Shark Tank Startup Guard Llama Mobile Panic Tested

Author: Brian Rhodes, Published on May 16, 2017

A Shark Tank TV show appearance has attracted big attention for Guard Llama, a security startup touting a 'panic button' paired with mobile app that claims "911 help, 3X faster."

We bought one and tested it to see if the startup delivers on the concept and claims it touts.

** *** ****** ****** ** *****:

  • * ****** ***** ********** ******* *** ** *****
  • *********** / ****** ******** **** ******
  • *** ******* *** *********
  • **** ******* ** *****
  • *****-***** *** ******
  • ***** ***** **. ******* ***
  • ******* *******

Product ********

***** ******* * ****** '***** ******', ***** ********** ** *** *** or *** ***** * ******* ********** ******* **** ** **** dispatches *********** ***** ** *** ****. ***** ***** **** *** GPS ******** ** *** ****'* ***** *** ****** ** **** responders, *** *** ***** ***** *** ****** '**** *******' *********** including ******* ********, ******, ******, *** **** '*********' *********** ** clue ********** ** ** ***** ** * **********/******** ******** ** alert *** ****.

*** **** ******* ***** ** ** ******** ** *** ***, the ***, *** * ************* ** **** ******* **** *** button ** *******:


****** ***********

** ****** ***** ***** **** *** ****** ** ***** **** in ******* *********, **** ***** *** *****. ** *** **** runs, *** ****** ****** ** *******, **** *** '***** ***** Emergency *******' ********** ** * ****** ***** ** **** **** 5 *******, *** ********* ** * *******. ** ****, ***** police **** ******** ** ***** *****'* ******** ********* ** **** than *** ****** - *:** *******. ** ******** **** ******* time **** * ***** ****** ******** ******** ****** *** ** our **** ******, *** ** ********* ********** ** ******** * trial ***.

**** ***** ***** ***** **** *** '**** ****' *** ******** was **** ** ***** ** ****, *** **** ********* ** saying *** ****** ****** *** **** **** ** ******* ** typical:

"***** ***** ********* ** ****** *** *** *********** ******** ***** of ******* ********* **** ****** *** ******, ** ***'* **** definitive **** **********. *** **'* **** ** *** **** ** have *** ********* *** ********** ** ***** ** ******** *** police ** **** **** ** ******* ** **** *********."

** *** *******, **** *** * ******** ******. ** ********, Guard ***** *** *** **** ** **** *** ***** ** our *******, *** **** *** *** ****** *** *** ****** was ********.

Essentially ** ***

***** ***** ***** ******* ********* ** *** ******, *** **** majority ** *** ******** ** ***** ** * ********** ***, and *** *** **** ************* ** *** ******* ******* ** it. *** ****'* ***** **** ** ******* ****** *** ***** of ***' **** *** *** ****** ** ** **********.

*** *** ****** ** * ******, ****** ****** **** ** joined ** *** ****'* ********** *** ***, ***** *** ***** contains *** *** ****, ***** *****, *** **** *********** *********** to *** ********** *******.

** ***** ** ***** *****'* ***********, *** ******** *** *********** of *** ******* **** ******** *** ***** **** ******* *******. Buying ***** ***** ***** ** *** ****** *** *** *******, and ********** ******* ** ******** ** ****.

******, *** ** ***** *****'* ******** *** ********** *** *** app, *** *** *** ** *** *********** ******. *******, ***** Llama ****** *** ***** '*******' ** *** *** ** **** double-pressing *** ****** ** ****** *** **** ******* **** ********* a ***** *** ******** ** ***.

Product *** ******* ****

***** ***** ***** *** ******** ** ***** ******: *** ****, and *** **** ******** *** ******** *** ******.

** ***** ** *******, *** ***-**** ******* ***** ~$*/***** ** ~$30/ **** *** ****, ***** *** *** ******* **** ~$*.**/ month ** ~$***/ ****.

***** ***** **** ****** **** **** *****, ***** **** ***-******** user ******** *** ******* ** * ~$***/**** ****, ******** * volume ******** **** ********** ***** ** **% ** *** ****** user.

What ******* ** *****For our test, Guard Llama ships a fob and instructions to download a smartphone app for either iPhone or Android devices. Once we opened the app, we registered our mobile phone number, paired the fob button using BLE, and built a user profile:

*** **** ******* ******** ****-******** *********** **** ** ****** **** local ****** **** ** ***** ****** ** *******, ********* * photo.***** **** ******** *******, ** **** ******** ********* *******, ******* Information, *** '****** ** **********' ******* **** *** **** ** shared **** ******.

***** ***** ******** *** **** *********** *** ** **** *** used ** ***** ********** *******:

"******** ********* *** *** *** ** *** *********** **** * user ***** *** ** ***** *******. ** **** ********* ******* the ****'* *** *********** *** ******* *** *-*-* ****** ******* to ***** ******** ****** - *** ********** ****** ****-********* **** information *** *** ******** ******."

False ***** ****** ***

** ****** ***** ******, *** ***** ***** *** ******** * double *** ****** * ****** ****** ****** *****. *******, ****** five ******* ** ***** ****, *** '***** ***** ********* *******' calls *** **** ** *** *** * '****** ***'. ** set ** *** ****** *** ****** ******* *** ************* *****.

