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Dan Vas Review (Scam?) 11 Things to Know (Is Ecom Freedom Really #1?)

March 15, 2024

dan vas ecom freedom course

Dan Vas claims:

Ecom Freedom is backed by more success than any other similar online business program or business model ever – you're in the right hands.”

Who is Dan Vas?

Is his claim true?

Find these answers and much more below.

1. Who is Dan Vas (in his words)?

Dan Vas is a self-made entrepreneur, investor, YouTuber, and founder.

He created the Ecom Freedom course in 2017.

He shares his hard knocks journey…

“In fact, I (Dan Vas, CEO Ecom Freedom) had to learn through my own mistakes myself and stumble on my face through countless failed products and lost $ to finally reach success...”

Dan says he owns both “Amazon FBA and Shopify businesses, being in the trenches and selling every day...”

dan vas

Having grown his own eCommerce brands to success, Dan has mentored over 15,000 students in Ecom Freedom, and millions more on his YouTube channel.

In fact, he boasts an impressive 374K YouTube subscribers at the time of publication. And one of his FBA tutorial videos has over 620,000 views itself.

2. What is the Ecom Freedom Amazon FBA Course?

Ecom Freedom is a Private Label FBA course. (I'll explain Private Label later.)

The content includes Dan Vas’ step-by-step “roadmap to success,” presented both in video and PDF format.

Specifically, Ecom Freedom promises 100+ Hours of HD Step-by-Step Video.

You’ll also get:

  • Unlimited Mentorship + Facebook Community Access
  • Course Boxset
  • Lifetime Access to Course & Updates
  • Mentorship Calls with 7 Figure Amazon Sellers (& Dan Vas periodically)
ecom freedom course

Oh…and about that "100+ Hours of HD Step-by-Step Video"…

It’s interesting to note their sales webpage gives a video time breakdown that totals about 39 hours, not 100+ (I've done the math).

So, it appears they’re referring to recorded coaching calls to up that video time total above 100 hours – that's a little “creative marketing” trick.

3. Did Dan Vas really build “the #1 eCommerce company in the world”?

The quote above was taken directly from a recent version of Ecom Freedom’s online sales pitch.

Since my team and I regularly review eCommerce courses, I got curious.

I’ve tried to find an objective source (someone other than Dan Vas) to support this statement.

Nothing.

There’s no doubt he’s built a decent online course community.

But even so, it isn’t nearly as large as some other longstanding FBA course communities.

Also, I discovered one other subtle difference when I took his course...

He backs off a bit on the #1 eCommerce company claim.

In his welcome video, Vas says, “Our Vision is to create the #1 platform in the world for learning how to build a successful eCommerce online business.”

So, in the website sales pitch, Ecom Freedom has already reached #1 status…

But, after you’ve purchased the course, Vas backs off the claim – being #1 is now his “vision.”

Keep this in mind as you continue reading...

4. Course Price & Refund Policy? 

The course is $997 paid in full.

As an option, you can choose to make 2 monthly payments of $597 each, or 3 monthly payments of $497 each.

ecom freedom price

And the only "refund policy" Ecom Freedom offers is their “7-day zero-risk free trial.”

You'll have access to the first 3 modules during the trial period.

ecom freedom free trial

Ecom Freedom's Terms of Service page states: "After the initial 7 day free trial period, we have a strict no refund policy."

Bottom line: Regarding price, don't forget the $997 is only the cost of the course…

Later in this review, I’ll break down the overall money required to start and run an Amazon FBA business.

(By the way, I realize $997 isn't chump change...but a higher-ticket course literally changed my life and allowed me to quit my 9 to 5 job back in 2014.)

5. Private Label...What is it and how do you succeed?

In Private Label, you take unbranded products from Chinese suppliers and create your own brand:

Logo, packaging, marketing...the whole shebang.

This video explains it well...


So, create packaging and a marketing message that make your product stand out.

Pro Tip #1: Look at your Amazon competitors; study their negative reviews.

Pro Tip #2: Bundle products together.

