What about Onstar?

[TroySS]

Everyone who has bought a GM vehicle in the last year knows that you receive a year of Onstar service . After that year is up Onstar wants you to continue there services for a monthly fee and/or a yearly or multi-yearly contract. So I was recently informed by letter from Onstar that my current subscription plan will automatically be renewed and I was going to be automatically charged $18.95 per month on my MC to keep my subscription active. So I called the Onstar # and made it appear that my subscription be canceled,after talking about what all Onstar can do for you (I continued to tell them I didn't need Onstar) they said that they would continue my current Onstar protection for $12.95 per month! My big question is!!! Are there any of you getting a better rate on your Onstar than $12.95 per month??????? and is Onstar worth having???? thanks!!!

[Fishhunter911]

Not a bad rate,better then me, I pay $16 a month... I just like having it for the piece of mind.

[GusMan]

Well, my wife is the primary driver of the TB. The thing is that I travel quite a bit on business. OnStar gives a piece of mind that she can get help when she needs it. And it has paid off many times. Their service is great.

[Dave]

$12.95 sounds like the best deal you can get. Personally I would cancel it if it was more since I have two GM vehicles and maybe a 3rd next year. I will then have to decide if it is worth $40 a month instead of paying AAA about $60 per year or $100 per year with Allstate. I used it twice but both times helping other motorists (accidents).

Wife does like it for the peace of mind though. Yes you can just use a cell phone, unless some guy/girl is ready to harass you in some way. It is a lot easier to push a red button then find your phone and dial 3 numbers.

[BigRobSA]

Thanks for the post :woohoo:...I just received my email letter (due to renew 2/9) and was debating whether or not I should cancel. Definitely would for the $18. Might keep it for less. Was that a month-to-month deal, or did you have to pay up-front?

And as for if someone messes with your wife. That's why you train her how to shoot, then arm her with a 9mm or a .40 cal +.

Even easier to end a bad scenario when you're in charge of said scenario.:D








:thumbsup:

[edjunior]

$12.95 sounds like the best deal you can get. Personally I would cancel it if it was more since I have two GM vehicles and maybe a 3rd next year. I will then have to decide if it is worth $40 a month instead of paying AAA about $60 per year or $100 per year with Allstate. I used it twice but both times helping other motorists (accidents).

Wife does like it for the peace of mind though. Yes you can just use a cell phone, unless some guy/girl is ready to harass you in some way. It is a lot easier to push a red button then find your phone and dial 3 numbers.

Interesting you should mention Allstate for $100 a year! I got my renewal notice a little while back, and decided to cancel it (actually it was $96.00). They called about a week later and asked why. I said it was just entirely too much for me to only use once in the last two years. So he started the haggling. Brought it down to 70 some odd, and still I didn't give. I said I would only do it if he could get the price down more. He said "You have to ask". Kinda caught me off guard, but I "asked" him to give it to me for $48.00. And he did. Damn stupid people and the games they play. So, I'm glad to hear that OnStar does the same thing. I'll just work 'em when they call! Thanks for this thread!

[petevw]

$12 + is a great price...I was paying $18+ and never thought to haggle :duh:....I'll have to remember that when it due for renewal in Dec.

Personally, I think it's cheap insurance for some peace of mind while my kids are in the car.....just having the automatic call to Onstar when the airbag goes off is worth it.....what if the driver is unconscious and can't call for help???

IMO, it's $$ well spent.

[POWERFREAK]

After my first year was up, when I re-newed for a year, they gave me that same price of $12.95 ($160/yr with tax)

After 1st paid year was up, they started automatically charging me monthly (the full price), I figured I'd get some sort of re-newel notice but didn't. So, I called to complain....they wanted me to renew at $199/year. So, I told them I wanted to just cancel it and they gave me the same $160/year price.

[parrothead]

I did not know they were willing to bargain with you. I have been paying 199.00 per year. Next renewal I will be asking for a lower price.

[bwager]

I just bought a 05' GMC Envoy with OnStar, and the other day while I was messing around with the Steering Wheel controls inadvertantly pressed the "talk" button that triggers OnStar. I hadn't set up an account yet so I panicked and pushed the Red button (Thinking "Cancel"). This of course dialed an emergency operator who responded. It got me wondering if some of the other emergency features work without an account- airbag deployment and such. It seems to me that in a true emergency- they wouldn't be able to refuse to help you if you didn't have an account right? Something like how a cell phone will dial 911 even if you don't have an account for it?

