Intoxalock review: Hidden fees 68

On my third unit, had a couple false positives before with previous two, but this latest one has been excessively problematic.

Three seperate days now my device has said 'sample not accepted, try again.'

I finally figured out that extreme humidity in the air (or even rain) causes this particular mechanism to time out, essentially glitch, rendering my car useless until the problem (I.e. excessive moisture in the air) clears.

I spoke with intoxalock about the issue, and the woman on the other end was fine. She said though that some of the devices more than others, 'work improperly' in some weather conditions, but that they'll send a new one out because 'it shouldn't do that that much.'

The only caveat here was that I needed to pay $91 in order to do so. She then said, 'your account is past due.' I replied with, 'how is that possible, I have automatic payments taken out every month?'

Long story short, I found there to be at least one $90 plus mystery charge thrown in there that we collectively couldn't figure out why it was on my bill and that I needed to pay it in order to get 'an early recalibration unit sent out.'

So, now I'm waiting on that (2-4 day delivery to my shop) & it's a flip of a coin whether the car is going to start or not on a day to day basis.

Moral of the story is, you get what you pay for. Intoxalock is the bargain brand, but on the off chance you have something go pear shaped, it'll cost you in time, more money, stress, frustration & anxiety.

And for the record, my neighbor used Intoxalock when he got a DUI & he didn't have any problems with them at all.

I too was generally satisfied up until receiving this last unit, but now I just can't wait for the thing to be removed for good. It's been too inconsistent, it's turning into a money pit & I question how good the technology is if it doesn't work when it senses it's been raining out.

The only other thing I can say, is to be kind to the people helping you, whether that's at intoxalock or your mechanic, after all, we are the ones who put ourselves in this spot by drinking and choosing to drive in the first place.

Between the extra phone calls, time, money, anxiety, uncertainty, inconvenience & scope of it all (90 days to a year with interlock) it is in no way worth 'having more drink before headin' home.

Stay safe.

TERRIBLE COMPANY. Their lease specifically states that you must start your car four times a week for five minutes. I did that, and more. It did not work and I have had to pay for a new battery and three jump starts. When I called Intoxalock they ADMITTED the information in their lease is INCORRECT but of course did not offer any solutions. I have reported them to the Better Business Bureau and advise everyone to do the same.

something needs to be done, , , , i would call state NJ representative to complain about this company, , , ,

Yes People They R The Biggest Ripoff Artists In The World. I CAN BEAT EVRYONES Story. I Had This Peice Of ### Device Installed The dude who installed It says u have to get the breathing pattern right so after like 8 to 10 tries in front of this guy he walks away n goes back 2 his office.i finally got it 2 accept my sample. so i'm merrily driving back 2 Payson in Arizona like an 80 mile drive. well an hour after the install it askes for a rolling retest so i do it and i do it and i do it then says approching time allotment 4 retest needless 2 say it goes into lock-out mode.i'm pissed by now i call the company i tell this rude pls excuse my language, what happened she says ok ill have to send a new unit it costs 110.00 im like say what she says well when they get the devise back we take the info from it if it's a problem with the unit there will b no charge i say but that i have to pay postage to return it again i get pissed even if it's the unit i still pay postage. i get the new unit it does the same thing goes into lockout mode man i am really angry. well here's the kicker when i orderd the unit 4 the first time i tell the sales rep I Lost 40% of my right lung to cancer and i have breathing issues all she says is david, david u have to pay a one time fee of 27.50 to set up the acct im like ok she makes commission on this sale so she didn't pay attn to anything i said about my lung issues i also tell the cust serv rep when i had 2 get a new unit about my issues with breathing of course she blew it off cause she's gonna make commmission on the new unit well after the new 1 goes into lock out the same day cause time ran out 4 giving sample so i call cust serv again i finally get an honest compassionate dude of course he is from Arizona the other 2 where from out of state. i told him about my lung issues n he says well david we have special units 4 this problem i said how come the other reps didnt tell me this when i first ordered the unit im like cool he gets the fee's waived 4 the new unit then he tells me david man 2 man not customer to service rep he says we both know the reason why they didnt tell you what motivates them not 2 say anything is the money they wont make cause i have to have my dr. fax a letter 2 the company stating my lung issues then they send out the special unit so now i know why i wasnt informed of the special unit. i only wish i had read all the comments b4 going with this piece of ### company but i found out very quickly how they operate the sales also never told me there is an administrative fee of 60.00 at the end of the lease she only told me of the 27.50 fee to get the acct started of course i called her back and left a message on all the stuff i m saying in this post and what a piece of ### she is for misleading me and not being honest about the special unit. well im done. going to see a judge tomorrow on this matter cause i also had 2 spend the nite 80 miles away and pay a hotel room cause the lock out was as of 4 pm yesterday luckily i can sttill drive my car while it does the count down 2 lockout. im gonna have the judge order a removal of devise so they cant charge me all the fees i never signed anything with them yet cause i just had this put om 3-31-16.

