# Onstar



## ratfink (Apr 6, 2011)

Not sure what type f deals they have, but I for one am not paying for OnStar once my trial ends.

The crash response feature should be free in my estimation.

The diagnosis feature that sends reports to your dealer alerting them of problems is a lead generator for the dealership. So why should I pay for something that benefits them?

The remote app features (remote start, unlocking, etc) are fun, but not worth $299 a year.

I used their navigation and was not impressed. First off, every time I have called, I seem to get the "please hold all agents are busy". I got directions but had to make a detour becuase the road was closed. Each time it asked if I wanted to recalculate the route, it would tell me to "make a u turn" presumably to return me back to the original route. A $100 GPS works better.

If OnStar was $36 a year and the remote unlock feature was fee based per occurance, I would consider. 

But at $200 or $300 (with nav) it is not worth it for me.


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## doc03 (May 18, 2011)

May consider it for like $29.90 a year otherwise all it does is defeat the gas savings 
I bought the car for.


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## CruzeBuilder (Jun 18, 2011)

Ya I don't know if i'm going to pay for onstar when my trial is up or not yet. I found the navigation to be extremely helpful though. I always did it sitting in the car before I took off though, it might be frustrating if you find yourself suddenly lost and need quick directions while you are in motion. But do they tell you to buckle up and if not do you wear your seatbelt? Everytime I have used the navigation they tell me to put my seatbelt on (pretty sure they can detect the seatbelt message) and I always respond with what is a seat belt mom? Then they usually laugh and tell me to have a safe trip. And they won't talk dirty to you either


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## Drewsiph87 (Feb 17, 2011)

If you go with GMAC as your insurance company with your new Cruze keeping an active OnStar subscription gives you a pretty decent sized discount. I am getting like 63% discount on my insurance because of the discounts through GM for having GMAC. I have other discounts besides the OnStar.


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## 72buickgs (Mar 20, 2011)

when i purchased a new 2008 astra, it came with onstar for 1 year. they wanted $278 per year for renewal. i said "forget it"! way overpriced!


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

Drewsiph87 said:


> If you go with GMAC as your insurance company with your new Cruze keeping an active OnStar subscription gives you a pretty decent sized discount. I am getting like 63% discount on my insurance because of the discounts through GM for having GMAC. I have other discounts besides the OnStar.


This is ONE thing that REALLY irks me! *EVERY* insurance company should be giving us a discount if we have ACTIVE OnStar! I'm going to write to our state insurance commissioner AGAIN for all the good it will do!:argue:


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## SilverCruzer (Nov 30, 2010)

If you want Safe and Sound instead of Directions and Connections, you can pay around $149 per year with a discount. They will offer it to you around the time your trial ends.


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## gman19 (Apr 5, 2011)

SilverCruzer said:


> If you want Safe and Sound instead of Directions and Connections, you can pay around $149 per year with a discount. They will offer it to you around the time your trial ends.


I've wondered about multi car discounts...we gave active "Safe & Sound" plan on our 2010 Equinox, and plan to also have the same on my new Cruze when it arrives. Haven't contacted GM about this though....not yet anyway.


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## Quazar (Apr 28, 2011)

After traveling around a bit, and using only in the situations I don't know where I am going, which is rare. I find that if I don't know where I am going (As in how to get there, not the address) 30% of the time, they don't either.

This weekend, 3 people in the car found directions to the place we were going faster than onstar. Then again Onstar couldn't find it at all and kept telling me it didn't exist. 
The also said one of the best hotels in Toronto didn't exist, and that the street its on didn't exist. In that situation I had to call three times to find someone who could find it.

Worth about 10$ IMO. However, I am addicted to joking with them and asking them out (females).


