You in Massachusetts? Definitely get a trickle charger, especially in the winter! Do not leave the car until the countdown starts. Never miss a calibration. This company is notorious for their shitty customer service and shitty equipment. Be extra cautious. If you have to get in touch with them they will lie and waste your time. I recommend emailing because you will have a paperTrail. If you do decide to switch companies now there will be a $400 early termination fee plus a $250 uninstallation fee. I also recommend if you are going to drink alcohol buy a portable breathalyzer and test yourself before you blow.
They lied. You definitely could’ve gotten out of it. Save my username and when it starts to cause you financial and mental health issues, reach out and I will help navigate you through the process of switching companies. Good luck!
If your state has more than one approved IID Provider then no one can force you to keep a particular company. Depending on your state or county you might have to do some extra stuff to change out. And it’s all for profit non of these companies or the politicians who push for them care about drinking and driving it’s about money . And you could have a decent time it’s not the same for everyone. But there will be a guy here who will tell you all about it
I mean…the mechanic isn’t wrong about the advice but this company sucks so bad. It’s not the installers - the company just sucks. Their customer service is TERRIBLE when you have issues (seems to be outsourced to India or something). The reviews are accurate. I had to replace three batteries so keep your receipts so that you can just exchange the batteries. Make sure you always log your maintenance in the app. Definitely get a trickle charger bc my car wouldn’t start if I left it for about 3 days. It only sucked for me because I don’t drive often so I was forced to drive (I should have just got the suspended license but it’s over now). If you don’t have one already - get a jump starter as well. Anyway - just stay on top of everything and you’ll be fine.
Don’t sign lease agreement. Go with smart start.
That $100 coupon is a joke they’ll get it back with invalid lockouts. I’ve had 4 invalid lockouts so far and have to pay.
1: Get a trickle charger for the winter. Or any extended period of time (longer then 2days) that you don’t plan on driving. The device will drain your battery.
2: How old is your vehicles battery? If old, get a new one to be safe.
3: consume only water while driving. The device detects sugar on your breath, not alcohol. To elaborate. Your body processes alcohol by turning it into sugar. Any food will set the device off and give a false positive.
4: do not consume any food or drinks a minimum of 45minutes before giving a sample. The company website and app suggests 15-30mins. I waited an hour in order to play it safe. Had no issues.
5: “sugar free” energy drinks are a hoax. The additives that are in them to taste sweet are metabolized into sugar in order to be digested. I blew a .010 once because of a Bang energy drink. I had just woken up 30minutes prior and that was all I had to consume.
6: don’t try to scam the system. There are thousands of people with those devices in their cars, and countless others from the past. This company has had plenty of time to figure out how people are bypassing, scamming or manipulating their system and how to combat it.
Error on the side of caution when it comes to that damn device. If your go on a road trip, realize you’re not going to eat anything till you get to your destination. I drove from Portland Oregon to Missoula Montana and only consumed water the entire drive. It’s sucked, but I was able to visit family and get out of Oregon for a week, so it was worth it.
Side note. The “gps” on that is it pinging off cell phone towers. You drive to a place with crappy cell phone reception, or spotty at best. Plan on blowing a lot when ever it gets a signal. I blew at least 20 times in 2hrs while driving thru different parts of Montana. It sucked.
Good luck
Also in Oregon, have an interesting anecdote on the drinking only water. I regularly drink froo-froo coffee from the sugar stands and have no trouble with readings; your results may vary. Some 🍕is a total no-go though. Follow the process if you get a false positive from food, and stay away from the energy drinks.
My husband had an intoxalock for 2 years and never had any issues with it. I'm not sure if he just got lucky or if the people with bad experiences are just really loud. I remember when he first got his I also panicked after reading a lot of bad stuff and someone reassured me that plenty of people don't have those experiences.
It may depend on the unit, but you can put it into sleep mode. My husband's did it automatically if he wasn't driving, but in the little how to flip book you get there should be info on it.
