not the ignition interlock device: For the last two months my vehicle has had problems starting. I would pass the breath test and after trying to start it the car would make a clicking sound.It would take several tries to get it on. My check engine kept coming on and off. I finally got to catch my check engine on and took it to AutoZone. I was told one of my charging components was not working. My battery was fine, my starter was fine but was told my alternator was not working. I bought the alternator and had a mechanic come to swap it out. The mechanic checked the vehicle and said they would not change the alternator as it was not in bad shape and it would be best to change the starter. I then bought the starter and had it swapped out. The vehicle continued to have issues. I then took it to the Smart Start location on ************* and ********. They looked over the car and asked whether I had tried holding the start button for five seconds. I had tried starting my car over **** ways in every way possible. I was told that the interlock was not causing any problems and that it was my car. I then had the same mechanic change out the alternator even though they advised against it. After it was swapped out the vehicle continued having problems. After several weeks my battery began to die out as well. I had to have my vehicle towed to the Smart Start on 55th and ********* on 11/30 as I did not want to miss my servicing appt. I told **** that I was unable to turn the car on. He then proceeding to try jumping my vehicle two separate times without success. He even went as far as driving me to AutoZone and putting a new battery on his company account to see if that would fix the issue. After putting in the brand new battery the vehicle still did not start. **** then realized that the issue could possible be the relay box. After the box was replaced the vehicle started immediately. I was able to run errands and even make it to work without the car making any clicking sounds. **** went above and beyond trying to figure out the issue. I could of saved hundreds of dollars if the other location would of put half as much care as **** did into my concern. I did not want to blame Smart Start and continued replacing parts out of my own pocket because I was told my vehicle was the issue. I attached receipts of the parts I bought. I would like to get a follow up with getting reimbursed for the parts bought that did not need to be replaced. That includes the $250 battery **** put on his company account yesterday. The tow was free as I booked it through my insurance and of course I do not expect to get reimbursed for the labor. I will be leaving a wonderful review for ************** Outfitting. **** is an outstanding technician and I would highly recommend any Smart Start customers go to his location.

  Per a follow up call with the shop, I was informed "no one here ever advised her to replace anything and noticed that on that vehicle being a push start ,there was a procedure on what to do first or unit would just click and no start ,which he retrained her ,plus vehicle is equipped with auto stop feature ,why the module was used "not because it was a hybrid ". 

  Due to the issue being vehicle related and not due to the ignition interlock the request for reimbursement is denied.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/16/2022

   
  Complaint: 18550335
  
  I am rejecting this response because: you are spinning the narrative to your own advantage. You included the most important part of my incident report yet failed to actually read it it seems. I highly doubt that if you speak with the person who actually had enough decency to help me they would explain the situation. My vehicle is 2018. How is it possible that after changing the starter, alternator and battery the vehicle still would not start? It was not until the relay box was swapped out that the vehicle started again and functioned properly ( NOTES WERE LEFT ON MY ACCOUNT EXPLAINING THIS). Now that it is completely out there have been 0 issues. How can someone retrain me to start my car when Ive been driving it for almost 4 years and worked for a few months even after the interlock was installed? Their tutorial did absolutely nothing. Also how is it possible that the third party Smart Start location gives more of a f*** than the actual location? I will continue to advocate against Smart Start until the end of time. You guys are only making yourselves look bad at the end of the day. Listen to your customers complaints instead of neglecting the issue and maybe you wouldnt have to deal with bad reviews. 
  
   After putting in the brand new battery the vehicle still did not start. **** then realized that the issue could possible be the relay box. After the box was replaced the vehicle started immediately. I was able to run errands and even make it to work without the car making any clicking sounds. **** went above and beyond trying to figure out the issue. I could have saved hundreds of dollars if the other location would have put half as much care as **** did into my concern. I did not want to blame Smart Start and continued replacing parts out of my own pocket because I was told my vehicle was the issue.  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/06/2023

  Hello. Smart Start has investigated this complaint completely. The result of our investigation, including the customers own statements, show that this complaint is not due to a Smart Start unit or installation issue. Therefore the prior response to this complaint remains the same, as follows:

  Hello, as stated in a prior response: Smart Start does not reimburse for batteries, starters, or alternators as these are a wearble component of the vehicle which require maintenance on a regular basis. In the event of replacement of these types of items it is your responsibility to obtain proper service and diagnosis of the devices to ensure replacement is needed and warranted. In the event of an old or weak battery, replacement is often needed when another electrical system is added.    The device is designed to stay on for roughly 5 minutes after the ignition turns off.  This includes the restart timer and it gives the unit time to log the system events and enter its standby mode.  This is not a malfunction of the Ignition Interlock which draws less than of an amp while the vehicle is not operating, and of an amp when it is preparing for a breath test. This is a very minimal amount compared to your cars stereo, or clock!