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

The standard rate for safe and sound is $18.95/month. There is a promotion out there somewhere that gives you one year for $148.92 with a bonus 2 free months and 100 free calling minutes. That brings the cost down to $10.64/month plus the free calling minutes. This is not for navigation, but it does give you monthly service emails, free lockout protection, collision emergency notification, and lost vehicle tracking. Just call and ask for the $149/year deal and they will direct you to a customer loyalty consultant. As for me, I still think it's $129 too much and will cancel when my trial is over. FWIW, after 3 months with OnStar I have so far made ONE (1, uno) phone call with it. 
Now don't even get me started with XM Radio! :dazed002:


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## Drewsiph87 (Feb 17, 2011)

I use OnStar a decent bit when traveling around in areas i'm not familiar with. Or if road works has some streets closed and I need an alternate route through. It is alot easier to just push the blue button than it is to type in an address on my DROID 2.


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## Yama1yzf (Feb 13, 2011)

Maybe I just think about this a different way....but $149 / yr is too much for collision notification and lost vehicle tracking? Thats a family dinner tab in my neck of the woods. For the safety of myself, my family and whoever else drives my car it is worth every penny. 

When you thoroughly read what On star collision protection provides it is much more than just calling 911 and could literally be the difference between life and death if you are unconscious. 

To me it is an invaluable safety feature but to each his own.


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## ratfink (Apr 6, 2011)

I called and asked OnStar what would happen if in the event of a severe accident and the battery or electronics were disabled.

There is a battery back up that is activated in the event of an emergency. 

Somebody was thinking.

But I still think this feature should be a courtesy service. That takes the safety selling point to a higher level. And since the equipment is already in the car, there would be no incremental cost for Auto Crash Response.

We can all debate the value and merits of some of the softer features like lock-out, diagnostics and navigation. But I think GM is missing the a key selling point.

Imagine this scenario.. "if he only had an active OnStar account, we could have rescued him in time." Sounds heartless. 

Decommissioned cell phones are allowed to make 911 calls. So should OnStar.


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## scaredpoet (Nov 29, 2010)

ratfink said:


> But I still think this feature should be a courtesy service. That takes the safety selling point to a higher level. And since the equipment is already in the car, there would be no incremental cost for Auto Crash Response.


The problem is there's more to it than just what's sitting in your car. There's an operations center staffed with people who are reading what's going on exactly with the car (airbag deployment, etc.) and interpreting those issues when they call the local law enforcement agency to summon help. that's something a local 911 center cannot and will not do for you. If an Onstar unit calls 911 and no one talks to them when the dispatcher gets on the air (because the occupant is unconscious), that 911 center isn't going to tap into the car and figure out if there's actually been a crash or if it's just someone messing around with a deactivated cell phone. If the person sounds disoriented, they're not going to be able to tell the difference between someone who's suffering trauma, and someone who's just slurring their speech and not knowing where they are because they're drunk. 

At best they'll treat it like a 911 hangup or prank call, and send a car over to TRY and find you, and that cop isn't going to bust his hump about it either.

Those are things which can't just be built in to the cost of the car. Crash response is a service that you can't predict when you'll need, so it's not like they can just schedule people to staff the call center, to do the job exactly when it's needed and no other time. So, they charge a fee... and evidently, enough people pay for it that it stays profitable enough to keep running.



> Decommissioned cell phones are allowed to make 911 calls.


In that case, you don't need OnStar at all, when you can just have a decommissioned cell phone sitting in the car ready to use. Right?

I hate to say it, but it's a fact that not every 911 call center is the same. Some are great at what they do, and others less so... still others need all the help they can get. That's especially true now, where budget cuts are forcing consolidation of dispatch centers. Since last year, the police dispatch center near me is handling calls for three different towns, one of which has its border nearly 30 miles from here. The original dispatchers for the two distant towns? Laid off. And the ones having to do their work now are NOT happy or enthusiastic about it, either. If I have to rely on THEM for help? I'd rather have someone on their case, acting as an advocate and making sure the job gets done. Hopefully I'll be capable enough that it's me. But if not, and OnStar will take that role and give maybe a slight advantage to quickly getting a response when needed, then yeah, I'm gonna pay for it.


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## budd (Apr 12, 2011)

i'm going to keep mine. i've had no problems with it and i like that they can track the car or not let it start if it's stolen. but to each his own.