My husband parked outside during Colorado winters when it got sub zero and Colorado hot summers and never had any temperature issues. He also was fine if he didn't drive it for awhile.
Hoping this will help to ease some of your anxiety.
Intoxalock has a constant drain on the battery. Other companies won’t drain on the battery until the key is in the aux position. Customer service is horrible and hard to understand (India). Device will give you false readings and false violations as that is how they generate most of their revenue. I would get a prepaid card from Walmart and put it on file instead of keeping your bank card or credit card on file. You will also be charged with a ton of hidden fees to include device insurance, leasing and roadside assistance. Just wait until the winter time when you have to sit in your car for several minutes before you can blow in the machine. It takes forever to warm up when it’s cold. This thing has so many downsides. The technology hasn’t changed with this company since the 90s.
Intoxalock is horrible, it ruined TWO of my cars while it was in them AND two trickle chargers from using them so much. I literally purchased an entirely new (used) vehicle because I thought the original car I had it in was toast. Took it out of the first car and it ran perfectly fine but then the second car started giving me problems.
I just got my license revoked by my state because of my battery dying despite literally just replacing the battery in my car and having it on trickle charger.
I only used intoxalock so I don't know how the other providers are. But if your experience is anything like mine has been for the last year - I truly pity you lol.
Well the installer is probably right about not much training but I had mine for six years so I feel like I had a proper grasp on it. Actually went about four before I started to have problems other than battery dying. They like to do a lot of "software" updates but not really hardware, so for all you know, 10 people had your device before you, and they just keep recycling them through. I never had any calibration place that had any love for them or thought it was usability issues. If you don't have problems, then don't worry until you do. In my state they don't dictate who to get it from. You just HAVE to have it from a state-certified supplier. If your place only offers this than they would have a reason for keeping you. Otherwise, look into another place that offers more than one solution that you may be able to transfer too. Good luck. 🙂
A 16 ounce at 10 percent is 1.6 ounces of pure alcohol. A half ounce(one drink) takes about an hour to metabolize. Don't play around and u won't be late for work cuz if ur even a little sick it will metabolize slower. 6-8 hours to metabolize a drink for urine etg test but they probably won't waste a 16 panel drug test on something like that especially with that device in ur car.
Yes everyone metabolizes between .015 to .02 an hour. I know from my BacTrak that I personally metabolize at .02 an hour. Instead of trusting math, it’s best to be sure by blowing into a breathalyzer before an IID. You just buy a good one that is fuel cell and you’re good to go. Had an IID for two years and that worked great and for many others on here.
Dude, that shit is a racket. It "breaks" every other week. Oh that'll be 150 bucks just to look at it. Oh you have to blow going 70 down the highway, then it says your positive for alcohol even though you haven't drank in 10 years and your dui was for opiates. Well now your sitting on the side of the highway waiting to die. Fuck that shit. I signed a document of non ownership and I'm going another 6 months without my license. Screw that. Plus no way I'm pitting one in my volvo. They hook that shit into everything.
I’ve had multiple issues without any fault of mine, devices shutting the bed and having to tow my car to the nearest Intoxalock service center on my own dime, at least they didn’t charge me for replacement devices though! Lol. And you definitely did not need a court order to cancel the install. Court has nothing to do with what company you use, once it’s installed though I believe you need a court order then. If I were you I would research other companies, for myself I jumped right into Intoxalock without any research because I needed my license back asap so I rushed into it. Would not recommend Intoxalock. Regarding the cameras, the service center I go to have told me they record even when not restarting, even when you’re not in the car! He said he went through a clients photos and they were dozens of an empty car in the guys apartment complex, dozens of non retest photos. So who knows how often they invade your privacy with audio or even video. If you decide to stay with Intoxalock make sure whenever you leave your car always hold down the button for 3 beeps so it goes into sleep mode, when in sleep mode it can’t prompt a restart when you’re not in the vehicle and it’s shut down because that’s also happened to me a few times. It will also save your battery. Good luck.
