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Tom Wang FBA Masterclass Review: 3-Step Amazon Private Label Strategy

November 8, 2024

FBA Masterclass is an Amazon FBA private label training program by Tom Wang. It teaches you Tom's 3-Step Amazon private label strategy. This teaches you to take boring, low-cost unbranded Chinese products, rebrand them, and sell them on Amazon FBA. You will also learn how to optimize your new product listing on Amazon using Tom's Rank and Bank system.

FBA Masterclass reviews are mixed, with a rating of 2.6/5 on BBB and a 4.5/5 on Trustpilot. Students often like the training, community, and competent mentors. Most complaints cite a lack of refund policy and support from the FBA Masterclass team. There is also a lack of student success stories outside of what is advertised.

Irnes likes the course contents and tools provided. They also highlighted the live calls, support, and the private community. Irnes also mentioned the expertise of their assigned mentor, Samantha.

Joyce had the exact opposite experience. They said that, despite promises, FBA Masterclass did not help with setup, product selection, or getting on Amazon's priority list.

I made 6 figures selling on Amazon FBA. But I eventually found it unsustainable because of the increasing costs and low profit margins. It was also eating up a lot of my time. In this review, I'll cover Tom's 3-step strategy, what you get with the program, and student success rate. You'll also discover all about Tom Wang. Lastly, I'll talk about the profitability of Amazon FBA and give reasons why most sellers fail.

FBA Masterclass Pros and Cons

Pros

Low-ticket products have consistent demand.

Tools and templates are included.

You get access to the private group where you can get further support.

Cons

FBA Masterclass is one of the most expensive Amazon FBA training programs.

The model of selling low-ticket products takes a while to generate good profits.

Rising cost of ads might not be covered by your low profit margin.

Price

Tom Wang's FBA Masterclass costs $6,997. There are some payment plans available.

Refund Policy

FBA Masterclass has no refunds.

Training

FBA Masterclass training has 13 modules containing 300 lessons of updated content; DFY templates and systems.

Group

FBA Masterclass has a private Facebook community.

Origin

Tom Wang started FBA Masterclass in 2019, after he became a 7 figure seller. He started Amazon FBA in 2017. YouTube channel started in 2018.

Reputation

After scanning Reddit, Quora and comments on his YouTube videos. Tom Wang has a solid online reputation. 👍

November 8, 2024

The training is meh. Most of what I learned and use I got from YouTube and other sellers. The community is great, but just that is not worth the price tag.

Sam

2.0
2.0 out of 5 stars (based on 1 review)

Tom Wang’s 3-Step Amazon Private Label Strategy

Tom Wang teaches Amazon Private Label, making your own brand on unbranded products that you source from China. Tom likes to target boring, low-ticket products that people use daily. 

Step 1: Product Selection. The reason Tom likes to target "boring" products that people use daily is that those products get impulsive purchases. These are easy to find and always have a demand. Compared to high-ticket products where sellers spend weeks or months on research. Therefore, he recommends picking products that sell for $50 or less.

He teaches the use of Viral Launch for Product Research. It's a $69 per month software, but it's one of the best. He shows you what parameters to enter to quickly filter which products to target. The targets should have at least 3,000 searches per day and fewer than 100 reviews.

Step 2: Rock Bottom Sourcing Process. When you're selling low-ticket products, even $1 savings can be worth a lot (5%-10% more in profit margins). Thus, Tom Wang teaches his students to contact 40-60 Chinese vendors and manufacturers. Most FBA sellers only contact 5-10. He then recommends ordering the sample. Or hire an inspection company to check the vendor's product quality.

Tom also shows you the art of negotiation. He pays a deposit of 30% and only pays the rest once they pass the inspection. Once the product passes, you must order 1.5 month's inventory and ship it to a U.S. FBA warehouse. This can take over a month.

Step 3: Rank and Bank System. This is Tom's system to optimize your Amazon listing. It uses pro photos and copy. Then, it drives traffic with PPC and social ads until you get enough reviews to rank. Although Facebook ads and Google AdWords can drive traffic. The biggest bang for buck is going to come from Amazon's sponsored ad platform or their PPC ads.

Tom argues against using social media, claiming this generates cold traffic. These people aren't actively looking to buy, so it's harder to convert them into sales. Tom Wang likes to put special names on these various steps of the Amazon FBA business. But for ranking your listing, all top sellers agree that you need Amazon PPC.

What Do You Get With FBA Masterclass?

  • Over 200 easy-to-follow Amazon FBA training modules.
  • Mentorship calls every Monday and Wednesday with Tom and his team.
  • Access to all regular module and strategy updates.
  • Direct access to Tom in the FBA Masterclass Private Facebook Group.
  • Exclusive invitation to a secret super-seller group.
  • Private coaching from a 7-8 figure Amazon FBA seller who is part of Tom's team.
  • Access to partnership invitations and funding opportunities
  • Done-for-you templates and system.

