On-star Annoying Problems

[2008Silverado]

Just venting on my 2 gripes about On-star. 1st, I got the promotional 100 minutes for some cheap price and hardly used the minutes then got incoming calls from unknown numbers interupting my jamms. I would answer only it to be a wrong number. Then I kept getting XM radio telemarketers soliciting me on my on-star minutes for subscription renewal again during my listening pleasure. Then I had an incoming call that was a female calling for John but began talking to me like she knew me while my wife was riding with me. I got hell all the way home and until this day I still get asked about it. I called onstar and expressed that I only needed outgoing calling and they said it was not possible so I cancelled my minutes but I had to sit in my driveway and exhaust my minutes to zero so I wouldnt get another call.

2nd issue, anytime on-star runs their monthly diagnostic report I know they are running it because it alters my AC comfort settings from recirculating to outside air. It took a while to noticed the corelation but my e-mails confirmed it as I noted the mileage it occurred and matched the diagnostic report I got. This is annoying every month when I get fumes and heated outside air because their diagnotics tripped my settings. Just to comfirm this I pushed the on-star button and asked if they could run a diagnostic report and I sat and watched my AC settings get tripped from recirculating to outside air while I was on the line with them. I guess I will have to live with this incase I need to live one of these days. Anyone?

[tanked_darren]

ONSTAR IS TERRIBLE, I purposely lost my visa to get rid of it. (they gave me a new card number)

 

I bought minutes for my truck and they used my visa number to re-subscribe me without my approval! NOT IMPRESSED IN THE LEAST, shame on you onstar!

 

The only thing working correctly in the stupid diagnostics is tire pressure! WORTHLESS.

[[email protected]]

ONSTAR IS TERRIBLE, I purposely lost my visa to get rid of it. (they gave me a new card number)

 

I bought minutes for my truck and they used my visa number to re-subscribe me without my approval! NOT IMPRESSED IN THE LEAST, shame on you onstar!

 

The only thing working correctly in the stupid diagnostics is tire pressure! WORTHLESS.

 

It want tell you if you've ran 8000 miles on no oil? That is worthless.

[Z45]

I will not renew onstar on my 2010. I had nothing but pita phone calls, letters and emails with my 09 CTS telling me they could not communicate with my car to do diagnostics, which I never even realized I ok'd. They had me take it into a dealer to update and still keep sending me mails, letters and phone calls for the same thing. Every time I called there to try and resolver the problem I got transferred from one person to another. Was assured at least 3 times it was corrected and I would not receive any more of these warning and then they came again. Seems where I park my car at times they have a problem accessing it so the only course for me was to cancel, which btw was another headache. They gave me the run around trying to do that, every person they bumped me to did not have the authority and made me listen to a sales pitch and or declaimer to move on.

 

I think onstar has contracted out a lot of the non emergency services and you are dealing with people who only make money if they sell you some thing or keep you as a customer.

 

XM is the same way IMO.

[Ryloth]

I forgot and never activated my On-Star but it sounds like I did the right thing.......

[Luvbelly]

I have never received an unwanted incoming phone call through onstar. Luck more than anything. Anytime you get a new phone number, at home, cell, or through on star, you take the risk it recently belonged to someone else. I had to change a new land line number once for this exact reason. Seems the person who used to have my "new" number had serious credit problems. I could not get various collection agents to believe I was not the person they were trying to reach. I wonder if Onstar could change the phone number assigned to your truck and put you on a do not call list. Worth checking out.

[Stex]

Other than the cost. I have no negative issues with OS. No calls etc...no girls calling with wife in truck..LOL... that is a bad one!

 

I keep it for the phone (when I forget my cel @ home), locked truck (have not had to use yet) and in case of break downs in our remote pastures and cel service not working....may not ever need it but keep it mainly for the phone.

[RyanbabZ71]

I have never received an unwanted incoming phone call through onstar.

 

I have gotten 1. It was wierd. I didnt answer. Justin was in my truck getting ready to tune it (before it started). He checked the area code on his phone and it was from Colorado.

[[email protected]]

I will not renew onstar on my 2010. I had nothing but pita phone calls, letters and emails with my 09 CTS telling me they could not communicate with my car to do diagnostics, which I never even realized I ok'd. They had me take it into a dealer to update and still keep sending me mails, letters and phone calls for the same thing. Every time I called there to try and resolver the problem I got transferred from one person to another. Was assured at least 3 times it was corrected and I would not receive any more of these warning and then they came again. Seems where I park my car at times they have a problem accessing it so the only course for me was to cancel, which btw was another headache. They gave me the run around trying to do that, every person they bumped me to did not have the authority and made me listen to a sales pitch and or declaimer to move on.

