Frequently Asked Questions: Stun Guns
Why has the word "voltage" been removed from Streetwise stun guns?
If you are familiar with the stun gun market then you will know that the voltage claims made by many brands have risen almost as fast as our national debt. We wanted to share with you the progression of stun gun voltage amounts and let you know what has been done to maintain our integrity while at the same time allowing you to compete in this unregulated market where any voltage number can (and has been!) printed on a label.
During the early 1990s, the highest voltage was 300,000. The voltage began to rise slowly and appeared to “top out” at 1 million. Things started to change drastically about 5 years ago when new "off brands" entered the market claiming these same units were 10 million, 15 million, even 20 million volts! We know stun guns are an extremely effective means of self -defense, but dealers like us were concerned that they were losing sales to these new brands claiming higher volts than ours. We contacted electrical engineers in the US and stun gun factories in China and learned that the real voltage amount produced by a stun gun was very difficult to measure and verify. But they all agreed that it was not possible for a stun gun to produce over a million volts.
Our Mission Statement is “to become the most trusted provider of products for Self Defense, Security, and Peace of Mind.” We knew that we could not participate in this voltage exaggeration if we wanted to fulfill this mission and continue our honest, straight-forward business approach. At the same time, we did not want to be at a disadvantage when competing with these high-voltage claims that were creating confusion in the market place. We knew we needed to have big numbers on our models but we wanted our advertising to be accurate (not to mention the possible legal ramifications of false advertising!). We decided to use high model numbers to show that our models are just as strong (in most cases, stronger) than our competitors' models that make these high voltage claims. This strategy has been very effective in helping to sell these units. A good example of how this has helped us compete is our Immobilizer cell phone stun gun. For several years, many different brands (including Streetwise) marketed this model at 900,000 volts. Then one company changed their packaging to state that it was 4.5 million volts! Although it was the same model as before, many retail customers believed this claim and sales on the 900,000 volt model dropped off. When we changed the name of our model to ‘The Immobilizer 5 Million’ sales took off again. Just as a point of clarification, our goal is not to fool the end user into thinking that it is actually 5 million volts. In fact, we state clearly on our web site and on the packaging that “Actual voltage is difficult to measure and verify, but this unit compares to other brands that claim to be 5,000,000 or more volts.” The good news is that we are starting to see some other brands follow us in removing “volts” from their packaging. Hopefully, this will help to restore credibility to how stun guns are marketed.
Why do you offer three different stun gun brands?
We understand that there are different types of stun gun buyers and our goal is to provide you with models that appeal to each of them. No matter what kind of stun gun you are looking for, you can buy it from us at a great price. This gives your customers more options. By offering such a large variety, you will be a “one-stop stun gun shop” that will allow you to cater to all stun gun buyers.
What is the difference in your three stun gun brands: Streetwise, Police Force, and Jolt?
Our Streetwise brand is the one that has been sold the longest. Through the years the Streetwise name has become one of the most recognizable brands in the market and has separated itself for competing brands for its superior quality. It is purchased primarily by individuals looking for a reputable brand, top quality, a lifetime warranty, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing they (or their loved one) are carrying a “time tested” self-defense product. For this type of customer, price is not their highest concern when making a buying decision.
Our Police Force brand is actually part of the Streetwise Brand but with an important difference. Our Streetwise brand is designed for use by individuals, whereas the Police Force brand is design to be used on a regular basis by professionals under rigorous conditions. In fact most of these models are made of military grade aluminum making them as tough as those who carry them. Although Police Force is engineered to meet the demands of Police, Military and Security Professionals worldwide they are also available to civilians.
Our Jolt brand appeals to the buyer that is primarily driven by a low price and high model number. In the last several years many new companies have entered the market, claiming very high voltage amounts and offering low prices. Although these new models offered no lifetime warranty, were not covered by any product liability insurance and were inferior to our “Streetwise quality”, our dealers still began to request some models that could compete with these low price points. Our answer has been the Jolt. Although the quality of the Jolt brand is better than most of the off brands, it is not has high as our other two brands.