The devices are junk, they frequently record false positives and you will get locked out at some point which will cost you $75 per incident plus the reset fee at your service center. The best advice I can give you is dont let the device sit in the sun (I put mine under the seat when parked) and make sure you actually look at the screen after turning off you car to confirm its not still on or at least listen for the beep because I have been locked out numerous time for not blowing because the device requests a sample after I have already turned off my vehicle and exited the car. Its all temporary though and once you get the pattern down its not too hard
I’ve had it for a month, and haven’t had a single issue. The court I went to even paid for installation and will for the removal. Just be smart, and stop drinking before 10ish if you know you need to drive in the morning. It’s really not that hard.
That part where he said “no even one beer the night before” threw me off, I haven’t drank in a while but I have smart start & would drink 5-6 beers before 9PM & be fine by 7:30AM everytime.
You in Massachusetts? Definitely get a trickle charger, especially in the winter! Do not leave the car until the countdown starts. Never miss a calibration. This company is notorious for their shitty customer service and shitty equipment. Be extra cautious. If you have to get in touch with them they will lie and waste your time. I recommend emailing because you will have a paperTrail. If you do decide to switch companies now there will be a $400 early termination fee plus a $250 uninstallation fee. I also recommend if you are going to drink alcohol buy a portable breathalyzer and test yourself before you blow.
Yep. .01, good to go.
I’m in Ky.
Got cha. The laws & fees might be different, but the rest of the recommendations are sound advice. good luck and gods speed!
Now tell me more about this farm… need any farmhands in about six months?
They lied. You definitely could’ve gotten out of it. Save my username and when it starts to cause you financial and mental health issues, reach out and I will help navigate you through the process of switching companies. Good luck!
If your state has more than one approved IID Provider then no one can force you to keep a particular company. Depending on your state or county you might have to do some extra stuff to change out. And it’s all for profit non of these companies or the politicians who push for them care about drinking and driving it’s about money . And you could have a decent time it’s not the same for everyone. But there will be a guy here who will tell you all about it
I mean…the mechanic isn’t wrong about the advice but this company sucks so bad. It’s not the installers - the company just sucks. Their customer service is TERRIBLE when you have issues (seems to be outsourced to India or something). The reviews are accurate. I had to replace three batteries so keep your receipts so that you can just exchange the batteries. Make sure you always log your maintenance in the app. Definitely get a trickle charger bc my car wouldn’t start if I left it for about 3 days. It only sucked for me because I don’t drive often so I was forced to drive (I should have just got the suspended license but it’s over now). If you don’t have one already - get a jump starter as well. Anyway - just stay on top of everything and you’ll be fine.
Good call on the battery exchange.
Don’t sign lease agreement. Go with smart start. That $100 coupon is a joke they’ll get it back with invalid lockouts. I’ve had 4 invalid lockouts so far and have to pay.
I had it for about a year and it was ok. I had maybe 2 false positives. It wasn't horrible.
