Full FeedSay “Buy-bye” to analog OnStar in 2008
OnStar is going to go all-digital sometime down the road, leaving any analog system users out of luck. The change primarily affects anyone who owns a pre-2002 GM vehicle, some 2002-2004 GM vehicles and some Acura, Audi, Subaru and Volkswagen vehicles with built-in OnStar. It’s a result of a small 2002 FCC decision allowing cell phone companies to shut down analog networks beginning February 2008. Dealers will upgrade some GM 2002-2004 if customers buy a three-year subscription at $199 a year. Otherwise, analog OnStar users will need to convert to digital equipment, if it is even possible for their vehicle. About half of OnStar’s 4 million subscribers still drive vehicles that cannot be upgraded. And, oh yeah, the FCC decision will affect cell phone users, too. At least a cell phone can easily be replaced - Hey, it’s yet another reason to keep readin’ Gadgetell!
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I bought a 2004 Volvo S80 and paid extra for the OnCall (soon to be OffCall!) telematics system for the SAFETY and peace of mind that I could get help in an emergency. I called Volvo’s 800 customer service and was told that I could bring my Volvo to a dealer and they would remove the soon to be outdated OnCall equipment and replace it with a storage box!!!!! This is outrageous. Volvo should be ashamed. “Volvo For Life” - I think NOT!
on May 3, 2007 at 04:30 AM - LINKThere’s an attyorney in San Francisco who is looking at a class action on this. His site is at http://www.girardgibbs.com/onstar.html?gclid=CJqU7cW9n4wCFQXUhgodJW9S0Q
on May 21, 2007 at 03:39 PM - LINKI bought my ‘02 Avalanche new and the OnStar component was a very important part of the purchase and I have kept it active. This is still our travel vehicle and I want to continue the service; however, I do NOT want to purchase a new vehicle to do it. I have been informed by my local dealer, that my system is not upgradeable. Is that true? It seems like we should be able to retrofit my truck with a new system - but what do I know? I’m bookmarking this site. Keep us informed.
on May 22, 2007 at 05:46 PM - LINKKaiser Permanente Pasadena
on June 2, 2007 at 07:43 PM - LINKI too have just received a letter from Onstar, advising me about the termination of Onstar analog service. I would be more than happy to join a Class Action lawsuit if someone starts one. GM should have informed me of this when I bought my new 2004 Trailblazer, specifically because of the Onstar.
on June 14, 2007 at 01:55 PM - LINKAdd my name to the list of people who want to join a class action suit. I am a Canadian with an Audi A8L.
on June 19, 2007 at 10:05 PM - LINKWhen I bought my Caddy in 03, I WAS told that the analog OnStar! would be discontinued… in a few years.
Fortunately for me.. I have just WON a law suit against GM because of ongoing warranty issues that occured while the car was under warranty. Next week.. after over 4 years and 55K miles.. I get a check for the cost of the car.. and I give them the car back.. not the worst of deals I must say.
Next car gets a Garman, and not OnStar!
on June 22, 2007 at 04:47 AM - LINKdoes this affect any of the 2007 model cars? or are they already set at digital?
on June 26, 2007 at 02:26 PM - LINKGeneral Motors has stooped to bait and switch, lies and deception, all in the name of a $214 upgrade for OnStar. I purchased new, a 2003 Trailblazer with OnStar and recently started receiving the mailings regarding the termination of their analog service. Wanting to continue and upgrade to the current technology, I had the conversion performed on July 06, 2007. A month prior, I’d added air minutes and the OnStar Associate assured me my added minutes would roll onto my new digital service. No where along the way did my GM or my Dealer inform me that upon return of my automobile, my service would be degraded. There are no telephone numbers available in this area I’m told, since Verizon has no presence in LHC. My minutes are timing out with no knowledge of when telephone service will or will be provided. Isn’t that lovely? General Motors, Half truths, lies and deception? You are GUILTY!!!
on July 8, 2007 at 08:00 PM - LINKAs owner of a 2002 Buick Park Avenue my Onstar is not eligible for renewal. Please add me to the list of those wishing to join a class action suit.
on July 27, 2007 at 10:43 PM - LINKCount us in on the suit also. We bought a 2004 Subaru Outback in 2003, primarily because of the OnStar feature. Now I feel totally ripped off by Onstar, and Subaru which padded the price of these cars for the “special safety” feature provided. Where is Ralph Nader when we need him???
on September 12, 2007 at 06:36 AM - LINKwow. lawsuit. and just to quote one of the posts above…
“Its like being told that their airbags or seat belts won’t work after Dec 21, 2007 — if they feel unsafe – then its time to buy a new car. This is an unfair and outrageous consumer tactic.”
what if onstar decides to stop providing service at all? you’ll still file a lawsuit against them? since they just said they’re done doing it? are you that incompetent that you’ll fully rely on a service being offered by a company and when they decide to stop servicing you’ll file a lawsuit against them? thats bull. that just proves how incompetent you are. the only solution to this is to take care of your car and be responsible for your own acts. your life is on your own hands when you drive a car and you shouldn’t always rely on some stupid service since you know its just there to give in to your demand. have a backbone, idiots!