** *** ****, **** ****** ****** *** ****, *** * 'backup ******' ****** ** **** ********* ** *** *** ** the **** ** ******:

** *** **** **** *** '******' *** ****, *** ***** Llama ********** ****** ******** ** ******* ***** ***********.

Duress ***

*** ******* *** ***** ***** ******-** ** *** ******* ** 'duress ***', ***** ** * **** ********* ****** ** ********* code, *** ***/***** ****** ************ ** ** *******, *** ***** dispatches **********.

**** ****** ******* ** ******* *** ***** ** **** *** dealing **** * ***** ****** **** ****** ******* ** ***** has **** ****. *** **** **** *** **** ** **** like **** **** ******** *** *****, **** ** ******** *** dispatch *******.

No ***-******* *** *****

* *** ********* ******* **** ***** ***** ** *** *** does *** ****** ** ******** *** *******, *** ** * user ***** *** ** ***** *** *** *** ** ***** and ***** ********* ****** ** ***** **** ******** ****** ******* it ** * ******** *****.

*** ******* *** *** *** ******* * ***-******* ***** ** fundamentally * *** *****, ******* * **** *** ******* ** emergency **** **** *** ***, **** ** **** ** *** work ** *** ***** ******** ****. *** ****'* ***** *** would ***** ****, *** *** ***** ***** ******** ** **** an ***** ***** **** **** *** ** **********, **** ******* a **** *** *** ****.

****, *** ******** ******* ** *** ***** ***********, *** *** fob **** ** ********. **** ***** ***** ***** ***** ****, the ******* ****:

"*** ****** *** * ******* *-* **** ******* ****. ** the ****** ***** ******* ** *** ****, ** **** ******* it *********** ** ** ****."

*** ***** ** ** *****/**** *** *** *** **** ** battery *****. ***** ***** **** ** * ******** ******** ** needed, ******:

"*** **** *********** ****** **** **** ******* * ******* **** allows ***** ** *** *** ******* ****** ** ***** *******."

***** ***** **. ******* ***

*** **** ***** ***** *****'* *** ***** ** ** ********* faster ** **** ********* ******** **** ******* *-*-*. ** *** test ******, * **** *** ****** ** **** *** (****, Swipe, '*********', *, *, *, ****). ** **** ***** * button ******* '****** ***' ** ******** ***** *****.

**** *****, ***** ****** ****** ******** ***** *********** ** **** to ** ********, ******* ******** **. **** ***** *****, *-*-* operators ******** ******** **** ** ** *********** ** ******** ******. However, ***** ***** ****** * ****** ******** ** '********' *******, like ******** *** **** ************ ***** *** *********** ************ **** the ***. **** *** *** ******** ******* *** * ******** call *** ***** ********** ******** **** ******* **** ************ ** users ** ********.

*********

*** *** ** ********* *** *** *** ******* *******, *** the *** ** ********** **** ******** ******** **** ***.

Company *******

***** *** ******** ***** ***** ****** **** ****, *** ** clear ****** ****** ** *** ******* ******. **** *** ********* buzz ** * ** **** ********** ****** **, ***** ***** stands ** ** ** ***** ************** ***** ***** *********. ***** the ******* ** ***** * *******, ******* *********** ** ************ solid *** ******* ** *** ****** **** **** ****** **** consider ****** *** ******* ** ********** *** ***** ***** **** already ********.

Competitor *********

***** ***** ***** *** **** *** ** *** ** **** appearance, **** *** *** *** **** ********* ** ***/***** ***** emergency ****** **** *******. ******** ***************** *******-***********. *************, ***** ***** ******* ** ******** ******** ***** ********** with ***** ********, ***** ***** '***' ***** ******** **** **** defined ***** ******* ***** ** ******* ***** ******** *****. **** Guard *****, ***** ******** **** **** * *** *******, ** are **** **** ** ***** ***** *****, *** *** **** thousands ** *****, *******, *** ***** ***** **** *******.
***** ***** *****'****** ****' ********* **** **** ************* **** ****** *** ~$**/*****, *** ** ******** ***** ** interact *** ***** **** ********* ** ******* **** ******* *** location ***********. ***** ***** ****** **** *********** ** *** *** and ************* ***** ** ** ** *********** ******* ******* *** user ** ***** **** ** ******** ** **** ******** *******.

Comments (5)

John Honovich

IPVM | 05/16/17 09:52pm

****** ** ***** * ****** ** **** ** ******* / new ******** ******** ********. *** *******, * ***** *** ******** ******, *****'* **** ** ***** *****, *** ** ** ********* up * **** ******.

**** ***** ***** ******** ********* ** ******** ***** **** ** / ***** ** ****?

Undisclosed Distributor #1

05/17/17 11:30am

**** *******, *** ** **** *** ** ********* ****?

* **** ** *** ****** *** *** *** ******* ******* the ****** ******.

** ***** ***** ** **** * ****** ********?

Thumbnail pp 5

Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #1 | 05/16/17 07:41pm

*** ******* ** *** **, **** '**** ****' ********* ***** to ***** ***** ** *** ***** *** ** **** *****.

Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

05/17/17 12:18pm

** **** ** ***** ********** ** *****? ** ** ***** a ******* ****** ****?

Thumbnail pp 5

Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #2 | 05/17/17 02:25pm

**** *** ************** *** *** ********** ** *** ******* (**** are *** ** *** ** **), *** ** ** *********** so ********* **** ****** ** *** **** ** *** ***.

**** ** ***-**** ***** ** ****, ***** *** ** ******* station *******, **** ****** ******* **** ***** *****.

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