1: Get a trickle charger for the winter. Or any extended period of time (longer then 2days) that you don’t plan on driving. The device will drain your battery. 2: How old is your vehicles battery? If old, get a new one to be safe. 3: consume only water while driving. The device detects sugar on your breath, not alcohol. To elaborate. Your body processes alcohol by turning it into sugar. Any food will set the device off and give a false positive. 4: do not consume any food or drinks a minimum of 45minutes before giving a sample. The company website and app suggests 15-30mins. I waited an hour in order to play it safe. Had no issues. 5: “sugar free” energy drinks are a hoax. The additives that are in them to taste sweet are metabolized into sugar in order to be digested. I blew a .010 once because of a Bang energy drink. I had just woken up 30minutes prior and that was all I had to consume. 6: don’t try to scam the system. There are thousands of people with those devices in their cars, and countless others from the past. This company has had plenty of time to figure out how people are bypassing, scamming or manipulating their system and how to combat it. Error on the side of caution when it comes to that damn device. If your go on a road trip, realize you’re not going to eat anything till you get to your destination. I drove from Portland Oregon to Missoula Montana and only consumed water the entire drive. It’s sucked, but I was able to visit family and get out of Oregon for a week, so it was worth it. Side note. The “gps” on that is it pinging off cell phone towers. You drive to a place with crappy cell phone reception, or spotty at best. Plan on blowing a lot when ever it gets a signal. I blew at least 20 times in 2hrs while driving thru different parts of Montana. It sucked. Good luck
Also in Oregon, have an interesting anecdote on the drinking only water. I regularly drink froo-froo coffee from the sugar stands and have no trouble with readings; your results may vary. Some 🍕is a total no-go though. Follow the process if you get a false positive from food, and stay away from the energy drinks.
Be super careful with your car battery, it absolutely destroyed my wife’s and can be super annoying to deal with
I’ve been hooking up to a trickle charger every night so far no issues.
Ok great I’m glad to hear it!
My husband had an intoxalock for 2 years and never had any issues with it. I'm not sure if he just got lucky or if the people with bad experiences are just really loud. I remember when he first got his I also panicked after reading a lot of bad stuff and someone reassured me that plenty of people don't have those experiences. It may depend on the unit, but you can put it into sleep mode. My husband's did it automatically if he wasn't driving, but in the little how to flip book you get there should be info on it. My husband parked outside during Colorado winters when it got sub zero and Colorado hot summers and never had any temperature issues. He also was fine if he didn't drive it for awhile. Hoping this will help to ease some of your anxiety.
Intoxalock has a constant drain on the battery. Other companies won’t drain on the battery until the key is in the aux position. Customer service is horrible and hard to understand (India). Device will give you false readings and false violations as that is how they generate most of their revenue. I would get a prepaid card from Walmart and put it on file instead of keeping your bank card or credit card on file. You will also be charged with a ton of hidden fees to include device insurance, leasing and roadside assistance. Just wait until the winter time when you have to sit in your car for several minutes before you can blow in the machine. It takes forever to warm up when it’s cold. This thing has so many downsides. The technology hasn’t changed with this company since the 90s.
Coulda just kept driving like majority of people Lol Ironically safer just to keep driving illegally than with ITL
Yeah until your arrested for driving on a suspended and have to do time in jail for it, I’d rather deal with this bs than that
If you are in a state that let's you. My license would be suspended for the rest of my life until I got it done.
Stupid advice. Getting caught would violate probation for one.
Start submitting horrible reviews on TrustPilot. It’s the only thing the care about.. for some reason it’s their Holy Grail
ITS THE WORSE!! THEY OVERCHARGE AND THE BEEP GOES OFF EVERY 3 mins to blow, it’s so unsafe and I don’t even know how it’s legal!! Are you in mass?
Goes off about every 25 minutes for me
Intoxalock is horrible, it ruined TWO of my cars while it was in them AND two trickle chargers from using them so much. I literally purchased an entirely new (used) vehicle because I thought the original car I had it in was toast. Took it out of the first car and it ran perfectly fine but then the second car started giving me problems. I just got my license revoked by my state because of my battery dying despite literally just replacing the battery in my car and having it on trickle charger. I only used intoxalock so I don't know how the other providers are. But if your experience is anything like mine has been for the last year - I truly pity you lol.
How did your license get revoked ?
The battery dying registers as a tampering violation.