6. How long does it take to start making money?

Private Label FBA takes about 1 year before you see any profits – here's why...

For starters, you need to order samples (6-8 weeks with shipping time).

This is the only way to verify you have a reliable supplier with quality products.

Otherwise, you're going to get burned (and lose a lot of money).

Once you find your supplier and place that first inventory order, it’ll take roughly another 6-8 weeks.

Unfortunately, current COVID restrictions have also caused long freight times.

In the end, it takes roughly 6+ months to get everything set up.

And then it will take potentially 3-6+ more months to organically rank your listing in Amazon.

And that's if everything goes perfectly.

Overall, it took me and my team 1.5 years before we saw any profits.

We also launched 3 Private Label products at the same time – 2 of them failed.

7. My 5 Key Takeaways from the Course

I won’t overload you with things you already know.

Instead, here are takeaways that jumped out at me as I reviewed the course.

1) Don’t sell yourself short

Inexperienced sellers often don't understand the important steps to building a brand – a brand that'll have staying power.

Here’s their mistake…

It’s common for a newbie to think, “My listing and my product are unknown, so I better build up a following and get reviews as soon as possible,” etc. etc.

Unfortunately, this overwhelming temptation creates panic.

And they keep lowering the price with the hope their brand will eventually gain traction.

So instead of trusting they’ve created a worthwhile product, they’re engaged in a price war and an inevitable “race to the bottom.”

Sadly, they may never leave the bottom.

2) Does an Amazon FBA business provide passive income?

Dan Vas says, “Having a brand on Amazon selling five products and bringing in $45,000 in sales per month, with a 30% profit margin, could provide you a 6-figure passive income.”

I agree with everything he said prior to “passive income.”

If your Amazon business has reached $45K in sales per month and you’re providing proper customer service, it won’t be a passive role for you.

Plus, if your main goal is passive income, I've had more success with a different biz model.

3) Ecom Freedom is spot-on regarding perceived value

I appreciate Dan stressed the importance of perceived value.

He describes the goal: “When a person visits your listing, they say 'wow' and are blown away by the quality of the branding (product box, any inserts, instruction manual, etc.)”

branding ecom freedom

So higher perceived value equals more sales: Great branding motivates prospects to become customers, because they visualize themselves benefiting from your product.

Of course, you better follow through and get them to say ‘wow’ again when their shipment arrives and they open the box!

4) Avoid getting trapped in the PPC weeds

Often the best way to achieve certain goals is indirectly.

This is certainly true for Amazon PPC (pay-per-click) advertising. Let me explain…

As Dan says, “If your goal is mastering Amazon PPC ‘hacks’ or ‘tricks,’ you’ve set the wrong goal.”

Besides, you could tear your hair out studying this all day long...

Rather, your goal should be to create a valuable brand by selling high-quality products backed by superior customer service.

That's the secret.

So, with average PPC skills and a good product, you give yourself the best opportunity for success.

5) With 371K YouTube subscribers, Dan knows a thing or two

According to research, video now accounts for over 85% of all internet traffic in the US.

So the data says video is the future of online marketing – be sure to tap into this pipeline of potential customers.

But most FBA brand owners have no idea YouTube ads will help them build their business.

Even if they do, they don’t know how to use the ads effectively for product promotion.

Dan, on the other hand, can certainly speak as an authority in this area (more than 16 million total views on his YouTube channel at the time of publication)…

dan vas youtube

But this module was also an upsell.

As you’re learning about YouTube, Dan slips in a plug for "Ecom Freedom Perfect Ads."

So, if you’re willing to pay whatever Dan and his crew are charging for this service, they'll create YouTube sales videos for you.

And, using a classic upsell pitch, the service is “exclusively available only to our members in Ecom Freedom.”

8. Feedback from Other Students

Is Dan Vas’ course Ecom Freedom a scam?

Nope.

But accept it for what it is: A beginner’s course for launching your Private Label biz on Amazon.

It'll teach you what’s necessary to get started, but you’ll need persistence and patience.

Please keep in mind – success is not everyone’s birthright on Amazon.