What brands offer a lifetime warranty and product liability insurance?
Both Streetwise and Police Force offer a lifetime warranty and product liability insurance, Jolt does not.
What is the Streetwise Top Gun Series?
Our Top Gun Series include the following models: SMK5000RP, SMK5000RB, ICP5000, SF11000RB, SW11000RH, SWT7500R, SWSG6000R, and SWB6000R. We understand that offering such a large selection of Streetwise models can be a little overwhelming, so to help the end user identify the best quality model in each style, we created a seal called “Top Gun Certification” which identifies the most elite model in each stun gun category. These models are designed for those who want the best protection money can buy. To help the buyer in retail stores, the Top Gun logo is clearly visible on each packaging.
General Stun Gun Information
Stun guns are an excellent means of self-defense; first as a deterrent and, if need be, they can disable an attacker temporarily by delivering a non-lethal, high-voltage electric shock. Just test firing one of them into the air is often enough to stop an attack or aggressive activity. As the bright electric current pulsates between the test prongs it creates an intimidating electrical sight and sound. An attacker with any sense at all will stop in his tracks. If the sight and sound doesn't stop him a jolt from the unit certainly will! Simply touching him with the device will deliver a high voltage shock causing loss of balance and muscle control, confusion, and disorientation- bringing him to his knees and making him incapable of further aggressive activity. Full recovery takes about five to ten minutes. There is no permanent harm. Here is an actual quote from Sgt. Robert Williams who had to use one of our stun guns while working for VPS Security Company in California, 'I would like to say what a well made product it is. It enabled me to take down 2 people safely and without any injury. This deterred the crowd that they were with until the police arrived.'
What makes Streetwise the leading brand of stun guns?
• Product Liability Insurance: Streetwise is one of the few brands that offer this insurance. We recommend that before you purchase any stun gun you should request a copy of the product liability insurance from us. Many buyers assume that all suppliers carry this insurance on their stun guns, and are surprised to learn that most do not. We can provide you with a copy of the certificate of insurance. This policy is very expensive (which is why most companies don’t offer it), but we feel it is worth it to know that dealers as well as buyers are protected.
• Largest Selection: With over 40 models for you to choose from we are striving to be a “one-stop shop” that can cater to all stun gun buyers. Some models are designed specifically for men, others like “the Hottie” for women, and our “Security Guard” series for police and security personnel. Some models are cleverly disguised to look like a cell phone or a canister of perfume, and some are small and easy to conceal like the “Small Fry” series. Our stun batons are large and intimidating. We offer models to fit every budget. In addition our “Jolt” series is designed for those who want a good quality stun gun and high model number at the lowest price possible. Our “Police Force” series is engineered to meet the demands of Police, Military and Security Professionals worldwide but are also available to civilians.
• Industry Leading Customer Service: This may be one area where we out shine our competition the greatest. Although we are aggressively growing our product line, customers often tell us they really wished we carried a certain type of product so they would not have to order it from another company because we are so much easier to work with. If you are tired of being treated like you are doing your supplier a favor by ordering from them then you will find our customer service refreshing. We genuinely enjoy serving our customers. We realize that ultimately we work for you and our success depends on making you successful.
• No Fake Voltage Claims: We strive to always do business in an honest, straight-forward manner. One way we do this is by not making exaggerated voltage claims so common in the stun gun industry today. For more details see: Why Has the Word "Voltage" Been Removed from Your Stun Guns?
• Life Time Warranty: Streetwise Stun Guns are of the highest quality and come with a lifetime warranty.
• Most Features: We offer a long list of features on each of our stun gun models. Some of the features include rechargeable batteries, LED lights, a built-in charging plug, safety switch, “grab guard” stun strips, long reach, disable pin, optional disable plug, holster, rubberized armor coating, and a loud alarm.
• Brand Recognition: After more than 20 years in the forefront of the stun gun industry, Streetwise has established itself as the most trusted and recognized brand on the market today.