 

I think onstar has contracted out a lot of the non emergency services and you are dealing with people who only make money if they sell you some thing or keep you as a customer.

 

XM is the same way IMO.

I also agree, Xm is just as bad. 

[2008Silverado]

ONSTAR IS TERRIBLE, I purposely lost my visa to get rid of it. (they gave me a new card number)

 

I bought minutes for my truck and they used my visa number to re-subscribe me without my approval! NOT IMPRESSED IN THE LEAST, shame on you onstar!

 

The only thing working correctly in the stupid diagnostics is tire pressure! WORTHLESS.

Yes thats another thing. I forgot to mention On-star automatically renews without your permission. I got a call from my Visa card stating there might be an attempted fraud charge on my card. There was a charge attempt but since that card was expired and my new card was waiting for my activation it did not go through. They gave me the info and found out it was On-star. I called onstar and they said its to cover me incase of an emergency I am automatically covered. On my new silverado I requested they send me a bill statement and then I paid by check. You cant pay by credit card and just let onstar lapse thinking it will cancel. Your card is in their database. Same for XM. The only reason I have On-star is because I have a 4 year old daughter and the vehicle is equiped to open or slow down and stop incase I'm car jacked with her still in it.

[gnet158]

I had no problems with OnStar, I bought extra minutes and enjoyed the novelty for the first year. I made sure to call before my free trial ended to avoid this exact problem with them trying to automatically renew.

 

I also never had any problems with XM, I am in fact on my second "promotional" 5 months for $20 basic service. I think it's great.

[2016 Sierra Owner]

I've had my truck for about 7 months now. I got 1 recorded call from XM saying my trial period was about to expire and promply hung up. Not any calls since. I believe what Luvbelly said in that you got someones old number that may have only had the service for 1 year and quit. Leaving that number free to be reassigned to someone else (you) unfrotunately. If all the diagnostic check does is change your A/C from recirc to fresh. Maybe they are trying to tell you you need some fresh air. I drove a Freightliner Century and when you selected recirc. it would flash on the DIC that you would have stale air in 10 min. I just ignored it and kept driving. Life is too short to worry about little things like that.

 

Also you do know that in auto mode on the A/C that it will switch itself from recirc. to fresh when the temp inside the cab reaches a certain level. It's in recirc. to give the cabin a quick cool down the switches to fresh. I have seen mine do it just about everyday.

[Wires]

I will not renew onstar on my 2010. I had nothing but pita phone calls, letters and emails with my 09 CTS telling me they could not communicate with my car to do diagnostics, which I never even realized I ok'd. They had me take it into a dealer to update and still keep sending me mails, letters and phone calls for the same thing. Every time I called there to try and resolver the problem I got transferred from one person to another. Was assured at least 3 times it was corrected and I would not receive any more of these warning and then they came again. Seems where I park my car at times they have a problem accessing it so the only course for me was to cancel, which btw was another headache. They gave me the run around trying to do that, every person they bumped me to did not have the authority and made me listen to a sales pitch and or declaimer to move on.

 

I think onstar has contracted out a lot of the non emergency services and you are dealing with people who only make money if they sell you some thing or keep you as a customer.

 

XM is the same way IMO.

I also agree, Xm is just as bad.

 

 

 

 

 

+1 on XM. Once youre subscription expires, they'll call you EVERY night until you tell them to f-off.

 

Oddly enough, both should be super cool from the techno-geek standpoint, but it seems the human side on the other end just annoys a person so much you just cancel it.

 

I do like how Onstar calls you a little while after you get your ride, and then offers to sell you minutes for the phone at a discounted rate. All that gains you is them having your credit card, which, for some ODD reason, allows them to auto-bill you for ONstar renewal???? I NEVER authorized that, but it happened.

 

Personally, onstar and xm are crooks, and not pleased with the customer service or how either one runs....

[jimbrown1]

OnStar has helped me a few times. I get the monthly diagnotics e-mails and the phone service was the only one available to me after Hurricane Ike smashed us, as Verizon's wireless towers weren't communicating well if at all. Never have received a phone call from someone other than a friend or relative but I have had the number changed to coincide with my current area and listed it as do-not-call. Anytime I take truck to dealer or other mechanic and they don't have a drop box it's nice to be able to leave a set of keys and lock the truck and wait for them to call me so I can get OnStar to unlock it. With this economy, they will negotiate a lower annual rate if you ask because they're losing subscribers just like XM.

[Sir Dan]

I've never had any of these probs. with Onstar either. No unwanted calls or solicitations. To me, it amounts to piece of mind since I often travel alone and the crash response feature could be a lifesaver. When I signed up, it was made clear to me of all my payment options, including re-curring charge to my visa or a mailed invoice to be payed by check. XM hasn't lapsed yet so we'll see if they pester me or not.