TLDR – Are Ecom Dave and the FBA Academy Really Worth Your Time?
Ecom Dave shares information on running an Amazon FBA business in his FBA Academy and Coaching programs. But what’s this all about?
FBA is just “fulfilment by Amazon”. You set up your online store, send a bunch of products from your supplier to the Amazon fulfillment center, and then Amazon ships them out whenever you make a sale.
Nice… and nicer still, Ecom Dave is here to make life even easier. He’s got loads of tips on Amazon PPC (pay per click) advertising, optimizing your store to appear on the first page of search, and even using virtual assistants to boost your efficiency and give your net income a boost.
I’m not a big fan of Amazon FBA…
It’s all sounding pretty good so far. But two things are making me feel a little bit unsure about this one.
One – There are a lot of great reviews for the program, and they’re all on David’s own website. They’re probably legit, but I’d like to see some independent ones on Trustpilot and Yelp.
Two – The business model. It’s just too unreliable for me.
No control, and shaky foundations…
Imagine you’re playing Jenga. The tower’s wobbling and everything’s hanging in the balance, but you’ve played this a million times before… with your skill and care, you can get through this.
Now, imagine you’re playing Jenga, but you’re paying someone else to pull the blocks for you. You don’t know this person, and you’ve no idea what they’re going to do. It’s their turn again… is it game over?
This is a bit like FBA. There is money to be made in e-commerce, but it takes skill, experience, and hard work. With FBA, you’re bypassing this by paying someone else to send their products to Amazon; then you’re paying Amazon to deliver them. Everything’s basically out of your hands! You better cross your fingers and hope for the best…
You can’t even fully rely on Amazon. If your account gets blocked, or if Amazon rejects your products, or if you fall behind on your storage fees, etc., do you see what I’m getting at here? That Jenga tower could come tumbling down at any moment.
A much better option…
This is why I tend to recommend courses that put students in control…courses like Digital Leasing that give users the chance to run their own business on their own terms.
With Digital Leasing, you’re the master of your own destiny. With super supportive coaching and expert mentoring, you set up your own digital rental property… a simple but effective website in a highly specialized niche.
You then rent this website out to a local business owner. They get easy conversions. You get a solid and reliable income. Your local business community gets the boost it needs.
You’re not relying on product sales on someone else’s platform. You’re not depending on your supplier, on social media channels, or on anything else. You own everything, you’re your own boss, and you’re fully in control.
You’re also free. With Amazon FBA you might be able to step away from the keyboard here and there, but you’re not going to get the regular, reliable income that achieves true freedom. Digital Leasing gives you a semi-passive income from just a few minutes of your time each day.
So what does freedom look like to you?
Maybe it’s summers on the Mediterranean coast and winters in Aspen? Perhaps it’s the time to pursue your hobbies full time? Or it could be the chance to make more magical memories with the people who mean the most to you?
With Digital Leasing, the choice is yours.
Click right here to get started with Digital Leasing today.
Who is Ecom Dave’s Coaching Program For… and Who’s It NOT For?
Some people might really benefit from Ecom Dave’s strategies, but not everyone. Let’s take a look at who the course is for and who should look elsewhere.
Who It’s For…
You might benefit from Ecom Dave’s course if…
You need beginner FBA info – Ecom Dave says beginners can benefit from this course, so it’s good for newbies.
You really want to sell on Amazon – If you’d love to be an Amazon seller but don’t have any products of your own, Ecom Dave can help.
You don’t mind not being in control – There’s so many variables that are out of your hands with FBA, so you’ll need to take this in your stride.
Who It’s NOT For…
You probably won’t get anything out of Ecom Dave’s methods if…
You want something you can rely on – Amazon FBA is notoriously unreliable, and profits are all over the place, which might give you anxiety about your income.
You want to check out independent reviews first – There just aren’t enough independent reviews outside of his platform to verify this, which might put you off.
You’re not sure about Dave’s claims – David says he’s the only one offering both wholesale and private label services and that he provides passive income. I’m not sure these claims are strictly true.
The 1000FT View on the FBA Academy
It’s time to take a bit of a step back, so we can get the bigger picture on the course.