I had an Intoxalock installed in my mercury grand marquis (1999 model). It was a great car until then, and right after the intoxalock was installed it ran very rough, my engine was misfiring and would slip in and out of gears, or at least that is how it sounded. The company (AMPT inc) that installed it, ran diagnostics and told me that I had two cylinders misfiring, but that the problems could not have been caused by the device so I decided I needed a new vehicle. I bought a Ford Taurus (2004) and had them move the intoxalock to my new car. It did not make it a month before my engine on that one did the same thing. Engine misfiring on cylinder 3 on the Taurus and three and five on the mercury. I can not believe this is a coincidence. Both cars ran fine until it was installed. I don't know if it is the device, or if the company that installed it caused the issues, but I am very frustrated.
The only issues I have had with the unit not letting me do a test properly, however, was after I had it moved to the Taurus. It asked for a retest right after I got to work. For some reason it would let me take the test, say ok, then sampling, then sample not accepted, then retry. But it did it over and over until my ten minute limit was up. Before it counted down to zero though, I shut my car off, then hit the button like I wanted to restart my car, took that test which I passed, started my car and then shut it off again.
The sad thing is I only had this installed in November. I haven't even had it three months and it is causing all sorts of issues.

you are all right on the money this company has terrible service sat in the cold 20 min. after false positive 2 min after passing the initial start up twice in one week and there answer was the must be something in the car nothing had changed except the new unit they sent never use intoxalok if there is a civil suit count me in

Yep, these guys are horrible. Very rude once you get through the at least 20 minutes that you are going to hold before speaking to anyone. Once you do get someone, it doesn't matter what is going on with your unit. It is your fault. I blew in mine to start my car after work, mind you I have been using this thing for about a year now. It took 3 tries to get it to work, kept telling me "invalid breath". Once I finally got it to work, I passed and went on my merry way. I get a retest about 10 minutes into my drive and it fails me, it fails me two more times before I do the third retest and pass. At this point it puts me into a lockout and I have 4 days to get to a service center. I of course call them immediately and am told that they can remotely remove the lockout but it will cost me about $85. I asked if this would be refunded to me once they got the unit back and discovered that it was faulty. I was told that yes, the would refund me but that there units are never faulty. What a load of crap. I have found another company to go with in Colorado that is getting much better reviews and when I called to talk to them about switching, they were actually pleasant, something I have NEVER experienced with Intoxalock. Go with anyone else and you'll be a much happier person...