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## scaredpoet (Nov 29, 2010)

budd said:


> i'm going to keep mine. i've had no problems with it and i like that they can track the car or not let it start if it's stolen. but to each his own.


That tracking is also a nice feature. 

I also look at it this way: keeping maps up to date on a GPS can cost about $100-200 a year, and between updates, nothing is updated. So, that's 1/3 to 2/3 of the cost of the Directions & Connections plan on a yearly basis right there. Between that, the insurance discount and all the other features, it starts to make sense.


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## jellbel57 (Jan 25, 2011)

I have also been debating the fact that now that it is time to pick my plan, I keep finding myself torn between nav and safe and sound. I don't agree that the whole service is useless as the basic plan gives you everything but nav and I also get insurance discount. (I pay less then I did on a 5year old car). I have decided to try the nav for another 6months of monthly payments and then at tax time make the decision of nav or no nav with my refund. I can always down grade at anytime and I will not give up the basic idea of onstar.


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## ScottNWDW (Apr 24, 2011)

I am only starting my 3rd month of the free trial, but at this point I am pretty confident that I will keep OnStar. Not sure yet which way I will go, Safe & Sound or Directions, but the piece of mind that comes with OnStar in case of an accident and the insurance discount are well worth either plan. 

As one person noted, the cost of the Safe & Sound package is the same as a family dinner in the area he lives in. It's pretty much the same here where I live. Between cover charges and/or the cost of a few drinks, you've got the monthly payment right there. Not a drinker, maybe one less Venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbuck's a week. 

For me, it's just piece of mind knowing that if for some reason I am in accident OnStar will be able to get the help to me. Also knowing that my car will be easier to recover if it gets stolen are all features well worth the monthly or annual fee. The iPhone app is pretty cool even if the updating of info is slow. 

My insurance on my brand new Cruze is cheaper than it was with my 6 year old Pontiac Sunfire. The discounts this car gave me, a big part of which is OnStar, help make keeping OnStar easier.


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## fastdriver (Jan 7, 2011)

ScottNWDW said:


> I am only starting my 3rd month of the free trial, but at this point I am pretty confident that I will keep OnStar. Not sure yet which way I will go, Safe & Sound or Directions, but the piece of mind that comes with OnStar in case of an accident and the insurance discount are well worth either plan.
> 
> As one person noted, the cost of the Safe & Sound package is the same as a family dinner in the area he lives in. It's pretty much the same here where I live. Between cover charges and/or the cost of a few drinks, you've got the monthly payment right there. Not a drinker, maybe one less Venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbuck's a week.
> 
> ...


I agree with you even though I don't drive that much. The peace of mind is worth it. I wish that people would state what insurance company they have that does give a DISCOUNT for *OnStar* and not just the lowly anti-theft discount that they give. I have Met Life and they offer NO discount for OnStar. I just wrote a 3 page letter to our state insurance commissioner asking WHY something can't be done about this situation. I do know that GMAC insurance gives a discount for OnStar, but I don't know of any other company, that has good auto rates, that offers an OnStar discount. I should get a response next week- MAYBE. Let's see what excuses he comes up with in favor of the insurance companies for not offering a discount. Seems like these days, no one is out to help the "little guy"!


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## CruzeCal (May 31, 2011)

Was thinking of renewing and realized that I was already 2 months past expiration. I had no interruption in service and looked at my bank account and found that they had deducted $28.90 without reminding that the free trial period was over. No e-mail, no call, no letter. Where did they get my credit card #? I remember when I first signed up they sold me on getting 30 minutes talk time if I ever needed to call someone and did not have my cell phone. I though "OK" fine. However, I did not think they would use this to automatically sign me up to continue the subscription. - Kind of underhanded don't you think.


