Ecom Degree University Review 2026: William Rivera's Amazon and Walmart Reselling Strategies + A Business Alternative
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Ecom Degree University is a good program that teaches brand-name reselling on Amazon and Walmart Marketplace. The strategy is to sell products that people already need, like water or toilet paper. However, there are thousands of sellers listing the exact same items. You don’t control pricing, and it’s hard to stand out unless you lower your margins. The best days for Amazon reselling are over. Very few beginners are actually doing it. Local SEO lead generation removes those challenges. You’re not selling products. You’re building simple websites that bring in leads for local businesses. Then you get paid for those leads. This gives you more control. You’re not competing against dozens of sellers on the same listing. You own the website. You decide who to work with and how much to charge. And beginners can enter local markets with less competition.
In this Ecom Degree University review:
- I go over its core strategy, from selling home necessities like Fiji Water to using AI tools like Scan Profit.
- I go over EDU's free funnels to a high-upsells structure.
- I went through all the reviews from Reddit, YouTube, and Trustpilot, so you don't have to dig for them.
- I compare Amazon FBA/Walmart reselling to my local SEO lead generation model.
In my opinion, Ecom Degree University’s methods can easily play out like Vince Spano’s Air Jordan example. Vince bought 60 pairs of the same Jordan. The shoes dropped below the store price just 3 months after. He ended up holding inventory worth less than he paid. Established brands are easier to sell. But fast price swings crush your profit. As someone who used to do Amazon FBA, I know that fees, returns, and new sellers push margins even lower. You need to sell a lot to make good money.
Public Review Sentiment
Sentiment is based on public reviews, discussions, and independent analysis available at the time of publication. Percentages reflect identified positive, negative, and neutral sentiment by platform.
Reddit (45 reviews)
Mostly negative
Positive: “The method they teach (retail arbitrage via Walmart WFS) is 100% legit. I’m doing about $4k/mo profit right now.”
Negative: “World class marketing, garbage service. Had to force a refund.”
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Neutral: “I’ve been in EDU for about 8 months. I’ll give my honest take because I think both sides are a bit extreme here.”
Negative: “After weeks of unanswered messages and feeling misled, I took it upon myself to dispute the transaction through Affirm.”
Negative: “They sell you on 'Automation', but once you get access, the course is actually for Manual Retail Arbitrage.”
Negative: “I told them that I paid for a one-time $500 FBA training course. Not a membership.”
Negative: “I keep getting the run around and this program is terrible is nothing like he explain in the classes.”
YouTube (8 reviews)
Mostly negative
Positive: “William Rivera does provide a structured step-by-step approach which is good for absolute beginners who are overwhelmed.”
Negative: “Ecom Degree University might check a lot of these boxes but it feels more like a marketing brochure than a proven success path.”
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Negative: “The strategies taught are very basic and you can find most of this information for free on YouTube.”
Negative: “The profit margins are incredibly thin, and the course downplays the amount of capital you actually need to start.”
Neutral: “The community aspect is a plus.”
Negative: “He scammed me out of $4800 ! Stay away from him.”
Independent Review Sites (3 reviews)
Mostly negative
Positive: “I think the group’s membership cost is great for the amount of content it provides, including William’s expertise.”
Negative: “The support didn't meet my expectations. Communication was too slow, sometimes even nonexistent.”
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Positive: “Members get daily live coaching calls, personalized 1-on-1 sessions, and access to supplier lists for scaling their business.”
Positive: “Following these steps allowed me to quit my job and live comfortably while supporting my family.”
Negative: “When I tried to cancel the program within the refund window, I was given the runaround.”
Trustpilot (440 reviews)
Credibility concerns
Positive: “William is incredibly transparent. He doesn't gatekeep anything, sharing both the good and the bad of ecommerce.”
Negative: “The high pressure sales tactics are unbelievable.”
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Negative: “I was almost getting forced to get into a 10k course.”
Negative: “TrustPilot is a FAKE B.S. WEBSITE. That's how they have a 5-star rating.”
Positive: “The strategies are clear and the community support is unmatched.”
Positive: “The course is straight to the point.”
Negative: “Communication was too slow, sometimes even nonexistent.”
BBB (36 reviews)
Overwhelmingly negative
Negative: “This business claims they will give you a refund back as long as you go through the process.”
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Negative: “I emailed several times at different months and they assured me they would assist.”
Negative: “No support no phone number to reach out.”
Negative: “I felt deceived so I DECLINED the contract.”
Negative: “I was not provided there program contract until after cancelling which I refused to sign.”
Negative: “They proposed a solution but failed to follow through and indefinitely suspended my Whop account.”
What Are the Pros and Cons of Ecom Degree University?
Pros:
- ✔️ Ecom Degree University provides personal coaching.
- ✔️ EDU teaches both Amazon (most popular) and Walmart Marketplace (less crowded).