Dan Vas, however, preaches a different message. He says with the proper mindset you'll succeed.

Dan recommends repeating a “success mantra,” and provides an example script. He also links success to “emotional conviction.”

I’m all for a positive mindset, but you’ll need more than that to build a profitable FBA biz…

Many emotionally convicted, dedicated, and committed entrepreneurs have still failed.

Here’s a sampling of Ecom Freedom student comments online; the first is from Reddit:

ecom freedom negative review

On the other hand, here’s a positive review from Trustpilot:

ecom freedom positive review

And I promised I'd comment on Dan's claim from the beginning of this review…

“Ecom Freedom is backed by more success than any other similar online business program or business model ever - you're in the right hands.”

I found no proof to support this.

Obviously, anyone can post a blanket statement on their site – I’ll let you decide.

Mathias Bugge Testimonial: 1.7 Million By 23 With Ecom

Mathias' Background and Story

Mathias is a young man from Norway who started his e-commerce journey in April 2020 when he was just 20 years old. He learned about this business model from a friend and explored more about it in YouTube. Mat was initially interested in dropshipping, so he bought Dan Vas' Ecom Freedom to develop himself in this business. 

Mathias' Challenges in Starting an E-Com Business

Mathias did not make a single sale in his first six months, which was mentally and financially challenging for him. He and his partner, Eric had to constantly motivate themselves to get through this tough stage of the business. On top of that, he also experienced setbacks on uploading tracking numbers and getting their Paypal funds on hold. 

Business Strategies That Worked For Mathias

Branded Dropshipping Approach: Mathias experimented with his dropshipping approach. He focused on creating value by making product tutorials and customizing the packaging to improve customer experience. 

Adopting a Long-Term Perspective: Mathias emphasized the importance of thinking long-term income over quick (but temporary) profits. This change in mindset helped them to focus on building a sustainable business rather than chasing short-term gains.

Continuous Learning and Application: Mathias emphasized the importance of reading good books to constantly learn new strategies that played a crucial role in his entrepreneurial growth.

What's not mentioned in the interview: Mathias did not mention how long it took for his business to start making a positive cashflow. According to statistics, ecommerce businesses could take up to 2 years to earn profit (although some would only take a few months). 

9. Just how much does it cost to start a successful FBA business?

  • $5,000 in inventory – anything less and suppliers won't even consider you
  • $2,000-$3,000 minimum in branding expenses – logo, packaging, professional photos, and samples
  • $5,000 in pay-per-click advertising campaigns

So, in total you're looking at around $10K to $15K+ in startup costs alone.

(And that's not even considering the $1K you're paying for Dan's course...)

10. What does it take to succeed with Amazon FBA?

Ultimately, to succeed in Amazon FBA, you must have an awesome product.

And don’t forget, it’s very competitive – you’re competing with the best manufacturers and brands from around the world.

Five years ago, not nearly as many manufacturers and suppliers sold directly on Amazon.

In fact, in Amazon's own 2021 Small Business Empowerment Report, the company shares just how competitive it has become...

amazon small business report


That's right – from 2019 to 2020, there was a 45% increase in third-party sellers. Can you imagine the increase from 2020 to 2021?

I’m not saying opportunities don't exist anymore, because they do.

But you’ll need to be persistent and perform a lot more due diligence to uncover the right niche.

So, if you’re creative and have a brilliant idea for a product, then it may be worth taking the Private Label journey.

But will potential customers also consider your idea brilliant?

Well, only extensive product testing can give you the answer. Testing is unavoidable if you hope to discover that unique and profitable item.

And, to test and retest, you’ll need a decent amount of expendable income.

So, if finances are tight, FBA may not be a good fit for you.

11. My Gripe with Private Label (even after success)

As I said earlier, it took 1.5 years to finally crack the Private Label code and become profitable.

The journey was long, arduous, and expensive.

Luckily, I already had a flow of passive income from my digital real estate.

I allocated some of those expendable funds to my FBA business each month.

In the end, I grew that FBA biz to $3K-$4K net profit per month.