The FBA Academy Business Model
Is the Ecom Dave’s FBA Program Worthwhile?
| Area | Score | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Time Investment | 3.5 out of 5 stars | Ecom Dave gets a pretty good score for this one. The course is broken down into twelve modules you can check out at your own pace, and his 1-to-1 coaching is even more efficient. Once you’ve finished the course, you won’t quite get the passive income that is claimed, but it might be less time-intensive than a 9-to-5. |
| Level of Control | 1.8 out of 5 stars | Amazon FBA is one of those business models where you place yourself completely at the hands of other people. Suppliers, customers, ad platforms, and Amazon themselves, can really ruin your day, and your business. |
| Ease of Implementation | 2.7 out of 5 stars | The course is supposed to be beginner friendly, so it shouldn’t be too hard to implement. However, bear in mind that Amazon FBA is easy to do, hard to do well. |
| Profit Potential | 1.5 out of 5 stars | I’m quite wary of the Amazon FBA business model these days. I think it’s pretty hard to make a good profit, and you might find yourself looking for other side hustles to top up your earnings. |
The business model is FBA… which means ‘Fulfilled by Amazon.’
The FBA business is all about selling products through your Amazon store. Nothing unusual here. But the difference is this… you’re not handling the products yourself; Amazon is. You’re just bringing in the product sales.
You send products from suppliers to Amazon fulfillment centers, and Amazon sends the products on to customers.
Dave is keen to point out that his coaching and academy program is the only one of its kind offering both wholesale and private-label training. This means selling other peoples branded products (wholesale), or setting up your own brand (private label). I couldn’t confirm that this is the case, but we’ll let it go for now.
So you get to make some e-commerce money without having to worry about handling and storing products, shipping them to customers, and dealing with complaints. Sounds great, right?
Well, maybe, but there are a few things you should know before you decide to sign up with Dave’s program.
- You’ll have to meet strict packaging and content regulations to send products to the Amazon warehouse. If your suppliers don’t play by these rules, your products get rejected, and you’re in trouble.
- Even after you’ve paid for your FBA coach, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee, or a ‘per item’ fee. This is on top of Amazon advertising costs, so selling cheaply is difficult.
- Once those selling charges are dealt with, you’ve got referral fees between 6% and 45% of the unit price, and then there are fulfillment fees, storage fees, and other Amazon business fees as well!
What is the E-com Dave Course Price?
The E-com Dave Course Price really depends on which option you pick.
- FBA Academy Program – $999 (sometimes $499)
- E-Com Dave 1-to-1 Coaching and Tailored Content – Upwards of $4,000. The $999 course is included.
- Whichever option you pick, you’ll probably start with Dave’s free Amazon training video.
How is Ecom Dave’s Program Different?
David focuses on helping people set up an Amazon FBA company, which makes him different from more general ecommerce coaching and academy programs like My Business Venture.
Even in the Amazon FBA business world, Dave’s course is a little different. Ecom Dave covers both wholesale and private label selling, which he says makes him unique. While I’m not sure this is totally unique, it is different from other FBA business course providers like KT Hustles, who focus on wholesale.
Reviewing the Guru – What’s David Scheuer All About?
David Scheuer is the guru behind this FBA course and academy program. David, also known as Ecom Dave, is an FBA coach and six-figure entrepreneur who counts himself among the internet’s top sellers.
It wasn’t always this way, though. Back when David was a business student at Florida International University, he tended bar to make a bit of extra cash, but he wasn’t getting anywhere.
Then, like a bolt from the blue, he stumbled upon a Gary Vaynerchuck video on retail arbitrage. Something changed. From here, he started following Tom Wang, and checking out Viral Launch videos, carefully planning his own strategy.
However, his first moves into the world of FBA did not go smoothly. A risky investment – 1,000 diaper caddy products to sell via his Amazon store – flopped. Ecom Dave was experiencing what many new sellers experience… failure.
Somehow, he managed to turn these early errors into a multimillion dollar FBA business. Word on the internet is that he lost $20k in those first few years, so hats off to Ecom Dave for overcoming such a massive blow!
Is Ecom Dave Legit?
For many people, this is the most important part of the Ecom Dave review. No one wants to get ripped off.