and please.. there’s nothing free in this life anymore. life’s tough and you should get over it. it’s their business offer to you. if you want it, take it. If not then forget about it. no once’s forcing you to buy a new car? if they sold you the car back in 2002, you should’ve asked if in case the agreements change what’s in it for you. the thing is, you assume too much. you dont even bother to ask!
or better yet, why not just walk. that’s why you people are so full of health problems because you rely so much on these kinds of technology, and then when it doesnt work for you, you file a lawsuit. wow. how lame could that be?
grow up people.
on September 20, 2007 at 03:55 PM - LINKI also have a 2004 Passat. the deciding factor in buying it was the OnStar system. I also have received no satisfaction from OnStar or the dealer. I would love to join in a class action Lawsuit. Does anyone know how we begin?
on September 20, 2007 at 05:07 PM - LINKWe paid extra for this, and now we are left with no service and a car with OnStar that does not work. Is this fair? I was told to waite for a converter kit, now at the last few months there is no kit, at least give us a choice, just don’t stop the service.
“bluestar” must be a special individual. It must feel good knowing you will never suffer from any ailments/disabilities, or need the help of others in any way.
With the advancement of technology, we ALL know that this type of service will NOT “stop.” There’s too much money to be made. We also know that many of us who are “responsible for our own acts” will be impacted by someone who isn’t (like the vast numbers of uninsured motorists). On or after 2002 (with all the “disclosure” already required in our daily lives), it should NOT have been up to the customer to try and unearth information that the dealers already knew about.
True “incompetence” is trying to think you can make any sensible commentary on an issue as important as this. And as far as having a “backbone,” hiding behind a veil of an Internet “blog” shows who the real “idiot” is. Come out in the open and voice your opinion on national TV, where you will have to show your true responsibility. We both know that will never happen…
Are you also trying to make us believe you walk everywhere you need to go? But you have a computer… What for??? Doesn’t that have you relying “on these kinds of technologies?” What a HYPOCRITE!!!
on September 23, 2007 at 07:55 PM - LINKuhhm, hello?
i mentioned being dependent on services not being not dependent on anyone at all. and yes i believe i wont need for any of that specific help from a service company since i am responsible for what i do and i know how to take care of myself, unlike some people.
and hello?, if you rely that much to technology laying your life with it, yes that is incompetence and lack of self reliance.
hiding behind a veil of an Internet “blog”? im not hiding. im just wasting my free time to tick you off and make you realize of how senseless your point is. and for being on tv and announce this kind of thing is a waste of money and effort specially knowing what kind of people will be listening to it anyways.
i dont walk everywhere i go, but i dont completely rely much to people specially on things i know i can handle myself, like being responsible for everything i do and being cautious all the time. im not expecting my computer to save my life. and im not relying on it to do so, and there’s no one to file a suit against for since i did read the fine print from the very beginning when i bought it and agreed to it, unlike what most of you do.
on September 24, 2007 at 09:44 AM - LINKInclude me in a class action suit against audi for their refusal to help their customers regarding analog switch to digital. Audi USA says “I’m sorry”, and Schaumbeg, IL audi did not even answer my letter as they do not care about their customers
on October 6, 2007 at 11:38 PM - LINKBlueStar Get a clue!!! I and others on this blog are fully aware and probably not complete idiots as you think. We all purchased our vehicles for various reasons, but paid extra for a feature that each of our dealers promoted as a added safety feature.
Now I realize technology changes, but not to inform the consumer about these changes is horrific at best.
When so many cars are so closey designed a decision to purchase one model over another could break down to fearures and safety. I purchassed my vehicle for the tracking and emgergency Air Bag Deployment in case of an accident.
A cell phone or radio is easy cheap replacement, but being forced to buy proprietary equipment exclusive to Onstar after the initial sale doesn’t make me happy. I do not profit off my vehicle, but the dealers and Onstar do through sales and service.
I believe if a manufactuer or distributor knowingly sells a product in good faith and informing the consumers prior to the sale taht is no big deal, but this is and probably wasn’t the case for others.
My money spends just like yours and did trust and made what I though was an informed decision and so did they. I would love for them to uprgrade my system at no additional charge. I could care less abouyt the money, but more about not having worthless buttons in my vehicle.
I purchased a GMC Yukon not the Bat Mobile!!!
Alan
understand as other
on October 11, 2007 at 04:56 PM - LINKBlueStar Get a clue!!! I and others on this blog are fully not complete idiots as you may think. We all purchased our vehicles for various reasons, but paid extra for a feature that our dealers promoted (at a cost)another added safety feature.
Now I realize technology changes, but not to inform consumers about these changes is horrific at best.
When so many cars are so closey designed a decision to purchase one model over another could break down to features and safety. I purchassed my vehicle for the tracking and emgergency Air Bag Deployment in case of an accident.