[ilikemy3s]

I just bought a 05' GMC Envoy with OnStar, and the other day while I was messing around with the Steering Wheel controls inadvertantly pressed the "talk" button that triggers OnStar. I hadn't set up an account yet so I panicked and pushed the Red button (Thinking "Cancel"). This of course dialed an emergency operator who responded. It got me wondering if some of the other emergency features work without an account- airbag deployment and such. It seems to me that in a true emergency- they wouldn't be able to refuse to help you if you didn't have an account right? Something like how a cell phone will dial 911 even if you don't have an account for it?

I dont think they can deny you the emergency service without and account, but you can bet you dollar you will get a bill shortly after for services rendered.

[TroySS]

Everyone who has bought a GM vehicle in the last year knows that you receive a year of Onstar service . After that year is up Onstar wants you to continue there services for a monthly fee and/or a yearly or multi-yearly contract. So I was recently informed by letter from Onstar that my current subscription plan will automatically be renewed and I was going to be automatically charged $18.95 per month on my MC to keep my subscription active. So I called the Onstar # and made it appear that my subscription be canceled,after talking about what all Onstar can do for you (I continued to tell them I didn't need Onstar) they said that they would continue my current Onstar protection for $12.95 per month! My big question is!!! Are there any of you getting a better rate on your Onstar than $12.95 per month??????? and is Onstar worth having???? thanks!!!

That is $12.95 a month for 12 months or $144.00 for the year Feb 08 to Feb 09!

[TroySS]

That is $12.95 a month for 12 months or $144.00 for the year Feb 08 to Feb 09!

Onstar and I had the red button discussion and they told me that it did not work without the Onstar subscription!!!

[VQ35DE]

I hate Onstar. I wish it was not standard on all non-fleet GM cars and trucks.

[edjunior]

I hate Onstar. I wish it was not standard on all non-fleet GM cars and trucks.

Could you expand on that some? Why do you hate it? What do you hate about it? I mean, it's easy enough to just not use it.

[VQ35DE]

Yes it is easy enough not to use it, but you should not have to pay the extra built in cost for stuff you don't want or need. Plus on the TB/Envoy that damn antenna is just plain ugly!

[RaceyJnK]

Hi all, new here, just bought a '07 SS new on sat (3-1-07) I wish GM had at least centered that onstar fin, mine is on the driverside in front of the sunroof. I am not new to the forum postings, i fly RC planes and post alot there! The SS will make a great RC plane hauler too! Jim

[RaceyJnK]

Bought it on 3-1-08! Must be getting old!

[Dave]

Here is an update.

This morning OnStar charged me $18.95 for my Denali and $12.95 for my Impala. I asked why the Denali price jumped up $6. They said you hae to ask for the discount every year. I'm sorry I'm not going to talk to two customer service reps per each of my 3 vehicles every year hoping to get a better rate for a system that I never used.

So I dumped them both and will dump my Corvette's when it runs out next year.

I considered the piece of mind but at almost $500 a year for the discounted rate on my 3 cars, I can live with out it.

Lock out feature is nice but I never locked my keys in the car in over 23 years of driving. I always keep them in my pocket when I'm outside the car and make sure they leave with me when I exit the car. I don't use any passive locking feature.

Vehicle theft feature is great but only if the thief is a real idiot. The smart thief will steal the car and park it where OnStar will not work until they disable it or just disable it from the start.

Accident feature only works if the air bags go off. My wife's TB EXT was knocked 50 feet but it didn't notify the police while she sat their in a daze.

Most insurance companies will NOT give you a discount for having OnStar.

Now the question is how do you disable OnStar in a Trailvoy without affecting other systems and allowing it to go back to stock if necessary.

Of course I also upgraded my wife's TB's OnStar to digital right before her accident and they would not transfer the one month that I paid for to my Denali. That was a waste of $200.

[brendanpower]

Im not even sure if my one year has expired yet. Depends when my 07 was actually sold the first time I guess.
With the cost of everything going up, I cant really see my self ever subscribing. With a cell phone and a GPS, I figure im covered. I agree some features are handy but all of these little monthly convienance fees sure add up quick.
I find it amazing that they will actually barter with you to keep you hooked up. Wonder if that would work with my cell phone?:undecided:hahano:

[Rocco]

One reason people dont like it is they dont want to help BIG BROTHER help spy on them and track their every move.