So is Ecom Dave a scam artist? No… absolutely not.
He’s fully legit.
This is a guy who runs a successful Amazon FBA business himself! Ecom Dave’s methods focus on finding profitable products, sourcing these products from elite suppliers, and getting on that all-important Amazon first page.
This is good stuff. And it’s backed up by Ecom Dave’s coaching, which is solid too. You’re in safe hands here.
But does this mean Amazon FBA is the ticket to your dream life? I’m not so sure…
Scary lessons from Dave’s own journey…
Ecom Dave’s Amazon FBA journey shows us that you can make money with this model. But his entrepreneurial journey shows us something else too… you can lose a lot of money as well!
Dave lost $20,000 on Amazon FBA… and then made $5M. So what’s the problem?
The problem is that most people probably won’t do this. It takes real heart to make a $20k loss, make a few changes, and keep on going.
Most people are just going to give their online Amazon business a try… lose… and give up.
Even with Ecom Dave’s sales and Amazon strategy coaching, the odds are stacked against you with Amazon FBA. Shipping fees, warehousing fees, poor sales numbers, bad reviews… all these things can destroy your business. Ecom Dave’s Academy programs can help, but nothing is guaranteed.
My Personal Opinion on Ecom Dave’s Amazon FBA Program
So… are Ecom Dave and his Amazon FBA program the next steps on your entrepreneurial journey?
I’d say they could be… but tread carefully.
First, here’s what I’m wanting to see from programs like these…
- Fantastic coaching and course materials
- The potential for big profits
- Real freedom to live life on your terms
Is Ecom Dave the Man to Make Your Amazon FBA Dreams Come True?
I’m leaning towards the positive on this one… he might be the right choice for some people, but not for everyone.
Here’s why I think this…
- I think personal coaching will provide the biggest boost to your business, but you might worry about spending $4k+ on something as unstable as FBA.
- Even Ecom Dave himself was on the ropes in those early days! Amazon FBA is a bit like a casino… there’s money to be made, but the house always comes out on top.
- With FBA, you’re not really running your own business because Amazon controls everything. You’ll also need to work hard to boost your own sales numbers.
I think most people would prefer something more reliable… something with more profit potential and real control and freedom.
This is why I like to point my readers towards the Digital Leasing course.
With Digital Leasing, you set up your own website in a specialized niche… something like storm damage repair or emergency dentistry. Next, you rent out your piece of digital real estate to local business owners, who convert these super-qualified leads and pay you well for the service.
So how does this course stack up across my ‘big three’ criteria?
- How does learning real skills from a great coach sound? The team at Digital Leasing are some of the best mentors and teachers I’ve found online, nurturing their students as they write their own success stories.
- You’re basically becoming the go-to in your niche and your area, providing an amazing service for local business owners. This spells real profits!
- Maybe best of all… you’re the boss. You control everything, from your site to your niche to the rates you charge for your leads. With just a bit of input each day, you’ll build a super reliable stream of semi-passive income.
So you’ll find that you have a lot more freedom than you used to. What will you do with it?
Maybe travel is the dream… Tanzanian safaris, Paris in the springtime?
Perhaps you’ve got a big project that you never found the time for… a screenplay or a novel idea?
Or it could be you just want to spend more time with the friends and family who mean so much to you?
With Digital Leasing, the choice is yours.
Hit the link to get started on your Digital Leasing journey today.
What’s Inside Ecom Dave’s FBA Coaching and Academy Programs?
You’ll most likely start with the Amazon FBA Academy free video, then you’ve got two different options for his students:
- Direct coaching and learning from the man himself.
- The more generic academy course.
Here’s what you’ll find in each one:
FBA Academy Training Course
The training course includes 12 different modules…
- Introduction to Amazon FBA
- Researching Products
- Beating the Competition
- Communicating and Negotiating with Suppliers
- Creating Product Listings
- Shipping Products
- Using Amazon Search Optimization and Pay Per Click Advertising
- Running PPC Campaigns
- Improving Amazon Search Performance
- Growing and Scaling the Business
- Turning Skills and Knowledge into Income Part 1
- Turning Skills and Knowledge into Income Part 2
FBA Academy Personal Coaching
Personal coaching is David’s premium option for students. Here’s what he provides…
- Weekly strategy meetings customized to specific student needs.
