Reviews
This profile includes reviews for Smart Start's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Review Ratings
Average of 116 Customer Reviews
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Review fromJevan O
Date: 07/27/2025
1 starBe careful. They are trying to pull out payments 3x in one week. They are robbing the people.BBB needs to do an investigation.Smart Start
Date: 07/30/2025
Hello, please contact our credit and collections department at ************ for assistance with your account.Review fromElizabeth M
Date: 07/22/2025
1 starIf I could give it zero stars I would. I have the Smart Start ignition interlock in my vehicle. I understand the consequences of my actions and have no issues with being required to have the device in my vehicle. However, my dealings with the Smart Start company have been horrible. Every time I have gone for a calibration, there has been a payment problem. It got to the point where I called to pay off the balance of my account for the remainder of the term that I have to have the device in my vehicle.I continue to have payment problems when I go to have my device calibrated. I get repeated calls from Collections saying that I owe $130.58. This collections payment is for March 2026. Yes, I said 2026! Seven months from now. When I called to resolve the issue payments and billing and Collections passes me off to client services. ****** services tells me they cant resolve it and they send me back to billing payments and collections. Im not a human being. Im a ping-pong ball. No one can explain why I keep getting collection calls and voicemails for an account that is paid off. Ive been told its for March 2026. The device comes out of my vehicle in February 2026. Smart Start tells me its the shops issue. The Shop tells me its a Smart Start issue if there was a human being out there that was able to program my information into the system. Where is that human being to rectify the situation? Im being told theres nothing they can do. I dont believe it for one minute. It does not make any sense at all. When they finally try to transfer me to their supervisor(the one who has repeatedly been in meetings every time Im transferred) I leave a voicemail that is never answered. I have been waiting for a return phone call since February 2025. ***** *******, you should be embarrassed to be running and receiving a paycheck from this company. I will find a way to contact you. You would not accept this type of treatment for one of your loved ones.Review fromkenneth M
Date: 07/19/2025
1 starThis company ***** and robs the people that are trying to get back on their feet. Issues with device and communication to car over 15 times in one month to return to provider to reset it and get charged for there mistake.Smart Start
Date: 07/21/2025
Hello, if you would like to dispute a violation lockout please complete an incident report at ****************************************************************
Once we receive the incident report we will review your description of events and analyze the data logs. If the violation was due to a unit malfunction we will reverse the lockout charge(s).
Review fromTaylor R
Date: 07/17/2025
1 starAwful customer *********** have to submit an install request on their website to get someone on the phone.They send an email to you stating to reply to "info@smartstart" yet the response you get is "this inbox isn't checked".Since August of 2023:-The *** sent a letter to me that they had not received the calibration from Smartstart and my license would be suspended; after i had been going to my scheduled appointments. I had to pay a $20 fee to smartstart for an"early calibration", again after I did my part.-I've been charged $20 for early calibrations multiple times when in fact, they're not early calibrations - the *** isn't receiving the information I paid Smartstart to send them. So I'm paying $110 for my "monthly service" on top of other random charges.-Then I was driving on the freeway, the device shut off completely while i'm driving, i pulled over and was able to get it started. Who knows, maybe my battery will shut off next time this happens??-A few weeks later, I go to start my car and it says "violation lockout". I was charged $110 to have the "violation" taken care of. I still have no answers to what the violation was, I've been sober the entire time I've had this device.-I made my monthly payment and I'm receiving text messages my account is overdue. I called to get this situated and the guy in collections spoke over me the entire time.This company will take as much money as they can and provide no answers, no help and cause unnecessary headaches with the ***.I will be filing a complaint with the ************************.Smart Start
Date: 07/21/2025
Hello, your account shows that the violation fees from February were all reversed. The current balance due is for the monthly lease amount. If you need assistance or have any questions, please contact us at **************, or if you have specific questions for our credit and collections department they can be reached directly at ************.Review fromSaul M
Date: 07/09/2025
1 starI cannot say one good thing about Smart Start. Ive complied with their program while constantly suffering through their poor service. Most recently, I submitted my removal requestwhich their site says takes 35 business daysonly to be told it now takes 7 days and that they dont see a record of my request. It feels like delays are just another way to rack up more fees. Every part of this company is a red flag. I wish I had read the reviews beforehand.Their customer service is abysmal. The people answering phones are rude, often making comments like, Well, you shouldnt have been drinking and driving. Yes, I understand why Im in this situation, but that doesnt give them the right to ridicule or mistreat clients who are in compliance. Their call system leads nowhere, and the so-called compliance team is unreachable.I challenge them to review the recordings of my calls, as they claim all are recorded. From the beginning, I was offered a signup discount that was later denied. The first device constantly malfunctioned, wasting 30+ minutes of my day. I was finally given a new device after much back and forthand things worked fine until I submitted for removal. Suddenly, the device malfunctioned the next day, leading to more troubleshooting and, of course, more fees. Coincidence? I doubt it.All I want is for my removal to be approved and to be done with Smart Start for good. If youre reading this, please do yourself a favor and find another provider. This experience has been costly, stressful, and completely avoidable had I known what I was getting into.Review fromAndrew P
