Onstar Experiences

[JohnD]

I just bought a new 2015 Chevy truck about a month ago, and it has Onstar, which seems to be cool!

But . . . isn't there always a but?????????????????????????????????

I've tried to purchase the 300 minutes for my trucks phone number THREE TIMES . . . and they refuse to credit my account!

Last time I was on the phone with them, I tried to explain that I was going to be camping in a few days in an area where there was no cell service (Colorado HOC Rally in Rifle, Colorado), and they told me that someone would call me ON MY CELL NUMBER in three to five days!


WHAT???????????????????????????????????

I explained that I was going to be in a no-cell service area, which is why I wanted to get those minutes . . . and the customer service rep was clueless!

And when we got home from the rally, I had several emails from them telling me that I was being dropped because I didn't answer their phone calls . . .

I called them after I got back, and they act as though I haven't ever called them about this issue . . .

If they think I am going to pay for their service once my six month freebee ends . . . they've got another thing coming!

What good is Onstar if they can't even help you when you need them, which is what they claim to do?

Onstar bites the big one!

 

[porthole]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

OnStar is not much more then a seldom used forced $1200 option.

 

[Ladiver]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

JohnD,

I am surprised at your experience with OnStar. I have only had positive experiences with them. Granted, I do not use the service very much. Earlier this year, we were traveling on the 5 freeway in California and there was an overturn accident that happened right in front of us. We were in the middle of nowhere. I pushed the OnStar emergency button to get help, but I had no idea where we were, other than Southbound on the 5, north of Kern County. Thankfully, OnStar had the GPS on my truck and were able to relay to 911 dispatch. They stayed on the phone the entire time and even placed calls to my wife's cell while she attended to the people in the car.
After that experience, I will have OnStar in all my future vehicles. It is an expensive option, but if a life is in jeopardy, $1200 is not worth blinking at.
The good news for you is that even if you opt not to pay for the service, you can still use the emergency button (At least that is what they told me).

 

[danemayer]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

My experience with OnStar service was similar. They are very unreliable at selling you the minutes. And if they do manage to take your money, you really have to check to find out what really got loaded.

Plus, the minutes are outrageously expensive and if you don't give them more money in a year, the unused minutes evaporate. Last time I bought the minimum # of minutes, they mistakenly deleted the 500+ minutes that I had accumulated. They kept telling me it was a system glitch and the minutes would show up again in a few hours or days. They never did and then I traded the truck.

By the way. You do know that OnStar is cell based voice and data service. It's not satellite. The truck has a better antenna than your cell phone, but if you're in an area that doesn't have service, OnStar doesn't work. IMHO, the only interesting service is the emergency response because it triggers automatically in a collision and OnStar will get you help - if you have cell coverage.

If you want to improve your cell coverage, get a Wilson Sleek Amplifier for the truck. It gives you about 10 db of signal improvement which provides a dramatic improvement for voice and data.

 

[JohnD]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

My experience with OnStar service was similar. They are very unreliable at selling you the minutes. And if they do manage to take your money, you really have to check to find out what really got loaded.

Plus, the minutes are outrageously expensive and if you don't give them more money in a year, the unused minutes evaporate. Last time I bought the minimum # of minutes, they mistakenly deleted the 500+ minutes that I had accumulated. They kept telling me it was a system glitch and the minutes would show up again in a few hours or days. They never did and then I traded the truck.

By the way. You do know that OnStar is cell based voice and data service. It's not satellite. The truck has a better antenna than your cell phone, but if you're in an area that doesn't have service, OnStar doesn't work. IMHO, the only interesting service is the emergency response because it triggers automatically in a collision and OnStar will get you help - if you have cell coverage.

If you want to improve your cell coverage, get a Wilson Sleek Amplifier for the truck. It gives you about 10 db of signal improvement which provides a dramatic improvement for voice and data.

I had a bad experience with Onstar with the GM car I traded in on my new truck as well . . .

Apparently, they must not be interested in keeping customers!

 

[sengli]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

I tried to use onstar one time on my 2014 camaro, and I pushed the button and it rang and rang and no one ever picked up? Luckily for me I was only trying to use the directions feature.

 

[JohnDar]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

Well, a few years back when I schmucked a big brown rat on the freeway, OnStar was talking to me before I knew what happened. They had help on the way pronto. I'll keep them and don't care if I can't call Auntie Em from the middle of nowhere through them. I seem to be able to connect through Verizon everywhere I go.