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

This is one reason why so many people have issues with Onstar


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app


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## CHUV (Jun 25, 2011)

guys you're all forgetting one key thing in this decision making process...

onstar can totally track you down, steal your braincells, and sell them to the government. All without any type of physical interaction. :tongue: :th_coolio:


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## jfischer (Sep 17, 2011)

CruzeCal said:


> Was thinking of renewing and realized that I was already 2 months past expiration. I had no interruption in service and looked at my bank account and found that they had deducted $28.90 without reminding that the free trial period was over. No e-mail, no call, no letter. Where did they get my credit card #? I remember when I first signed up they sold me on getting 30 minutes talk time if I ever needed to call someone and did not have my cell phone. I though "OK" fine. However, I did not think they would use this to automatically sign me up to continue the subscription. - Kind of underhanded don't you think.


My salesman specifically told me NOT to give them my CC number for the minutes or anything else because it would auto-renew. He just said to give them a CC after 6 months if I wanted to continue after the trial.

About the only honest thing I was told come to think of it...


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

Salesmen are like recruiters. They can't lie to you but they sure as **** don't have to tell you everything.


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app


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## CHUV (Jun 25, 2011)

Ohhhh they can lie to you alright. 

I also refused to give them my CC info. It's been 6 months and I can still use the phone app to start my car. They probly forgot to disconnect lol


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## SilverCruzer (Nov 30, 2010)

CruzeCal said:


> Was thinking of renewing and realized that I was already 2 months past expiration. I had no interruption in service and looked at my bank account and found that they had deducted $28.90 without reminding that the free trial period was over. No e-mail, no call, no letter. Where did they get my credit card #? I remember when I first signed up they sold me on getting 30 minutes talk time if I ever needed to call someone and did not have my cell phone. I though "OK" fine. However, I did not think they would use this to automatically sign me up to continue the subscription. - Kind of underhanded don't you think.


OnStar sends either an email or a direct mail a month or two before expiration describing intent to charge your card unless you say no. Perhaps it ended up in spam which is unfortunate. Also, when OnStar sells you minutes using your credit card, they also now (haven't always) tell you that the cc will be used for this purpose.


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## gman19 (Apr 5, 2011)

SilverCruzer said:


> OnStar sends either an email or a direct mail a month or two before expiration describing intent to charge your card unless you say no. Perhaps it ended up in spam which is unfortunate. Also, when OnStar sells you minutes using your credit card, they also now (haven't always) tell you that the cc will be used for this purpose.


This is true....our 'Nox just renewed automatically, but we got emails ahead of time, and also a letter in the mail advising of the renewal...


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## feh (May 29, 2011)

jfischer said:


> My salesman specifically told me NOT to give them my CC number for the minutes or anything else because it would auto-renew. He just said to give them a CC after 6 months if I wanted to continue after the trial.
> 
> About the only honest thing I was told come to think of it...


Don't know about anybody else, but we got an Onstar "demo" when we took delivery of our car. As part of that interaction, they requested a CC number, which I refused to provide them.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

I called and cancelled Onstar 2 days before my trial was over just to be sure they wouldn't charge me.


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## dennisu (Jun 17, 2011)

My free trial runs out in December but I am going for the 3 years of Directions and Connections. Website still doesn't have the 3 year plan for selection so have to use the blue button or call them. Only $50 a year for the Directions on top of the base cost so worth it for the safety and convenience to me. I was told when I picked up the car that they would charge my CC after the trial if I didn't cancel. They also have contacted by by email about my time running out and also when signed in on the website the reminder is there.


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## Macman (May 4, 2011)

my trial ends in a few weeks, I called yesterday and cancelled, they didn't even try to offer me a discount or keep me, just "ok, sir, if you'd like to resume service later, hit the blue button."


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## TravsCruze (Aug 4, 2011)

i got rid of my smart phone, and the availability of the web at my finger tips anytime i want. So OnStar is awesome for me.. i don't know where something is.. blue button time. I use it all the time.. love it. Plus like quazar i like flirting with the females on there, they always sound so cute, i just can't resist.


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## Macman (May 4, 2011)

TravsCruze said:


> i got rid of my smart phone, and the availability of the web at my finger tips anytime i want. So OnStar is awesome for me.. i don't know where something is.. blue button time. I use it all the time.. love it. Plus like quazar i like flirting with the females on there, they always sound so cute, i just can't resist.


lol. I've done that.


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