In a vehicle equipped with onstar THEY can locate you, see how fast your driving, see if your wearing your seatbelt, and listen to whatever is going on in your car without you even knowing it!

If all cars had onstar the police would have a much easier time locating people and/or fining people for traffic violations.

I'm not saying i want to protect criminal activity, but i still want some freedom to go, do, and drive where and how i like!

we are loosing some of our freedom every day, lets not give it up voluntarily.

[RayVoy]

One reason people dont like it is they dont want to help BIG BROTHER help spy on them and track their every move.

In a vehicle equipped with onstar THEY can locate you, see how fast your driving, see if your wearing your seatbelt, and listen to whatever is going on in your car without you even knowing it!

If all cars had onstar the police would have a much easier time locating people and/or fining people for traffic violations.

I'm not saying i want to protect criminal activity, but i still want some freedom to go, do, and drive where and how i like!

we are loosing some of our freedom every day, lets not give it up voluntarily.Rocco, don't get so excited :). Your cell phone can tell "big brother" all those things (well, except the seatbelt part). None of us object to carrying the cell phone.
Onstar is just another tool, with some advantages and a lot of dis-advantages.

[Dave]

OnStar is a marketing tool IMO. They advertise security but the POSSIBILITY for abuse is so big. The Patriot Act makes it easier.

Computers are bad enough but they are a fact of life. Some idiot at a Mortgage company that I had a loan with (and paid in full, never late) decided to report to the credit agencies that I was late. They started with Experian, then Equifax, then Transunion. I finally fixed everything after months.

The damage was done though. I was initially denied a loan, given a higher rate for another that I didn't accept and one company canceled my card with them due to the 2 late payments they were reporting. As I said I fixed everything but that one company closed my account anyway since I haven't used it in 3 years (Select Comfort). I figure their beds are supposed to be good for 20 years. Three beds in house equals about every 6 years.

But I have the choice of OnStar and the "service" is not required. Neither is computers but good luck trying to do anything without them.

[TBlazeruss44]

I had the digital upgrade done to my OnStar last fall for $199 which included our yearly subscription plus $15 and sales tax to keep things going, which I thought was a fair deal to keep me as a customer...Since I don't have a cell phone, the OnStar phone is perfect for us because we don't really use it too often...I think that we use up about 100 minutes yearly, so that particular cost is minimal...Just the other day we received our OnStar renewal letter and they want us to pay the full shot ($18.95 a month) as long as we renew by 8/26/08...If not renewed by then, they want to clip us for $20.51 a month on our credit card!!! Guess what TrailVoyers, if OnStar doesn't lower our monthly services to $12.95 monthly, they will have one less customer, ME!!!! I'm going to be calling them a few days before the subscription expires and first ask to cancel, that should prompt their service representative to engage in the ole' haggling mode, I'm sure! One thing for certain: No $12.95 monthly, no more me being an OnStar customer....'nuff said!

[Dave]

If I didn't have a cell phone then I would say $12.95 is worth it for their service. I'm thinking more around $7 a month though is a fair price for OnStar. I wonder if $20.51 is the new rate due to "increased fuel costs" since that seems to be the line that businesses are using these days. I'm thinking about having something set up that says.

Due to increased fuel costs, I'm forced to get rid of services that I really don't need. Since your company is one of those, you are the unlucky person today.

[TBlazeruss44]

If I didn't have a cell phone then I would say $12.95 is worth it for their service. I'm thinking more around $7 a month though is a fair price for OnStar. I wonder if $20.51 is the new rate due to "increased fuel costs" since that seems to be the line that businesses are using these days. I'm thinking about having something set up that says.

Due to increased fuel costs, I'm forced to get rid of services that I really don't need. Since your company is one of those, you are the unlucky person today.

I like the way you think, Dave!!!! Good point! :)

[02Lightning]

I got them to do 14 months for $144, 100 free min. and they carried over my unused min.