A cell phone or radio is a easy cheap replacement, but being forced to buy proprietary equipment exclusive to Onstar after the initial sale doesn’t make me happy. I do not profit off my vehicle, but the dealers and Onstar do through sales and service.
I believe if a manufactuer or distributor knowingly sells a product acting in good faith and informing consumers prior to the sale that wouldn’t be an issue, but this is and was not the case for myself.
My money spends just like yours and made what I though was an informed decision. I would love for them to uprgrade my system at no additional charge. I could care less about the money, but more about not having worthless buttons in my vehicle.
I purchased a GMC Yukon not the Bat Mobile!!!
Alan
on October 11, 2007 at 05:05 PM - LINK“as what your dealers had promoted”
that’s it! your dealers promoted the car to you with “an added safety feature” meaning you had the option of not having it at all, but then again you did chose to have it, because what? because your dealer was good at selling it? cause he sounds so convincing by not mentioning the fine print? duh? were you expecting them to tell you everything with their demo to you? and if you were expecting it, then you should’ve asked your dealer if there are any fine print that you should know, did you even bothered to ask what that “added security feature” was? i guess not! as what most of you say? “who bothers reading the fine print?” hah!
on October 13, 2007 at 06:19 AM - LINKyou’re way too relaxed and used to being fed by different companies with all the things that you can afford, without even bothering to ask if they are feeding you poison or something that would complicate your life in the future.
total lack of self reliance and comprehension. that’s what i can say.
on October 13, 2007 at 06:25 AM - LINKI worked for Honeywell many years ago. Honeywell manufactured analog/digital converters. They sold for under $100.00.
on October 15, 2007 at 05:48 AM - LINKMillions of analog OnStar owners are facing a shutdown of the service.
Has no manufacturer stepped in to offer a conversion device?
If not, could someone explain why devices available in the seventies are not available now?
I own a 2004 Audi A8L. I am one of the losers.
I understand that you must pay #200.00 to covert the Cadilliac. That is a lot of money and the analog will end December 31, 2007. HELP!!!!!
on October 15, 2007 at 11:27 PM - LINKok. now, for those people that wants some help, maybe i can give some idea (but i still feel sorry for those people who would still file a lawsuit, what an idiotic response. trying to solve a problem with another problem.)
i tried contacting FCC about this and one of their agents was kind enough to enlighten me on this happening issue. but i wont disclose what we talked about here, i would prefer for you to find out about it yourself and call them. here’s their customer service line. 888.225.5322. you can try asking them if they know anyone or any place that accepts digital conversion, since anyway they’re the one who introduced this “phasing out” process. im sure they can help you out finding one that can have the cars’ system converted.
on October 16, 2007 at 04:40 AM - LINKI have a 2003 Saab 9.5 and there is no upgrade available, they tell me. This is my 4th Saab in a row and the last three have all had Onstar - a MAJOR reason why I bought the three Saab’s is that I NEED the Onstar for work (I make multiple business trips every day over a wide geographic area) AND the dealer heavily promoted the Onstar as a significant differentiator for their cars over other brands AND they said the resale value would be higher because of the Onstar feature. My wife and I were willing to pay for the Onstar (I have been a subscriber to Onstar for at least the last 8 years) because we feel alot safer having the knowledge that if the airbags deploy and we are unconscious Onstar will send emergency assistance AND when we travel and are in unfamiliar areas, especially at night, Onstar is very reassuring and able to direct us straight to where we are trying to go. I wanted my wife and children to know that with the push of a button they are connected to help that knows their exact location in any circumstance, this is extremely important to me. I have worked for years in telecommunication technology and there is no reason that a conversion box cannot be put into the cars that takes an incoming digital signal and converts it to analog and also takes an outgoing analog signal and converts it into digital - Onstar and GM are simply betting that the 500,000 subscribers that will no longer get their service will NOT JOIN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM. IF WE ALL STICK TOGETHER AND JOIN THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT THEY WILL COME UP WITH AN OPTION FOR US. Here is the address of the law firm that filed the class action suit in March 2007:
For more information contact:
Ronald Jay Smolow, Esq.
Smolow & Landis
Two Neshaminy Interplex
Trevose PA 19053
215-244-0880
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
http://www.onstarclassaction.com
Please go to the website and enter your information to participate, we all deserve to be represented in this egregious fraud that Onstar and GM have created by selling us a critical feature that now we will not be able to use on our cars.
on November 1, 2007 at 08:13 PM - LINKok. now, for those people that wants some help, maybe i can give some idea (but i still feel sorry for those people who would still file a lawsuit, what an idiotic response. trying to solve a problem with another problem.)
on November 4, 2007 at 06:58 PM - LINKi tried contacting FCC about this and one of their agents was kind enough to enlighten me on this happening issue. but i wont disclose what we talked about here, i would prefer for you to find out about it yourself and call them. here’s their customer service line. 888.225.5322. you can try asking them if they know anyone or any place that accepts digital conversion, since anyway they’re the one who introduced this “phasing out” process. im sure they can help you out finding one that can have the cars’ system converted.