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Business Profile

Interlock Devices

Smart Start Canada

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Interlock Devices.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Smart Start Canada's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 44 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 7 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    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.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/04/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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.
      March 28 and April 1st 2025 I have been dealing with trying to remove an interlock out of my car. I have spoken with the ********************* and they have also said I'm scheduled to remove it. My first attempt at removing it was march 28th, they wouldn't remove it because they said I didn't have an appt for removal, which i made with the employee months before and have record of the appt, the employee wanted me to pay $100 in order for me to leave with my car. I waited on hold with main office and they agreed to reschedule to April 1st with no fee. So we reschedule to April 1st and i show up, they then tell me they cant remove it that day. I didn't understand why and i called the main office again. The lady I spoke to was talking down to me right away and claiming my appointment was for the April 2nd even though I have a confirmation email for April 1st. I asked to speak to someone else to try and solve the problem and she refused and then hung up on me. I have now been on hold and left a callback number and am not getting a response. Nobody seems to know what is going on and they refuse to acknowledge my confirmation emails and just claim that I didn't have an appointment. I have now missed two days of work and been given the run around both times and don't know where to go from here to solve this problem. They are also telling me my program is not over till April 4th after all of this, even though i have an email from ********************* claiming my last date is march 28th

      Business Response

      Date: 14/04/2025

      Smart Start has contacted this client and explained the situation in further detail. The client was very understanding once the details were provided.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/04/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      Their device malfunction and they charge me for their device malfunctioning. They have lied to me several times on recorded phone calls there are avoiding the situation of a meeting their device of malfunction after lying to me several times about appointments, and being qualified to handle the situation and not letting me talk to a manager And even the managers do not have answers, so they are extorting money from a malfunctioning device.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/03/2024

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 smart start device has put my car in some kind of *****. lock mode. And nobody knows how to fix it. I have called Smart Start and they have been saying that it is not there fault and they will do nothing about it. They are putting the whole blame on me and charging me to change my device to another car. I do work, I am trying to change my life around and I am doing so. But when big companies with all of there money don't want to help the user and blame them for something that the user had no say in. The user ends up try to bypass the system, and then gets in trouble because they are trying to save money. Now after everything I will be down roughly about $2500. I need help from someone please, I do not have the extra money to pay for all of this. I have a family also to look after. But what does smart start have to say about that, tough luck everything that has been done has been done by the user. If I had done something wrong than I will take responsibility for it, so why can't Smart Start. It started when the device was getting installed in another car of mine that I had to buy because the other car my son needs for College, and on my wife needs other car for her work. When the person was installing the device my battery had died, the technician charged my battery and it was ready to go. I know it wasn't the installers error, it has to do with the device. So the car drove for about 3 days and then one day all of a sudden the car would not start at all and my battery had died. Bought another battery and installed it and started car up. It started for 1 minute and then died out and after that my car did not start no more. Took it to ******** automotive and the had the car for 2 days and they could not find anything wrong with the vehicle. They did every kind of test but nothing, and they still charged me for looking at my car. I had called around to the states to Japan to the ****** company to *****. repair shops and all of them had one thing to say, your device messed up your car. So I tell Smart Start this and they tell me that there is no way that the device did this to my car and everyone else is lying. All of those specialists that are the best at there fields they said don't know anything about the device. So can someone please call me to help me out. My bank account is draining so fast from all of this. I don't know if I have to buy another car, and if I do no one is going to reimburse me for the expensise that I have acquired from all of this headache. PLEASE SOMEONE PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME OUT. They should not be able to get away with this kind of stuff, Smart Start is supposed to be helping people like us out not stealing from our back pockets.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:13/02/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      On January 19th 2024 at 5:05pm the interlock device failed me on an attempt to start the car. It then prompted me to blow again and gave a clear reading allowing me to drive and so I thought nothing of it and proceeded to go for dinner with friends from church. After dinner, on my way home, it failed me on a running re-test, and as a result I have had my condition extended for three months. I believe this to be unjust as I have been sober for quite some time and have adhered to the rules set out by smart start as much as possible. I have had a few violations over my time with the device in the car but not one was because of me drinking an alcoholic beverage. I had missed test violations from leaving my car running and missing a blow. And I have had minor violations due to either condensation build up from leaving the device in my car over night or using windshield washer fluid and having the vapor leak into the cabin of the car. I rely on my vehicle for work and have done my best to adhere to the rules. I accept that I had a problem with alcohol in the past and after getting a DUI I decided to quit drinking altogether in order to better my health and to never be tempted to drink and drive again. Because of this test failure on the 19th and the extension I am now afraid to drive the vehicle and risk another device failure. I have reached out to smart start about this and they have not been helpful. I have trustworthy sources that can verify my sobriety but they are not willing to hear my appeal. I am at a loss and feel as if this system has inaccurately judged my case. All I want is to have the device removed and have my file closed as I believe the time have have served has been sufficient. I cannot afford to lose my license again and I'm terrified of that happening now as it seems I cannot trust the accuracy of this device nor the company Smart Start Canada.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:20/12/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      On December 9, 2023 my vehicle started on fire , no fault of my own. The vehicle has been wrote off. I now get a call from Smart Start Collection agency asking me for $377 to have someone come out and retrieve device from my vehicle. I have and reported to them that I have the handset. I pay $12 a month insurance for a policy that states if no fault of owner device is stolen or damaged this insurance covers $1600. I have asked and the gentleman says don’t understand the question. Puts me on hold numerous times. Long story short if I don’t pay $377 I can not get another device installed in a new vehicle they I have $2000 from insurance to buy. I am a 64 year old female on disability and can not afford this extra expense. No one will answer my questions or tell me who to call.
      I wish Smart Start Canada had competition then maybe they would give better customer service