But based upon the amount of time it took, one thing became clear to me: My digital real estate business and this blog were a far more profitable use of my time.


My main issues with the FBA business 🙁

  • It takes so long to set everything up (6+ months); and there's no guarantee your product will ever rank and start generating sales
  • Dealing with foreign suppliers is frustrating and risky
  • Competition is getting tougher each year as more big companies jump onto the FBA platform
  • It’s difficult to compete with established brands and their limitless budgets
  • Rising Amazon fees may indicate the company's leaders prefer big brands on the platform

And about those Amazon fees – it's important for you to understand what's going on here.

Amazon extracts an extraordinary amount of money from third-party merchants: In 2020 alone, Amazon took in $90 billion in seller fees!

Most noteworthy, seller fees have grown much faster than every other major revenue stream at Amazon.

Conclusion: Training is good... Community is where it's at

All right, I hope you picked up a few key pointers after reading the 11 Things to Know before investing in this Private Label course.

Especially since you now understand some of the tedious aspects of setting up this type of biz.

Having support like Ecom Freedom's Facebook group is invaluable because you'll encounter your own specific challenges.

So the community that Dan Vas has created over the last few years – 15,000 members in the private FB group – is alone worth the investment.

However, every course has its good & bad, and we're gonna be deadly honest with ours...

Pros
  • Thorough step-by-step walkthrough of how to get started in Private Label FBA
  • Course video quality is good
  • Unlimited access to 15,000 students in the Ecom Freedom private Facebook group
  • Free review of your Amazon Listing by an experienced FBA team member
  • Course updates released regularly for life
Cons
  • Too many promises, such as “How to Guarantee Success with Ecom Freedom” – no course/coach can guarantee success
  • Dan Vas shares a lot of similar content for free on his YouTube channel
  • The claim that over 10,000 students “have been able to quit their jobs” is not backed by any evidence
  • Overly pushy upfront sales pitch
  • Some students report customer service advice is generic and minimally helpful

All things considered, Dan is a diligent coach who seems to care about creating quality training for his students. Although he's a bit young and could be lacking some biz experience, I believe he does a fine job for any beginner.

Most people that fail simply had the wrong expectations of just how much work is involved in setting up a Private Label business.

It's no walk in the park.

In fact, FBA is like the Olympics of eCommerce.

I succeeded with it after 1.5 years of grinding non-stop, but thankfully I found other ways to make money online.

Consider this other business model...

Why compete with huge eCommerce brands from all over the world, which is getting harder each year?

I found easier success competing in local markets.

Check out this site:

Local lead generation

It's been paying me $2,000 per month since 2015.

I hardly touch it.

This is an example of a local lead generation site...

Pro Tip: When you go local, it’s less saturated and less competitive.

It's a much simpler biz model with far fewer moving parts than FBA.

If you're interested in lead generation, click "Learn More" below.

If you're interested in lead generation, tap "Learn More" below.

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Ippei Kanehara
Founder/CEO

$52K per month providing lead generation services to small businesses

Ippei.com is for digital hustlers, industry leaders and online business owners.

His #1 online business recommendation in 2024, is to build your own lead generation business.

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  1. My mate done this course with no selling experience at all made £300k profit in his first year he just happened to start selling masks at the beginning of Coronavirus

    1. Yeah, I can imagine. Selling PPE made some people 10x millionaires (I know a few who made bank with it because they had access to inventory and logistics to deliver it). Has he found success selling non-PPE stuff yet? That next pivot is going to be crucial.

  2. Future job seekers beware, Dan signs contracts to hire you and never intends to uphold the agreement or pay you for your services. There are at least 5+ others that have rendered services this year alone that have experienced this same situation. There is an unstable, manic, and micromanaging culture working here that I assume indicates the overall health of the business.

  3. Hello I am Nadia Saeedi from NY woke in IT field for 20 years 9-5 and financially exhausted. I am looking into online business and need mentor who can guide me. I m not sure which course to buy because there are so many.
    Please email me with the no so that I can talk to the mentor before I Pay for the course

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