Cell Helmet is an iPhone cell phone case that’s proudly made in Pittsburgh, PA. Two of the company’s three principles, Mike Kane and Dave Artuso, will pitch the Sharks in episode 417. The third owner, Bryan McHenry, skipped taping in the Shark Tank because he was on his honeymoon. What makes this particular cell phone case so special is their guarantee. If your phone breaks while in the Cell Helmet case, they fix it for a nominal fee ($50) at one of their over 50 nationwide repair facilities. Damaged phones are shipped via overnight express shipping and iPhones are fixed and returned in less than 72 hours. With a Cell Helmet, you not only protect your phone in a stylish case, you can save on insuring it against damage (Cell Helmet doesn’t cover loss or theft). This is the only cell phone case company on the planet that offers this type of guarantee.
Cell Helmet Shark Tank Recap
Mike and Dave enter the Tank with Viking helmets on. They’re seeking $160,000 for 20% of their business. They demonstrate how their competitor’s claims don’t ring true. David drops an anchor on one competitor’s product and bash another’s with a bat. They don’t claim their product will protect against bats but they will fix or replace a customer’s phone if it’s damaged within a year of purchasing the case.
In four months of being in business, they sold 1300 units. Mr. Wonderful is not impressed. Only 3% of customers have sent their phones for repair. Mark raises the red flag of fraudulent claims, but the guys stress the repair angle won’t cause losses. The Sharks are all concerned about fraudulent claims now.
Kevin says he wants to put the guys on a boat and set it on fire like a Viking funeral. He is out. Robert isn’t a fan of smart phone accessories as a market and doesn’t see a lot of growth for the company. He’s out. Lori doesn’t see a real future for the company, she’s out. Daymond thinks people will take advantage of them, he’s out. Mark thinks a big player will push them out of the market, he’s out too. As the guys leave, Kevin says “Sven and Thor, it’s time for you to get on the boat, and float away!”
Cell Helmet Shark Tank Update
Boy did the Sharks miss on this deal. After the show aired, the company signed a distribution deal with the owners of 20 Pittsburgh area Verizon stores to sell their Cell Helmet protective cell phone cases. Their lack of a deal with the Sharks didn’t stop them from selling nearly 1400 units on show night! They received over 200 inquiries from retailers too. They introduced liquid glass, an invisible barrier that strengthens the glass on your phone at a molecular level.
By April, 2019, they were in over 3000 retail locations, had offices in Pittsburgh and China and were doing $3.5 million in annual revenue. Fast forward to July, 2021 and annual revenue is $11 million!
Posts about Cell Helmet on Shark Tank Blog
Mike Kane Cell Helmet Pre-Show Interview
Company Information
website
I’m not somebody who ever writes reviews but DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. The customer service is the worst I’ve ever experienced. I submitted my request to fix my screen after it broke and was told my registration was invalid because my photo wasn’t good enough. I had no idea my photo wasn’t good enough when I registered my device or I would have tried to take another one. I even had their support group helpe me register it!!!!! How is it not good enough? I’ve exchanged maybe 20 emails with the support group who doesn’t care to help me at all. Finally somebody called me just to inform me that they were not going to refund me at all. I asked to speak to someone else and he said nobody would be able to help me and I shoud have registered my product correctly. The app is the most confusing thing ever. I was locked out and had reached out to their support to help me register. All of this is documented and they still won’t uphold my registration. Absolutely ridiculous. I’m out $300 for having to fix my screen after this product didn’t protect it. I will never buy another one and really hope this review keeps you from wasting your money.