No keys, no phone, no problem

Dec 04, 2019

No keys, no phone, no problem

Dec 04, 2019

Woman Leaning on the Front of a Buick Car

When you accidentally get locked out, it’s good to know the myBuick Mobile app has your back

Over 2,000 miles away from home, Allie Atsalis relishes her independence and fast-paced life.

The 24-year-old grew up in Livonia, Michigan, and graduated in early 2018 from Marquette University in Milwaukee. After earning a bachelor’s degree in advertising and master’s in digital communication, she landed her dream job in Universal City, California. As a junior staff member at a major TV network, she rotates every three months to a different department. She has worked in production operations, talent relations, research and digital content. In short, she spends a lot of time on the go.

One app, many uses

Unlocking your doors is just the beginning of what the vehicle mobile app* can do for you! Use it to locate your vehicle* on a map, check the fuel level, and even get help with a flat tire*.

Find out more

“I like that everything is so exciting,” Allie explains. “No matter where you go, you recognize something from TV or movies, or you meet people who work on famous projects. Everything is very busy, very high profile and very recognizable.”

Late one night after another busy day, she went grocery shopping. She headed out to her 2017 Buick Verano, juggling everything in her arms, and popped her trunk. After putting everything down, “I shut the trunk and realized I’d left my keys in the trunk,” she recalls.

After that first sinking thought, Allie realized that was no problem. She’d use her myBuick Mobile App* on her phone. She often used it to lock or unlock her vehicle.* But her heart sank again when she realized her phone was in her trunk as well. Embarrassed, Allie headed back into the store and asked a cashier if she could use her phone. “I knew if I could call my mom, she’d be able to unlock it,” she says.

Adult Mother and Daughter Sit Together and Smile

OnStar Members Allie and Sallie Atsalis

Allie’s mom Sallie Atsalis, who was back home in Michigan, was surprised to get a midnight call from an unknown California number. It was Allie, who explained the situation to her mom. “Since she is on my account, I was able to open the vehicle from the myBuick app immediately,” says Sallie, an operations manager for OnStar. It was that simple and Allie was quickly back on her way.

OnStar offers paid plans that bundle OnStar Safety & Security* services with a Remote Access* subscription. With the subscriptions bundled together, Members have two ways to get help when they’re locked out of their vehicle. Members can call 1.888.4ONSTAR (1.888.466.7827), or, like Sallie did, they can use their vehicle mobile app to remotely unlock, lock or even start their properly equipped vehicle.

It wasn’t hard to have her daughter move to Milwaukee because it was still within a day’s driving distance, Sallie says. But when Allie headed across the country, mom gifted her daughter with a paid OnStar subscription as a going-away present. Her go-getter daughter’s initial reaction was, “Oh, mom. I won’t need this.” But Sallie insisted, knowing the unexpected can happen to anyone.

Allie is a believer now, too. “I was so lucky,” she laughs, grateful to her parents.