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/11/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      This company has a monopoly, they don’t do what they say. They have changed settings on the device without informing the customer. Their customer service is less than helpful with excessive wait times on hold and at their facilities. They promise credits on the account for their errors and do not deliver, their device has caused premature wear on the battery of my car. They have denied my request for refund multiple times. Yet if I miss an appointment or am late they charge every time. They are unprofessional and unpleasant to speak with: it says in their own mission statement that they are not to make life more difficult with their devices. However we live in Canada and it doesn’t work very well in the winter time not accepting my sample and sounding my horn and lights when this happens. I feel this is unfair and they need to be held accountable just like I am. They have multiple accounts for me and are very disorganized requiring me to please be patient while they figure it out spending anywhere from 20- 160 minutes on hold. The supervisor never calls back like they promise. At the end of the day it’s about fairness and customer transparency. They fail at both

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/08/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unresolved
      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'm writing in to inform you about the gross negligence that has occurred while having a Smart Start device installed on one of my vehicles at ********* in St Constant. I would also like to express my grievance at the lack of communication from Smart Start to discuss this issue. After requesting to speak to a supervisor on 2 occasions by myself and a colleague, we finally get a call back from someone that is not a supervisor, only to be given this email address.


      The first issue occurred on the 17th of April, when my driver ******** ****** ***** went with the vehicle ************************** to have the device installed. The appointment was at 8am, and they said it would take around 45 minutes to complete. Upon arrival, Mr ***** was told that they were working on another vehicle, and he would have to wait. After completion of the vehicle ahead, no one was capable of moving the vehicle out of the service bay further adding to the wait, until the owner of the vehicle returned to pick it up. This whole process took almost 7 hours, making the day a write-off for any work Mr ***** could accomplish. Why the garage didn't call beforehand to inform of delays/double booking only proved to be a fore runner to the gross negligence and incompetence shown for the installation process.

      Now we get to the installation of the device.

      The device was not secured and was installed using speaker cable instead of automotive cable. While speaker cable may prove to have fewer issues at low amperage applications(10 amps or less), the fact that they used the "twist and tape" method resulting in a loose connection could have caused an electrical surge resulting in a fire in the cab. Furthermore, the cable to the starter switch was cut(main truck harness) and the "twist and tape" method was used once again, causing a no start issue on the 13th of July. Upon investigation, on the 15th of July(date of the videos) I found the cause of the is to be the connection at the starter switch. The device was then completely removed from the vehicle for safety reasons. In all my years as a qualified automotive technician and fleet owner, I have never seen an electrical accessory installed so poorly by an "approved garage". I fail to understand why the original wiring was cut, when the device is temporary. A patch harness should have been used, as this was an accessory installation, not a modification to the vehicle.