I too am upset by the hidden charges...I set up my account with them and arrived to have the device installed. The last name and PO Box# on all my paperwork at the garage was wrong. The associate tried to make me sign it and I refused. Two hours later after numerous phone calls by her the corrected forms were faxed except for the lease. I called a few days later and asked to have a new lease sent so I could sign. The Rep said to cross out incorrect information and write correct above it. He assured me this would be acceptable. I mailed it a few days later. I paid my fee online on a Friday being due Monday. I notice when I set up my online account it required an electronic signature for my lease. I picked up my mail on Saturday and got a letter stating my device wasn't shipped due to the lease not being signed. I called and was told it was shipped out Friday and would arrive Tuesday, a day after lockout. They refused to get me a hotel room, find an installer to come to my home or pay for a tow. The garage is an hour away and I had no extra money. I had to drive there Monday night and SLEEP IN MY VEHICLE overnight so I was there on Tuesday. I was then charged $15 by the installer that I did not know about. I said I wanted to change companies and was told there was a $200 fee to cancel my lease...Don't use Intoxalock!

My observations after a year of this device in my car: It is unreliable, undependable, and more costly than they tell you. Costly mainly due to false positives, I have had 3 now, one I will accept blame as I had a banana before I blew into it but 2 that were completely bogus. The one tonight I was on way back from the gym, for at least 2 hours nothing to eat, drink, no hand sanitizer, mouthwash, food in car, etc. Not even water for an hour before I blew a false reading. And the contract you sign (if you want to be able to drive) forces you to accept blame for any false reading, i.e. you are GUILTY over something you have no control over at all. And the rude and impertinent customer service reminds you that you have accepted any and all guilt over what you can not control, with your signature. You have no recourse whatsoever over your destiny with this device, innocent until proven guilty does not apply here. And CST knows this, they are like vultures picking the bones of unfortunate people that have made a mistake. And they know they can get away with it because you are in essence a new class of person that has no rights what so ever.

i went through six months of hell with there people. bogus fees, , revolked my liscense for some trumped charge..cost me 475.00 to get reinstated. i have talked to a represenative og morgan and morgan...forthepeople.com [protected] spread the word. class action lawsuit. just need enough complaints. they owe me at least 1000.00

does anyone have a clue as to file a class action lawsuit against these crooks?

this intoxalock company is a total scam. I have been overcharged 5 month in a row for bogus made up lockouts. i had my debit card on file with them...big mistake. after about 3 months I looked at my bank account and showed at least 75-100 dollars extra every month..then the next month I was informed that I was breaking the contract by not going on line and signing the bottom portion. so I did..then they turned it over to dmv and revolked my liscense. 475.00 to reinstate. so i took my debit card off the contract and for two more months they still kept taking out money. thats a felony in most states. heres my real question..iwith all the dozens and dozens of ripoff complaints about this company ..is there not a way to get a class action law suit filed against this company? im in if i can get enough people to join.

this compant is a legal ripoff..they take an already bad situation and made it a nightmare...there has to be a way to round up a lot of these people and do a class action law suit against them...does anyone know how to get that started?

My husband had to get an intoxalock in our truck 8months ago. We only have one car but the registry in mass knows that I drive it too. I had to sign papers so I could use it too. I do not drink at all. This last month I have had a reading of .052 was in lockout mode had to order another unit and explained that I do not drink and had just left work. They more or less say...right yeah we believe you...they don't care. Was charged a full month again and still go back on the original date for recalled so charged twice plus pay guy $23 each time to put it in. Today 2weeks later I left work again like I do every Monday and guess what...I blew .086...give me brake...locked out again and the reading went down to.030 in 3mins while waiting for unit to rest. Each month the unit would be hard to use one month and okay the next...very incocsistent. Tomorrow I am going to registry I'm mass and getting paperwork to change companies...they will probably charge me again for a whole month when I have already paid for it twice this month. So I also will miss some work so that I can go there tomorrow. I hope they have a class action suit as it is my husband that is going to suffer because of these readings to the registry ...even though by these reaapdings I would probably be in a coma...makes no sense

Intoxalock is a great company. I have had no problems whatsoever. I highly recommend.