- ✔️ William Rivera shares the legal details of reselling.
- ✔️ Ecom Degree University has many positive reviews online.
Cons:
- ❌ Ecom Degree University teaches how to sell cheap products.
- ❌ EDU has complaints about course delivery and refunds.
- ❌ Ecom Degree University is sales-funnel heavy.
- ❌ EDU teaches an oversaturated business model.
💰 Price: Ecom Degree University costs $1,997 (as listed on Whop). It offers installment plans.
💸 Refund Policy: Ecom Degree University offers a 3-day refund window.
🗓️ Origin: Ecom Degree University was created in 2018.
📣 Reputation: William Rivera has 770K Instagram followers, 189K YouTube subscribers, and 19K Facebook followers.
What Is Ecom Degree University’s Reselling Strategy for Amazon and Walmart?
- Get an LLC. For Amazon, this helps when opening wholesale accounts with big brands. For Walmart Marketplace, you need one to open a seller account.
- Amazon FBA and FBM. You're taught both fulfillment methods. You can have Amazon store and ship your orders. Or you can ship them yourself.
- Focus on home necessities. Many people only buy what they need. With this, demand won't drop as much. William Rivera says he sold toilet paper and water.
- Sell established name-brand products. People trust brands like Logitech, Bounty Paper, and Fiji Water. This makes it easier to sell.
- Pick lightweight products. You can lower your shipping fees. It's also easier to ship.
- Find brand distributors in your area. They're more willing to work with locals. Plus, there's less competition than finding suppliers online.
- Use AI tools to automate your tasks. Use Scan Profit and SourceDart. These find profitable products on Amazon and Walmart. EDU also provides AI tools. These handle about 90% of the product research and automation.
- Hire a virtual assistant (VA). Let them do extra product research, find local distributors, and communicate with them. William Rivera says you can hire on Fiverr for $3/hour.
- Market through platform mechanics. Established brand-name products sell themselves. They rank higher through availability, pricing/Buy Box, and fulfillment. EDU also teaches a bit of paid ads.
What's Included in Ecom Degree University?
- Lifetime access to Ecom Degree University's video curriculum.
- Access to its in-house AI tools.
- Your own product sourcing specialists.
- 1-on-1 mentoring.
- Members-only community and chat.
- 24/7 support.
- Ready-to-use templates.
- Step-by-step playbooks.
- Ongoing live coaching calls.
How Does Ecom Degree University Structure Its Programs and Pricing?
- Free live training or webinar. EDU often starts with a free online workshop. This introduces the business model. It also sets up the next steps. The workshops are more about Walmart Marketplace reselling in 2026.
- Low-cost bundles. EDU offers cheap bundles before the webinar. These include interviews and mini-trainings. Right now, the offer is the “Walmart Fast Track Bundle” for $27.
- Main paid program. The funnel leads into the Ecom Degree University program. It costs $1,997. This includes the curriculum, AI tools, coaching, templates, and community support. This is more on Amazon.
- Upsells along the way. Some students on Trustpilot say they got additional upgrades or add-ons. These cost anywhere from $1,000, $3,000, and $5,000.
Note: Ecom Degree University's program and pricing can change at anytime. However, it has followed the same funnel throughout the years.
What Are Ecom Degree University Reviews Saying?
Ecom Degree University reviews are saying good things. I checked and verified all these reviews. Emily Eaton liked that Will invests in his students. He adds new features and content for them. This is the reason he recently added Walmart Marketplace. He saw that it's less crowded than Amazon.
One Trustpilot review says that EDU is straight to the point. They say it covers picking the best products and pricing them. It allowed them to retire, support their mom and sister, and still live comfortably.
However, reviews from 2025 are less positive about Ecom Degree University. One Reddit user says the support didn't meet their expectations. They found communication too slow. Sometimes even nonexistent. They decided to cancel the program.
Scott Ringgold on Trustpilot said he was disappointed. The calls were mostly about promises. Guests bragged about their earnings. Worse, William pushed a $3,000 upsell.
Who Is Ecom Degree University For?
- People who want a step-by-step path for Amazon/Walmart reselling.
- People who can afford $1,997 and other add-ons/upsells.
- People who are comfortable with thin margins, fees, and inventory risk.
- People who are ready to deal with account/product restrictions.
What Are Alternatives to Ecom Degree University?
- Travis Marziani's Passion Product Formula ($997) teaches private label FBA with Amazon PPC.
- Jasmine Green's The Hustler’s Academy ($997) teaches retail arbitrage. Jasmine focuses on consistent sourcing, inventory management, and reinvesting.
- Warner Fields' The FBA Roadmap ($497, $527, or $597) teaches Amazon arbitrage using tools like SellerAmp and Boxem.
Who Is William Rivera?