  
  The description of the problem from ****************** was as follows which clearly shows a vehicle problem caused the issues, not the ignition interlock device: For the last two months my vehicle has had problems starting. I would pass the breath test and after trying to start it the car would make a clicking sound. It would take several tries to get it on. My check engine kept coming on and off. I finally got to catch my check engine on and took it to AutoZone. I was told one of my charging components was not working. My battery was fine, my starter was fine but was told my alternator was not working. I bought the alternator and had a mechanic come to swap it out. The mechanic checked the vehicle and said they would not change the alternator as it was not in bad shape and it would be best to change the starter. I then bought the starter and had it swapped out. The vehicle continued to have issues. I then took it to the Smart Start location on ************* and ********. They looked over the car and asked whether I had tried holding the start button for five seconds. I had tried starting my car over **** ways in every way possible. I was told that the interlock was not causing any problems and that it was my car. I then had the same mechanic change out the alternator even though they advised against it. After it was swapped out the vehicle continued having problems. After several weeks my battery began to die out as well. I had to have my vehicle towed to the Smart Start on 55th and ********* on 11/30 as I did not want to miss my servicing appt. I told **** that I was unable to turn the car on. He then proceeding to try jumping my vehicle two separate times without success. He even went as far as driving me to AutoZone and putting a new battery on his company account to see if that would fix the issue. After putting in the brand new battery the vehicle still did not start. **** then realized that the issue could possible be the relay box. After the box was replaced the vehicle started immediately. I was able to run errands and even make it to work without the car making any clicking sounds. **** went above and beyond trying to figure out the issue. I could of saved hundreds of dollars if the other location would of put half as much care as **** did into my concern. I did not want to blame Smart Start and continued replacing parts out of my own pocket because I was told my vehicle was the issue. I attached receipts of the parts I bought. I would like to get a follow up with getting reimbursed for the parts bought that did not need to be replaced. That includes the $250 battery **** put on his company account yesterday. The tow was free as I booked it through my insurance and of course I do not expect to get reimbursed for the labor. I will be leaving a wonderful review for ************** Outfitting. **** is an outstanding technician and I would highly recommend any Smart Start customers go to his location.

  
  Per a follow up call with the shop, I was informed "no one here ever advised her to replace anything and noticed that on that vehicle being a push start ,there was a procedure on what to do first or unit would just click and no start ,which he retrained her ,plus vehicle is equipped with auto stop feature ,why the module was used  "not because it was a hybrid ". 
  Due to the issue being vehicle related and not due to the ignition interlock the request for reimbursement is denied.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/18/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My first day driving with a Smart Start ignition interlock device was 11/11/22. On that day, the device inaccurately said I was in violation during a rolling test (less than five minutes after it gave a "violation" reading, it prompted me to blow again, and passed me, so there's no way the violation could have been accurate, or even a misreading, the device is defective). It gave me 48 hours to get to a Smart Start shop. I used Smart Start to find a location that was open on Saturday, but the shop that Smart Start listed as open was closed. I had to get to work that day, and had a Sunday shift, too, so I couldn't get to a shop before the car locked out. The unlock code isn't working to drive my car to the shop, and I have tried to call Smart Start three different times, and each time have waited on hold for multiple hours, and then was hung up on. These people won't *************, and I can't start my car. I want them to come to me, replace the defective device immediately. If I miss my shift tomorrow, I want them to reimburse me for the money I will lose, due to their extreme negligence.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/21/2022

  Hello, **************** had an ignition interlock sytem installed in his vehicle on October 4, 2022 as required by the state as a condition of reinstatement of his Driver's License. The state has established rules and regulations for the program, in particular, the interlock must be serviced with a defined time frame. **************** was scheduled for service on November 3, 2022, however he did not come in for service until November 11, 2022 which is a violation of the state program rules. As a result, the interlock entered "Service Lockout" which requires an unscheduled service and applicable violation fee. The request that the lockout fee be waived is denied.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/21/2022

   
  Complaint: 18436947
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This is not the lockout to which I am referring. It was locked out a second time after it falsely detected a violation on Nov. 11, 2022. As I said before, it would have been impossible for this violation to be correct, as the system said I was not in violation shortly before the alleged violation and shortly after it. This was the first day I was driving with it, which means it must be defective. Additionally, I waited on hold for more than six hours over the course of three different calls, and was hung up on three times on Friday (I have my call log to prove this). Smart Start has now prevented me from driving my car for over a week, and is not answering any calls.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2022

  Greetings. The only violation recorded on November 11, 2022 was the service lockout. Per the initial response to this complaint: Hello, **************** had an ignition interlock sytem installed in his vehicle on October 4, 2022 as required by the state as a condition of reinstatement of his Driver's License. The state has established rules and regulations for the program, in particular, the interlock must be serviced with a defined time frame. **************** was scheduled for service on November 3, 2022, however he did not come in for service until November 11, 2022 which is a violation of the state program rules. As a result, the interlock entered "Service Lockout" which requires an unscheduled service and applicable violation fee. The request that the lockout fee be waived is denied.