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[Manzan]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

Got OnStar when I bought this Suburban in 2003 and I have used it a couple of times. Very good experiences. And by the way, OnStar uses Verizon where available but because of a better antenna than a cell phone, has better range. Wife got a cell phone a couple of years ago so no longer use the phone feature but keep OnStar just incase.

 

[kakampers]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

Wow...our experience has been the complete opposite! Actually have used it fairly often...they are great for getting a diagnostic when a service light comes on! Have used the minutes occasionally when no service was available...they never had a problem taking our money to replenish minutes...strange...

 

[slborba]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

I agree with Ken. I have OnStar on my 2003 Suburban and 2014 Silverado 3500HD DRW.....I've never had one bad experience with them. I do not use the phone, I stopped adding minutes in 2004 on my Suburban when I lost minutes. With cell phones they are now (using the Wilson Sleek with my cell), I really don't have the need for the OnStar phone feature. We have used it to report car accidents, check engine light and directions in 03-05 before we had a GPS.
Ive never had a rude customer service rep or phone just ringing.

Steve

 

[JohnD]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

So far this topic thread is telling me that it is worth the $90 to get the lifetime subscription on my Rand McNally GPS unit!

Heck . . . while it is cool that I can check how much gas I have and can even lock my doors with my smart phone . . . the fact that every time I try to use the app it somehow has logged me off and I have to call them to get my user name and password figured out is a major PITA . . .

I will NOT spend $30 per month to have to figure out each time how to use a service I probably don't really need . . .

I understand that in an extreme emergency that Onstar could be a good thing . . .

But I also do realize that in a dire emergency even if I haven't paid for the monthly Onstar service, it will still still work as long as I can give them my credit card number over the phone!

Pretty sad, huh . . . ?

OK . . . I'll try one more time to see if their customer service can restore my loyalty!

But I won't hold my breath . . .

 

[whp4262]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

I've had pretty good luck with onstar so far and the app on my phone works good as well. I haven't tried to buy minutes yet but will be doing that soon.


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[ncc1701e]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

I can only say that I am alive thanks to Onstar. Wish Ford had it for the F250, we keep it current on the Acadia.

 

[Jim Posz]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

A couple of things I learned about OnStar that may or may not be useful. First, I learned that my insurance company (State Farm) gives a discount for having OnStar in exchange for your giving permission for OnStar to send your monthly mileage to them. The amount of the discount depends on how much you drive; i.e. the less miles you drive the greater the discount. Might be worth checking out with your insurance carrier. Second, I learned that the OnStar phone service works the same in Canada as the USA. While planning a trip up north this summer I discovered that my previous cell phone carrier (US Cellular) charges roaming and international calling rates in Canada which would have been very costly.
Oh yes they really can unlock your doors remotely. Don't ask how I know.
Jim

 

[porthole]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

Ford's sync system with a cell phone paired to it will activate an emergency 911 call in the event of an air bag deployment.
Built into the radio and not a forced $1200+ option.

I haven't had onstar since my 2006 GMC, kept it active for a year but back then minutes were too pricey, and the subscription was a bit high.
I almost kept it when they teamed up with Verizon to make it an additional shared line, but the whole process was just not smooth enough.

 

[porthole]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

On the plus side of onstar though - there are tons of great parodies out there

 

[Bob&Patty]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

John, why dont you just use the "bluetooth" option. Its free and works just great for me. You do realize your talking to someone in India, Guam, Phippines, etc,etc. BTW, I was told awhile back that On Star is not Verizon anymore.

 

[jassson007]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

I can only say that I am alive thanks to Onstar. Wish Ford had it for the F250, we keep it current on the Acadia.

My 14 f350 has a similar setup to onstar that uses your cellphone that is connected via Bluetooth. Not sure if it would contact 911 or not in an accident as I have not read up that much but it does most everything else.


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[porthole]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

My 14 f350 has a similar setup to onstar that uses your cellphone that is connected via Bluetooth. Not sure if it would contact 911 or not in an accident as I have not read up that much but it does most everything else.

From a few posts above.

Ford's sync system with a cell phone paired to it will activate an emergency 911 call in the event of an air bag deployment.
Built into the radio and not a forced $1200+ option.

 

[jassson007]

Re: Onstar sucks . . . anyone with me?

From a few posts above.

Sorry missed it.


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