Mica

The real question that On Star will never answer is: If I am not signed up for On Star and I have a crash and I am able to push the button will someone answer anyway and help me in a life and death situation??

Jessica .... where are you? Could you clarify this one?

owebo

It is the government after all.....

Old Boot

OK I have had Onstar on the last few cars "Chevy guy I guess". I do get a discount from insurance, I do call and get them to find steak houses and Sam clubs and........I guess if I drove closer to home all the time or didn't drive my car much I might not have it activated. I spend way more money on way worse things LOL (Bottle of JWB goes 255 a pop).
Guess for me it doesnt seem like too much cash for it so Ill keep it.
Now not to Hijack the thread, the money I hate to give is the Satalite radio, if I let them disconect it they give it to me for 5 bucks a month later, if I lived in my car the usual rate might be OK. Keep it costing low and I would always keep it.
Just sayin

z28lt1

See Page 1....

need-for-speed

If mine gets stolen, I don't want it found. I don't want it back.

need-for-speed

Going back to the earlier part of this thread where people were discussing the fact that they have to pick up if you push the button: I know a guy who has to drive a lot for business. He doesn't subscribe to Onstar. When he has trouble staying awake, he pushes the Onstar button and let's them try to convince him to,sign up

FlyerVette

This is great....!!

Mica

z28lt1 ....... Thanks, I missed that ..... good to know.

fnbrowning

Now is a good time to remind everyone about OnStar's 2011 public relations blunder where GM's OnStar's subsidiary that it would continue collecting data from customers' cars even after they cancelled their OnStar service.

That 2011 Terms and Conditions had some very unsettling updates to it, which include the ability to collect your GPS location information and speed “for any purpose, at any time”. They also had apparently granted themselves the ability to sell this personal information, and other information to third parties, including law enforcement. To add insult to a slap in the face, the company insisted they would continue collecting and selling this personal information even after you cancelled your service, unless you specifically shut down the data connection to the vehicle after canceling. This could mean that if you buy a used car with OnStar, or even a new one that already has been activated by the dealer, your location and other information may get tracked by OnStar without your knowledge, even if you’ve never done business with OnStar.

After privacy advocates and at least 3 U.S. Senators got involved, OnStar reversed its decision, and issued a press release confirming it altered its Terms and Conditions policy a 2nd time, and "will not keep a data connection to customers' vehicles after the OnStar service is canceled."

Ladies & Gentlemen, from an Information Technology perspective, I find it very unlikely that OnStar ripped out their capital investment in data-gathering servers and software. It's still there, just not being used. (presumably) Today. The only thing keeping OnStar from doing what they intended, is a flimsy corporate promise. That policy can be changed at any time.

After all, OnStar rolled out Family Link in 2012, and it is being pitched to parents who want to keep tabs on their kids – (the latest in a long series of products targeting minors with no legal recourse) – but it could be used to track anyone driving an OnStar-equipped vehicle enrolled in the service. But with all location tracking services, the privacy and security implications are murky at best.

"It's troubling," says Parker Higgins of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, "Any time a new service like this is introduced you have to think beyond what's described in the press release."

One little policy change by a OnStar apparatchik, - and how about employers who could then purchase these records to see where their employees (or prospective employees) travel to (and how fast), sleaze bag lawyers who want to subpoena these records to use against you if you’re ever sued, and other not-so-squeaky-clean people who use (and abuse) analytics to pry into your privacy?

OnStar may at some point be sold, and all of your information with it. At the time of the PR gaff, it sounded as though OnStar was poising part of their analytics department to be purchased by a large data warehousing or analytics company. Or at least, perhaps they were throwing the hook out there for anyone interested.

If you do not put trust in corporate promises or policies, and don't want to leave OnStar apparatchiks with unfettered access to the entire GPS history of your vehicle, there are some excellent how-to articles on this site and a digital corvette site that detail how to modify the connectors on the VCIM box to disable OnStar w/o altering or disabling anything else on the vehicle.

Just say "NO" to the surveillance society!
and, Happy Motoring!

waynelittle1

You all worry way too much about monitoring from OnStar.

After all, the NSA already knows you're on the Forum bit*hing about it, texting and emailing about it, and can probably watch you as you try to dismantle it.

Way bigger fish to fry, guys...get over it.

If you have nothing to hide, you have no worries.

Flame suit on.

R&L's C6

IMO it's the start of every insurance company's dream. Now it's optional, but sooner or later they're going to demand they monitor your driving or they wont insure you. As far as if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about....I don't suppose too many guys buy a Corvette to drive like your Grandpa in his Buick..

It's all about selling information and profiting from it, one way or another.

waynelittle1

Oh I totally agree...and I'm not wild about it....much like insurance companies use credit profiles, distance to/from work, age, etc to rate you. It's a ripoff...

When I shopped my insurance around, I had more than one company offer to give me lower rates if they could monitor my "safe driving" and mileage...via some program

R&L's C6

If and when the day comes all our cars are monitored, say goodbye to owning any kind of sports car, who would want one anymore.

Cherokee Nation

I'm with State Farm & they are one of the Onstar company's that give me a discount if i keep Onstar.State Farm will monitor my miles per yr.I have no problem with that,because i will not go over.As far as the other stuff i don't think so.I drive like a ole man most of the time on my ride down the local boulevard 45mph,but about once a month i take it down a road with cotton fields on both sides and run it up to 150 mph to keep the spark plugs clean & the last run at the Texas mile was 178.8 mph. October i should break 180 if the weather is good.My point,is that i do not think State Farm is monitoring my SPEED.....I know that lady with Onstar is reading this post....

OnStar Advisor

Mica,

OnStar is a subscription-based service that is not 911, but provides assistance in a crisis. When an accident occurs to an active subscriber’s vehicle, OnStar is alerted and we will reach out to the customer to ensure they are alright and provide any further assistance.

If a subscriber does not have active OnStar subscription, when they contact us in the vehicle, they will be directed automatically to our activation department. In the event of an Emergency, the call can be transferred to the appropriate emergency teams to further assist.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have additional questions.

-Jessica, OnStar Advisor
Social Media Team

Mica

Thank you Jessica, that is the info I was seeking. z28lt1, also told me the same thing- ref #144. Thank you both for help many of us better understand some of the workings of Onstar.

jrc50

I recently cancelled OnStar in my 2011 GS and earlier in my 2010 GMC Acadia. There is just no value at the prices these dummies want for what ought to be $50/year per vehicle for all their features combined.
Also purchased (2) new Apple IPod 7's for my wife and I for our 3 cars that used to have Sirius XM. The annual hassle over threatening to cancel service to get any kind of a decent rate (at $95 that one is 2x what it is worth where the normal $180 per car annual rate is a joke)

FortMorganAl

Does Onstar have any interest in this thread? http://forums.corvetteforum.com/help...post1584692148

erikszr1

thanks again bill for the words of wisdom. your always capable of putting a positive spin on things and lowering temps!

MannyS

Keep in mind that OnStar operations is outsourced.