I’ve had mine for two weeks now. It’s terrible and I hate it.
Unlike any other insurance telematics system, including Direct Line’s own system, it requires constant location access to every driver’s phones at all times.
This means that you can be tracked by IMS which is an unsavoury North American fleet tracking company whenever you so please. The data can also be accessed by whoever IMS feel would pay the most for your data. I would also think that IMS wouldn’t hesitate to go straight to PIP if you did anything outside of your assessment.
It also has a microphone on the facia, which isn’t explained, and can record the interior sound at all times too but they don’t mention that.
The app is incredibly shonky, and is a simple and poor reskin on the IMS One app. All the things in the app immediately redirect you to the Motability website.
It never connects to your phone, especially if you’ve got wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto running in the car. It also eats through your mobile data and only works on the 4G network meaning that if you’ve only got a small data plan on your phone, it costs you extra to use. It also drains your battery on your phone thanks to the constant tracking element.
Speaking of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto or even Bluetooth, you get penalised for using your phone on the car’s infotainment system, even if you’re not actually using your phone.
Mine has only succeeded in recording a journey once which was the day after I fitted it to the windscreen in which I was heavily penalised for gently braking to give way to an oncoming car. I’ve not had a journey record since and I’ve done nearly 800 miles across various areas and journey lengths.
I’m now getting constant texts from Motability demanding that switch on the location tracking at all times otherwise my lease will be at risk. Even through when I’m in the car, the location tracking is switched on.
It was reported by someone that it’s impossible to get the rewards that they advertise because it’s so sensitive to anything, and you can certainly kiss goodbye the piss-poor gift cards if you drive at night too.
Oh and if you plan on not using your car for 14 days or more, you must report this to Motability and explain exactly why you’re not using your car, otherwise you’ll be at risk of losing your car.
It’s a simple way of single handedly making all drivers under 30 disgruntled to the point where they hope they’ll leave the scheme in order to save a few quid on insurance.
They do state that they will install a normal old fashioned black box to your car if you don’t use Drive Smart. I highly recommend that you play this token because then you won’t be getting text messages telling you how to drive at all times. Including whilst you’re meant to be asleep which is nice. It also won’t track you 24/7.
I highly doubt that they’ll make an exception because it’s now written into your lease, meaning that it’s compulsory regardless.
I wish you and your uncle the best of luck and I would highly recommend that you bail out of the scheme as soon as possible if you can afford it. Especially with the upcoming changes which I suspect will be included in the slightly illegal “You’ve signed your contract with a silly electric PIN number saying we can change anything without notifying you” lease.