Before i even started with this company i knew this was gonna suck .They wanted me to fill out a dl21 form (PA). This is a form i never received in the mail TO fill out, because i shouldn't even even know it exists.( its the form your mechanic fills out after they install the device). Then they want me to "just find it on the website print it up fill it out and fax it to us". So if you don't have a computer, internet, printer, or a fax machine YOUR FUCT. They also kept asking questions about my dui . I had to keep reminding them that i was informed by my LAWYER not to give ANYONE information about my situation except him. ALL THIS COMPANY IS FOR IS INSTALLING AN INTERLOCK AND THATS IT they are NOT the STATE they are NOT the county they are NOT a PROBATION OFFICER. Yours situation has Nothing to do with them. the only thing they should be asking about is about your car and your insurance. Tell them if they want this info they're gonna need to contact your lawyer or your state. Do not let them VIOLATE YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

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THIS DEVICE DOES NOT RUN ON ACCESSORY POWER !
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When you get in your car you need to blow it BEFORE you put your keys in the ignition. This means it is directly hooked up to your battery and is ===DRAINING POWER CONSTANTLY !=== If your battery gets drained completly this WILL result in a LOCKOUT which will cost you $75. not to mention wherever your at when this happens is where you need to find a tow to your installer . Even if your installer IS open at the time it doesn't matter, because you have to WAIT till the company sends him another device.This happened to me today when I got mt license it the mail went to start my car ---it was dead. When i called them they wouldn't help me at all, even after 3 phone calls and i asked the lady to talk to her superviser.
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I DIDN'T DRIVE MY CAR 1 INCH YET AND THEY ARE ALREADY CHARGING ME EXTRA MONEY
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-------------------------------------------------THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE INFORMED----------------------------------------------------------------

This Company is unprofessional and this device is homemade. It is really big (6in x 3in x1 1/4in)T he cable itself is a bright gray and the connector is close to a vga cable ( like those obnoxiously big things with screws on both sides for your computer monitor).The device itself is WHITE and you CAN NOT disconnect it at all this makes it vaunerable to Clowns, Thieves, and the weather. You can't mount it with velcro or any thing because they mail your installer a new one every month. THEY WILL NOT HELP YOU ! They WILL charge you ALOT more money than you should be paying and make your situation alot more frustrating than it should be.

------------------------------------------------------ I KNOW THIS COMPANY IS BVLLSH1T BECAUSE --------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------I'VE HAD AN INTERLOCK BEFORE---------------------------------------------------------------

In Berks County PA through a company called Keysone smartstart

-----they didn't ask me to fill out a dl21 form and fax it to them
-----they didn't ask me personal information about my dui
-----the wire and the unit were both black
-4in x 2in x 1in
-the wire was like a telephone or an Ethernet wire
----- it was small enuf to fit in the little pocket under my radio
-----it didn't turn on UNTILL you turned your keys halfway (accessory power)
-----this means
-----it does NOT draw ANY power from your battery AT ALL ( after you start your car it mostly uses the alternator )
------not just anyone can jump in your and violate it without you knowing about it (like some crazy ex girlfriend that may have your keys and thinks its funny to give you a lockout right before its your weekend to see your kids)

Because my other interlock was not getting power all the time this means i could also disconnect it from the wire ! ! ! As long as the car wasn't running i could disconnect it and take it with me put it anywhere i wanted.
in fact, My installer strongly suggested that i made it common practice this way no one could steal it, it would stay warm in the winter, and since i was leasing it from them i could keep it on me always

--------------------------------------EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS CALL A DIFFERENT INTERLOCK COMPANY--------------------------------------

OR if you actually LIKE being frustrated, confused, violated, disrespected, and most of all broke, Than call them they'll be more than happy to rip you off but before you do...