      After the device was returned, Mr ***** had tried to take another appointment to install a device again(obviously at another garage for fear of his safety). Now he faces the issue of a delayed appointment date because the device was removed due to a safety hazard. What was the alternative? Pay for a tow to bring it back to *********, who couldn't install it properly in the first place?

      Business Response

      Date: 11/08/2023

      The participant and Mr. ****** were contacted by Smart Start Customer Service to resolve this complaint and provide them with explanation.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/08/2023



      Complaint: 20435074



      I am rejecting this response because:

      I was told to return to the 3rd party service center they that had sent us to. The appointment was made through Smart Start.They approved this service center as one of their agents. 

      Who in their right mind would return to a service center that literally put our lives and the lives of other road users in danger??

      I have repeatedly asked to speak with a supervisor as this a major safety issue. All I received back is an email from a customer service agent(after almost 2 weeks) who either had a complete lack of understanding or a complete disregard for safety. After this one email for Smart Start, no more replies. 

      Their motto is"YOUR SATISFACTION WITH SMART START IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY" yet in my experience this is far from the reality. Users of Smart Start are paying customers an should be treated as so. 

      As Smart Start are dragging their feet with this matter, I will have no choice but to initiate legal action in order to recover the loses for damage to my vehicle and more importantly to set a precedent to help protect my fellow Canadians from a company that doesn't care about Canadian lives. 


      Sincerely,



      ****** ******

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:20/07/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      Almost Froze To Death Because Restarting Vehicle After a Faulty Failed Blow wouldn’t allow for a start and resulted in a violation?
      Failed Rolling Tests- Failed to Take
      Failed To Take a Breath Sample
      Missed Smart Idle Deadline Failed to allow breath sample
      Constant 12v draw killing batteries x4 in two vehicles and x1 in another
      Terrible customer service/ follow up on
      Bogus infractions
      Hardship with amount of appointments and unlock codes in regards to faulty violations
      Changes in unlock code durations making impractical to continue carrying on day to day work routines= failed payments, and refusal by myself to continue business as it appears the trend is to extort the customer of sgi making it impossible to finish the program 3x over
      Contributed into the program at least 3x over per month for two years just to ensure adequate performance in program due to the amount of the malfunctions the blowbox has
      Failed reimbursement of void malfunctions
      Haven’t paid rent in 2 years
      Been working 24/7 and still not getting ahead of program
      Need a full evaluation of profile, all blow boxes and testimate to legitimate violations
      Refunds for all poor violations
      Loss of wages for immobilization of transportation to and from work in remote work areas to afford the formulated audacious ludicrous fees associated within the duration of my program
      Petty customer service reps at smart start and the “game” it is to them. Providing false hope,
      Defamation of Character
      Extorting
      Exploiting
      GOUGING
      COMMUNIST
      Get a job

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/06/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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 got my ignition lock in January since then my brand new rouge’s 2023 has had all types of issues. I took my car into Brasso Nissan because my car was undrivable they found destroyed wiring fuse box distorted and after 3 days in the mechanic they charged me 554 to fix the damage due to the ignition installed in my car. I have a brand new car that has so much damage that I’m now having to take it back for more service. They ruined my electronic panel because they didn’t know what to do. I have photos of the damage but smart start won’t except them claiming my new 2022 was like that at purchase in December prior to the ignition lock being installed. My car will never be the same and will always have problems due to the broken system

      Business Response

      Date: 15/06/2023

      Smart
      Start has spoken to the client and reviewed the client’s statements. Smart
      Start has provided a solution that the client is satisfied with. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:23/02/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      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.
      From the moment I had this device put into a vehicle I have been having problems with this device. I went out of town and it wouldn't connect to the system properly because of the area I was in. I was in Port Alice so I had a countdown started and was required to go change handset because the one I had was faulty. Not only did I have to pay for violations due to the faulty device I had to pay for the travel to go to the shop, and violations that was to no fault of my own. I was told I would ve refunded for these and still have yet to see any repayment. So on top of paying the monthly fee I had to pay for a new handset, violations caused from a faulty device? Mt boss is beyond fed up with these constant infractions I have gone to my MLA to get answers and asked when I will be refunded and no answers. How is someone supposed to successfully complete this program with so many issues? I'm going to go broke just trying to get my license back!

      Business Response

      Date: 24/02/2023

      Smart
      Start has contacted this client and explained the situation in further detail.
      The client was very understanding once the details were provided.

    Smart Start Canada is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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