[edjunior]

Well, here was my OnStar ordeal. My subscription came up due the beginning of July. I called them a few days before it was due, and had the "deal" letter from their mailing as well as the pricing from online. I also had the "deals" folks here had. So I talked to one guy, he asked me for my callback number in case we were disconnected, and we started talking. Well, we got disconnected. But did he call back....NO. So I called back. (I should have known better). I talked to another "advisor", and asked if there were any special deals, or promotions, or goodies or anything going. She told me no, but she could throw in the 100 minutes of phone time for the "generous" price of $214 ($199 plus the tax, title, license...). I told her that I really didn't use the phone stuff. It took calling every Tom, ****, and Harry (and occassionally my wife a few hundred times) to use the minutes I had when I bought the truck. So I asked her what kind of deal she could do without the minutes.
"$214 sir".
I told her that's no deal. You know, we just haven't used OnStar, don't plan to, let's just drop it.
"You want to discontinue service sir?"
YES.
"Okay sir, we're sorry to lose you as a customer".
I'm sorry too. But if you can't make any better deal than that, I can't justify the cost of something I don't use!

So, a few days later, my wife is balancing the checkbook, and she spots a charge in there from OnStar for $214! Ohhhh, yup. They did it anyway. So I call them back, and go through their 5 layers of handing off, and finally I get one of the "upper" customer service people. I explain all the stuff, and she tells me that she didn't know why the "advisor" didn't offer me the $148 deal. Basic OnStar services, plus an extra 2 months. I told her that it wasn't just the one, but the other one before I got disconnected also didn't seem to know about it. I almost just walked away, but since we are getting ready to take a long trip through Texas and up to Iowa, my wife wanted the peace of mind of those basic services. I did remind the "upper" customer service lady that their customer service needs work. It shouldn't be that difficult and you shouldn't make people do all that just to get a deal. It's just about borderline scam.

Okay, done. Sorry for the rant and long post.

[TBlazeruss44]

So, let me see if I have this straight as far as the latest, greatest deal through extreme chiseling, haggling and threatening to cancel is: 14 months plus 100 minutes for $149.00??? I'll be calling OnStar pretty soon looking for them to match that plan, for sure!!! Anyone else get a better deal than that??? One more question: Does that deal have to be paid up front on our credit card in one payment, or is it deducted from the credit card monthly???

[cvordemesche]

I'll save my $144 a year. How long have we all driven without onstar? The whole thing is a scam. Most people have cell phones. If they need help, they call. Most people don't drive in such remote areas that would not have someone call for us if we were in an accident. Its amazing to me that people would pay for something they don't need (or use) on a regular basis. Untill onstar makes my truck go faster, I say cancel it!

[02Lightning]

I'll save my $144 a year. How long have we all driven without onstar? The whole thing is a scam. Most people have cell phones. If they need help, they call. Most people don't drive in such remote areas that would not have someone call for us if we were in an accident. Its amazing to me that people would pay for something they don't need (or use) on a regular basis. Untill onstar makes my truck go faster, I say cancel it!

I'm with you really but the wife wanted it so I just got the best deal I could get, if I paid full price I wouldn't have got it. I really don't like the idea of big brother looking over my shoulder at me. I never try to haggle with the phone sales people, I always talk to a manager. Don’t forget to get the unused min. carried over too guys. I had to call back to get that and after they charged my card I called back and had them wipe my card info. off my account.

[Campbell-Ewald]

One reason people dont like it is they dont want to help BIG BROTHER help spy on them and track their every move.

In a vehicle equipped with onstar THEY can locate you, see how fast your driving, see if your wearing your seatbelt, and listen to whatever is going on in your car without you even knowing it!

If all cars had onstar the police would have a much easier time locating people and/or fining people for traffic violations.

I'm not saying i want to protect criminal activity, but i still want some freedom to go, do, and drive where and how i like!

we are loosing some of our freedom every day, lets not give it up voluntarily.

OnStar is pretty serious about these sorts of things.
Really, they can only find out where your car is when you ask for help or you're in a crash. If your car is part of a criminal investigation they have to legally hand over the info too.

Found this link...kinda long…but it goes into all the details

http://www.onstar.com/us_english/jsp/privacy_policy.jsp

Cheers and no worries

[TB2008]

My free year is almost up, I called yesterday- Started out @ 16.95 a month, I said No Thank you, then I was connected to another person who gave me it for $12.95 a month- But after reading these posts, and realizing I have never pressed the blue button (and hope I never need to)- I think I am going to cancel instead...