==Get a computer, Printer, Fax Machine and Number
==get AAA or towing coverage on insurance
==gather up every piece of personal info about your situation
==put a blanket, pillow, and water in your car ( you never know when this thing is gonna leave you stranded )
==Get yourself a new checkbook and pen ( Your gonna need it )

DO NOT EVER GO WITH THIS COMPANY! I had them for almost a year, and had nothing but problems.
Their device caused me NUMEROUS problems, they charged me twice for lockouts from my mechanic DESPITE GIVING THEM PLENTY PRIOR NOTICE. I am still fighting to get my money back from the last one since they claim to have refunded my account with them instead of back to my debit card THAT THEY ONCE AGAIN WRONGLY TOOK!.
I GOT A COURT ORDER TO HAVE THIS DEVICE FROM INTOXALOCK REMOVED FROM MY CAR. I spoke to two different supervisors and even my probation officer called, and he and I were both told there would be no charge to have the device removed, yet they still charged me some fees for this, saying these are administrative or some other such nonsense.
And they claim to have refunded me to my Intoxalock account WHICH I CAN NO LONGER ACCESS NOR USE SINCE I DON'T HAVE THEIR DEVICE ANYMORE!
This device has given me repeated false positives for things like toothpaste, gum, even an energy drink. Toothpaste! I have been sober for over a year, yet every time I blew into this device I felt like I was going to be accused of a crime.
This device is poorly made and the children at Car Toys that they rely on to install, maintain and recalibrate this device seriously have no clue. And I have been to more than one due to incorrect wiring. Oh, it's Intoxalock's fault. Oh, it's Car Toys' fault. Pullllleeeeese.
I had to have the wiring replaced, it caused damage to my starter since it refused ABSOLUTELY REFUSED to ever start unless I cranked it 4-7 times. EVERY SINGLE TIME!
Seriously, when even your probation officer tells you to have the device removed and go with another company, you know you are with a bunch of people just trying to make a buck off of someone that made a mistake and is paying for it. Literally.
Yes, I yell and get angry at these people. They have caused me to miss work. They have caused me to spend money out of my pocket that I should not have needed to spend. They have been the source and anger, helplessness and frustration for the entire time I had to have their device. They had the flipping NERVE to call me today, two months after having their devil device was removed to say that I owe them more money! Seriously! YOU PEOPLE OWE ME ABOUT $100 FROM OVERCHARGING ME FOR A MECHANIC CREATED LOCKOUT THAT YOU CLAIM TO REFUNDED TO MY INTOXALOCK ACCOUNT! W H Y ! I CAN'T ACCESS THE ACCOUNT ANYMORE SINCE I AM NO LONGER A CUSTOMER AND WHY WOULD I WANT CREDIT WHEN I AM NO LONGER A CUSTOMER!
I have had a device from another company installed in my car and haven't had even one single problem.
If you want to just do your time without drama and without anymore punishment than you are already facing, GO WITH ANOTHER COMPANY.
I am going to post this on every place I can, review this company wherever I am able. There are too many options out there that don't cause such stress and anguish. Trust me on this. For the love of your sanity, go with someone else!

This is one of the most deceptive companies on the market. I have been "jerked" by them 4 times in 7 months. The machine does not register a breath sample then goes into lockout mode.Every time it goes into lock out-its approx $100.00 on top of their monthly $75.00 fee. Its a scam to increase their revenue. They just blame it on you! Time after time they have done this. I am looking into a class action lawsuit against them. They have nothing but miserable unhappy customers all over the internet. Oh byw, on top of the $100.00 did I mention missing 1/2 day of work every time the new unit needs to be replaced. THIS COMPANY IS A PURE SCAM!

I had an Intoxalock installed on my wife's car three weeks ago. I just received a letter in the mail stating I have to now sign a lease. This was not brought up at the time of installation and feel it should have. I will not sign a lease and now I may have to pay to get it uninsulated so I can get a different one put in. What a screw job. I am turning these people into Consumer Protection.

I agree whole heartedly. just try to call them and get more information, 1/2hr to an hour per call just to be able to talk to someone, So i left my name to Christy at intoxalock a day ago,
still haven't heard a word, so i did the right thing, went to a
competitor and ask questions. And guess what, Intoxalock has
misrepresent themselfs and breathalizer freezes up, and on and
on with problems.
thomas