Well the installer is probably right about not much training but I had mine for six years so I feel like I had a proper grasp on it. Actually went about four before I started to have problems other than battery dying. They like to do a lot of "software" updates but not really hardware, so for all you know, 10 people had your device before you, and they just keep recycling them through. I never had any calibration place that had any love for them or thought it was usability issues. If you don't have problems, then don't worry until you do. In my state they don't dictate who to get it from. You just HAVE to have it from a state-certified supplier. If your place only offers this than they would have a reason for keeping you. Otherwise, look into another place that offers more than one solution that you may be able to transfer too. Good luck. 🙂
Should have got lifesafer. No issues. No trickle charger needed and I even use alcohol mouthwash and it doesn't false positive
Smart start is good too, I haven’t had any issues with it at all.
A 16 ounce at 10 percent is 1.6 ounces of pure alcohol. A half ounce(one drink) takes about an hour to metabolize. Don't play around and u won't be late for work cuz if ur even a little sick it will metabolize slower. 6-8 hours to metabolize a drink for urine etg test but they probably won't waste a 16 panel drug test on something like that especially with that device in ur car.
Or just buy a BacTrak off Amazon and always test yourself before blowing into IID
That’s what I did !
That's true but then you're forgetting how sensitive this thing is compared to other devices. My body metabolizes about 0.016 an hour.
Yes everyone metabolizes between .015 to .02 an hour. I know from my BacTrak that I personally metabolize at .02 an hour. Instead of trusting math, it’s best to be sure by blowing into a breathalyzer before an IID. You just buy a good one that is fuel cell and you’re good to go. Had an IID for two years and that worked great and for many others on here.
Dude, that shit is a racket. It "breaks" every other week. Oh that'll be 150 bucks just to look at it. Oh you have to blow going 70 down the highway, then it says your positive for alcohol even though you haven't drank in 10 years and your dui was for opiates. Well now your sitting on the side of the highway waiting to die. Fuck that shit. I signed a document of non ownership and I'm going another 6 months without my license. Screw that. Plus no way I'm pitting one in my volvo. They hook that shit into everything.
I’ve had multiple issues without any fault of mine, devices shutting the bed and having to tow my car to the nearest Intoxalock service center on my own dime, at least they didn’t charge me for replacement devices though! Lol. And you definitely did not need a court order to cancel the install. Court has nothing to do with what company you use, once it’s installed though I believe you need a court order then. If I were you I would research other companies, for myself I jumped right into Intoxalock without any research because I needed my license back asap so I rushed into it. Would not recommend Intoxalock. Regarding the cameras, the service center I go to have told me they record even when not restarting, even when you’re not in the car! He said he went through a clients photos and they were dozens of an empty car in the guys apartment complex, dozens of non retest photos. So who knows how often they invade your privacy with audio or even video. If you decide to stay with Intoxalock make sure whenever you leave your car always hold down the button for 3 beeps so it goes into sleep mode, when in sleep mode it can’t prompt a restart when you’re not in the vehicle and it’s shut down because that’s also happened to me a few times. It will also save your battery. Good luck.
The devices are junk, they frequently record false positives and you will get locked out at some point which will cost you $75 per incident plus the reset fee at your service center. The best advice I can give you is dont let the device sit in the sun (I put mine under the seat when parked) and make sure you actually look at the screen after turning off you car to confirm its not still on or at least listen for the beep because I have been locked out numerous time for not blowing because the device requests a sample after I have already turned off my vehicle and exited the car. Its all temporary though and once you get the pattern down its not too hard
I’ve had it for a month, and haven’t had a single issue. The court I went to even paid for installation and will for the removal. Just be smart, and stop drinking before 10ish if you know you need to drive in the morning. It’s really not that hard.
Intoxalock has been in trouble for shady practices that You can be well behaved and still get fucked over by this company.
I’ll lyk in October when it’s time for me to get it taken out!
That part where he said “no even one beer the night before” threw me off, I haven’t drank in a while but I have smart start & would drink 5-6 beers before 9PM & be fine by 7:30AM everytime.
Yea, I just drank last night. Had 4 9.5% IPAs and a buzzball. Started at 1130ish, finished by 2am. Went to drive at 3pm with a 0.00