William Rivera is a successful Amazon seller and ecommerce coach. He claims he’s generated $30M+ in online sales. However, he doesn’t define ‘online sales’ as Amazon-only. He does say he’s still an active Amazon seller. He even uses the same strategies he teaches.
Rivera launched Ecom Degree University in late 2018. Today, he claims EDU has coached 20,000+ people. He says thousands have hit $100,000 in revenue. Rivera also calls EDU the “largest and longest-running” ecommerce education platform. But that’s a self-reported marketing claim. Besides that, he shares ecommerce tips on YouTube. He has 189K subscribers.
What Results Does William Rivera Promote for Ecom Degree University?
$5,000-$10,000/month in revenue are the results William Rivera promotes for Ecom Degree University. He says Amazon and Walmart reselling is the fastest way to hit those numbers.
Can You Make $5K-$10K/Month With Ecom Degree University?
You can make $5K-$10K/month with Ecom Degree University. However, it’s very hard. Jungle Scout reports that most Amazon sellers make around $1,000/month in sales. They also state that 31% of new sellers earn less than $500/month. Marketplace Pulse says that 30% of registered Amazon accounts never make any sales.
Competition is fierce. Amazon has 1.1M active U.S.-based sellers. Walmart Marketplace has about 100K. Plus, at least 26% of sellers use a classic brand resale model.
What's more, Ecom Degree University relies on platform mechanics. You have to win the basics to get steady sales. This includes staying in stock, pricing competitively, and shipping fast. It's hard for beginners to win against already-established sellers.
It isn’t cheap if you run ads. Clicks often cost $0.50 to $1.50. Ads can wipe out profits by year-end.
Is Ecom Degree University Worth It in 2026?
Ecom Degree University is not worth it in 2026 because:
- It’s too expensive at $1,997 + upsells. A lot of the core Amazon/Walmart reselling info is available for free or cheaper elsewhere. Even River shares some of his specific strategies on YouTube for free. With EDU, you’re mainly paying for Rivera’s coaching and community.
- The AI tools aren’t a unique advantage of EDU. The main tools Rivera promotes, like Scan Profits and SourceDart, are separate products. So they don’t feel like an exclusive reason to buy the course.
- I’ve seen newer 2025 reviews complaining about course delivery. It seems like something happened on the platform that made a lot of people ask for refunds. It could be that Rivera is more focused on his live events and upsells.
- Amazon/Walmart reselling isn’t passive income, and it’s not “easy money.” When I ran Amazon FBA, it felt like a full-time job. I spend most days sourcing, researching, trying to rank, and dealing with buyer issues.
- It's not the “fastest path” to high income. It took me about 3 years to hit a consistent $15,000/month in sales and only $8,000/month in profit. And that was before the COVID-era surge in Amazon sellers. That's why I switched to a faster-earning business model, called local SEO lead generation.
Amazon and Walmart Reselling vs Local SEO Lead Generation: Which Earns Faster?
Local SEO lead generation earns faster than Amazon and Walmart reselling. This is because you’re selling leads to local businesses, not products that people can buy anywhere. A business owner already understands what a new customer is worth and will pay for leads right away. Shoppers can choose from tons of identical options, so you have to win on price, reviews, shipping, and ads before you ever make a sale.
With local lead gen, you build service websites, rank them on Google, and sell the leads to businesses in the area for a 5% to 10% commission. Since you're targeting local keywords, it only takes 2 to 6 months to rank. Once ranked, your site gets steady visitors who are ready to convert. If a few of those leads turn into real jobs, your commission adds up fast. 4 closed jobs can already mean around $4,000 profit.
With Amazon and Walmart reselling, you have to find products, wait 6-12 months to build traction, and hope for consistent sales. Plus, each sale is usually only $5 to $50, and that’s revenue, not profit.
In my opinion, selling on Amazon/Walmart is like selling bottled water at Yankee Stadium. There are hundreds of other vendors shouting for attention and cutting prices. Meanwhile, local SEO lead generation is like owning the only well in Levelland, Texas. Everyone needs water, so they go to you, even if you charge a premium.
Local SEO Lead Generation Is My Top Business Model for 2026
Local SEO lead generation is my top business model for 2026 because it generates $52,000 per month for me. And I barely have to work on my websites. So it's fully passive income, too, once you rank and set up your sites.
One client of mine is Orange County Elite Commercial Roofing, 16410 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, CA 92648, 714-912-9395, https://ocelitecommercialroofing.com. Last month, I delivered 2 high-ticket leads worth over $200K to this company. I made $10K that month from this site alone at a 5% commission. I only worked on this site for 25 hours.
If you want to learn how to create these simple websites and make big money, check out my local lead gen program. I teach you all the steps, including how to master local SEO, and give you professional site templates. I also offer a chance to work with my roofing company client who earns millions. They'll pay you a 1% to 5% commission for each website you build and rank for them.
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Ippei Kanehara
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