Date: 07/08/2025
1 starThis company has no reason to treat their customers with respect or fairness because all their customers are being forced by a court order to install an ignition interlock device. While I understand that this is the fault of the customer, it is no excuse for unfair and borderline illegal business practices. Holds and transfers designed to get you to give up. Turning on autopay without customer permission. Deliberately confusing policies designed to charge customers more than they're legally required to pay. I have a court order, signed by my sentencing judge, declaring me indigent and waiving all maintenance and installation fees. What does Smart Start do? Transfers me to seven different departments and cites company policy stating that I must still pay said fees. What was the point of the court order? The judge's signature? I am being punished for a crime I committed, I get that, but now I am being twofold. Do not drive under the influence of anything, even if it's a legal prescription. Do not trust the police when they say all they want to do is make sure you're okay to drive home, they are not your friends, and most of all, do NOT TRUST THIS COMPANY, they are an evil corporation siphoning money from the misery of working people. May they someday get what they deserve for their unfair business practices. If I could give zero stars, or negative stars, I would, but apparently one star is lowest. Rock bottom.Smart Start
Date: 07/09/2025
Hello, your account shows that we are in receipt of the documents from the court. Our Territory Manager for New York will review the documents and make any needed changes to your account.Review fromMichael M
Date: 07/08/2025
1 starThere is no way to tell how long it will take to analyze after breathing into the device. If you have any sort of emergency or something affecting your safety, there is no guarantee of having that happen in a timely manner.Smart Start
Date: 07/09/2025
Hello, the time between submitting a breath sample and obtaining a result is typically within a few seconds. The ignition interlock devices are set in accordance with the state program requirements.Review fromDominique H
Date: 06/23/2025
1 starAs you may know getting a DWI comes with a very costly punishment. On top of court cost, there is also interlock installation cost, and monthly fees that go along with that. Smart Start is who I decide to go with so that I can continue to drive legally. When I first signed the documents, I opted out of automatic payments. After reading some reviews and knowing a few others who also used Smart Start there was a complaint that they were set up on auto payments that never came out. Suddenly, the customer has a large balance they are unable to pay all at once. I did not want this to happen to me, so I opted out of auto pay. It was never disclosed in the original paperwork I signed that there will be a fee associated if I opt out of this This is a rip-off to customers. Once I did that, I noticed that there is a $5.00 fee if we do not choose autopay. I have heard of people being able to save a few dollars by being on auto pay but never getting charged for not wanting it. Then when you call this company to talk to someone about it, all they do is continue to transfer the call. I was transferred 4 times before I gave up which I suspect is what they want customers to do. Me personally have experienced issues regarding payment as well. I always pay on the portal and then I just pay my collaboration fee at the location I visit. Now each time I go to get a collab done, I have to call Smart Start to get an override because there is always a large outstanding balance on my account. On top of this, I am now getting daily automated calls from Smart Start stating I need to contact them about my payment. This is an inconvenience to me and the business, but Smart Start charges the customer $5.00 for not being on auto pay. This is very inconsiderate and costly overtime considering they have also recently raised their pricing. What makes this even worse is according to their customer support department, ********************** is aware of the issue but has done nothing to fix this.Review fromBooker T
Date: 06/16/2025
1 star***********************. I had an appointment scheduled for today, and a scheduled shop visit for Wednesday (for some reason) I showed up with a FUNCTIONING DEVICE AND ACCOUNT and left with a ************** lockout and an 80 dollar tab tacked on to the 80 dollars I JUST spent. How the f*** do I get accused of having a locked out device when I DROVE SAID VEHICLE WITH DEVICE to the location? This is the third time I've been on the receiving end of a hiccup on THEIR account and forced to pay. What's worse is that a lot of folks are court ordered to have these devices installed. It should be a f****** crime for companies to swoop in, steal a government contract, then proceed to offer the worst service seen on the planet.Smart Start
Date: 06/18/2025
Hello, your account was reviewed, and a credit was issued for the service lockout fee. Please have the Technician check the unit schedule the next time you come in for service.Review fromJERMAINE M
Date: 06/16/2025
1 starI have been dealing with Smart Start for over a year now. I'm finished with the program and it just seems that they are doing everything they can to keep me as a costumer. My finished date is 01/14/2025. No one ever told me the proper steps I have to take in order to end this program. Why is there zero communication between Smart Start and the Dmv? How is it that Smart Start doesn't know the time when you are finished with the program? Is that just a way you keep costumes paying when they are completely finished with the program? Also I encountered device issues that has coast me money. My device has black screened on me 3 times. Each time I had to pay to get it towed to the shop. This current time the device black screened during a test while driving. So now there's a missed test on my record and a lockout with the fee. The vendor made notation on the account that the device had a electric program and it was not my fault. Smart Start is still making me go through the loops to have this mater resolved. Waiting on a response from the compliance team. I shouldn't have to pay for a faulty device that wasn't properly installed!
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