- Q&A phone calls with David are subject to availability.
- Personal coaching and support.
- Everything inside Ecom Dave’s Academy Training course, plus personalized extras.
Before you get involved with personal coaching for your Amazon FBA business, you’ll need to choose your pathway – wholesale or private label.
- Private label is selling your own brand of products via Amazon.
- Wholesaling is selling products that come from existing companies and international suppliers with their own brands.
Here’s what you’ll get from each option:
The Ecom Dave Coaching Pathway Breakdown
| The Pathway | The Content | What’s It All About? |
|---|---|---|
| Private Label | How to Find Profitable Products | Ecom Dave promises to run you through everything you need to know to get started with Amazon selling. You’ll also discover useful information on how to use product research software. |
| Source from Elite Suppliers | There are loads of suppliers out there, and you need to make sure you’re working with the very best. In this section, you’ll learn about calculating and comparing supplier rates to optimize profit. | |
| Rank Your Products to Page 1 | The private label coaching helps you find the graphic designers you need to bring your brand and your products to life. You’ll also discover how to maximize the impact for your listings, and rank on the first search page in all your international markets. | |
| Scale and Outsource | Hiring virtual assistants can help you grow your business without sending your workload off the charts. | |
| Wholesale | Find Profitable Brand and Distributors | Success in the wholesale business model depends on finding the best brands and distributors. You’ll be able to research your competitors effectively, and then differentiate yourself from these rivals. |
| Filter and Find the Most Profitable Products | You’ll discover how to use product research software, calculating costs and profits and nailing down the products that going to make you the most money. | |
| Optimize Your Sales | There are plenty of tools available to you that can reduce your workload while outpacing your competitors. In this section, Ecom Dave coaches you on how to find and use these tools. |
The Amazon FBA Facebook Group
There’s also an Amazon FBA Facebook group, giving you and other students the chance to engage with one another.
This is pretty standard fare for a course like this, but I won’t knock it. No one wants to go through their entrepreneurial journey alone!
My Ecom Dave Review – The Conclusion
Let’s close the curtain on my review of Ecom Dave and his Amazon FBA course.
I’d say Ecom Dave’s programs are fully legit. His Amazon FBA coaching and academy program gives you the information you need to build an Amazon ecommerce store.
The reason I don’t recommend this is the FBA model itself. There’s just so much you don’t control, and I could write a whole blog post just on the reasons this model is a bad call for entrepreneurs. And then there are the fees… shipping fees, storage fees, Amazon account fees, and more. Nope. Just nope.
So where do you go from here? You might want to check out another of my reviews… like my blog on 0-100k Systems.
Or better yet… why not take a look at my #1 pick for making money online in 2024?
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Our review team has spent months reviewing dozens of business models and thousands of programs.
And the research IS conclusive:
Digital Leasing is the #1 online business model for those just starting out.
Whether you’ve never made a dollar online, or you’ve been in this space for a while, Digital Leasing is for you.
Why?
1) It’s Flexible: got an hour a day? You can do this. Even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Leasing business.
You can earn PASSIVE INCOME – if you stop working, the money doesn’t.
Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.
Amazon FBA is supposed to offer passive income, but I just think the profits are too slim to deliver any real freedom.
2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: Control from Amazon FBA? Don’t count on it… you’re at the mercy of your suppliers, your customers, your ad platform, and Amazon itself!
With Digital Leasing, you own all the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.
3) Little To No Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Leasing with zero dollars upfront using the strategies outlined in this program.
You can have your first Digital Rental Property up and running and generating profits for less than $100.
4) Easy To Duplicate: OK, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks.
Each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 a month in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.
Can you do this with Amazon FBA? Maybe, if you double your sales volume or double your prices! I’m not sure either option is easy, though…
5) Make Money Helping Real People: Small, local business owners need more customers, and with Digital Leasing, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.
You make money by helping them make money. This part is what makes it all worth it… helping a small business owner in your community. That’s how Digital Leasing makes a real impact in the lives of real people.
Get started today, and join a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms, and achieve a consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income while helping real people.
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