What’s Covered in FBA Masterclass?

Chapter 1: Welcome & Setup

  • Welcome to FBA masterclass
  • Live FBA masterclass orientation call
  • FBA masterclass Facebook community
  • Live expert-panel group-coaching calls / Weekly coaching office hours schedule
  • Time management tips
  • How to navigate through the membership portal - the right way
  • Overview of how Amazon FBA works
  • FBA masterclass road map
  • Things you need before you can start making money on Amazon
  • Amazon seller central setup walkthrough
  • Amazon Seller Central documentation guidelines
  • How to set up Amazon Seller Central account
  • Best business structure for your Amazon business
  • Setting up your business
  • Benefits of starting your business
  • Types of business entities
  • US business taxes 101
  • Business credit 101
  • How to set up a business in the USA (USA students only)
  • Biggest mistakes & things to avoid
  • 12 month Amazon journey outline
  • Amazon anatomy
  • Brand name vs store name vs company name
  • FBA glossary of terms
  • Tips for contacting Amazon Seller support
  • FAQ
  • Your ticket to a private 2-day virtual event
  • Quiz - welcome & setup

Chapter 2: How to Find Your First Winning Product

  • Introduction
  • Viral Launch vs Helium 10
  • Helium 10 vs Viral Launch features
  • Viral Launch 30-day trial signup
  • Helium 10 discount code & signup
  • How to find products to sell on Amazon using Viral Launch
  • How to find products to sell on Amazon using Amazon suggested
  • Additional ways to find winning products
  • Introduction to product validation
  • Criteria #1 - demand
  • Criteria #2 - competition
  • Criteria #3 - budget
  • Criteria #4 - margin
  • Criteria #5 - trend & fad
  • Criteria #6 - sizing
  • Criteria # 7 - prohibited & restricted products
  • Criteria #8 - revenue distribution
  • Criteria #9 - wide market test
  • Criteria #10 - variation test
  • Margin & ROI - important!
  • Avoid these products!
  • Product validation checklist
  • How to fill out the product validation checklist
  • Narrow down your product list
  • Before you launch your first product
  • Should you start a branded store vs non-brand store?
  • How to build a great product offering with competitive advantage
  • Funnel hacking top brands!
  • How to find product market fit - raw startup
  • Top competitor analysis
  • Who is your ideal customer?
  • Why do some products fail?
  • Understanding buyer psychology
  • 4 big mistakes when it comes to product research
  • Have feedback or suggestions?

Chapter 3: Sourcing, Negotiation, and Logistics Secrets

  • Introduction
  • Commonly used logistics & sourcing terminology
  • Negotiations - real case study
  • How to reach out to suppliers on Alibaba
  • Supplier outreach email [PDF]
  • A quick way to get quotes
  • How many units should you order?
  • FBA cashflow forecast worksheet
  • How to narrow down your suppliers
  • How to negotiate with your suppliers
  • What to say when suppliers ask you weird questions?
  • Additional questions you need to ask
  • Order & evaluate samples
  • Negotiation part 2
  • How to work with multiple suppliers
  • How does packaging work?
  • State of California product restriction
  • Insert card strategies to gather customer data
  • More insert cards
  • How to create your FNSKU / Create your first listing
  • How to check if your FNSKU barcode is actually scannable
  • UPC code from GS1
  • Get UPC code via GS1 & GTIN exemption
  • Getting single GS1 UPC code
  • Creating new listings using GS1 UPC codes
  • Error when creating listing 5665 error code
  • Error when creating listing
  • 10 things to avoid before you place your 30% deposit
  • How to pay your supplier
  • Purchase order template (PDF)
  • Purchase order template (Word document)
  • How to conduct an inspection
  • Failed inspection?! What you should do next
  • How does shipping from China to Amazon work?
  • Master carton marking
  • Amazon prep requirements
  • 3PL (3rd party logistics) Recommendation
  • Quiz time!
  • How to create a shipping plan (New work flow)
  • What happens after you place your deposit?
  • How to work with a 3PL (Third party logistics)
  • Quiz - sourcing, negotiations and logistics secrets

Chapter 4: Building the Foundations for Launch

  • Introduction
  • How to create images that stand out
  • Photos 101 with Samantha
  • Split testing your main image
  • How to price your product during launch
  • How to do keyword research part 1
  • How to do keyword research part 2
  • The art of copywriting
  • This tool will write your product description for you
  • Do not put these keywords anywhere in your listing
  • How to find out your top 10 competitors
  • EBC + videos
  • A+ content/EBC/brand storey
  • Adding the above to your Amazon listing
  • Amazon return settings
  • FAQ

Chapter 5: 4 Week Launch plan

  • PPC set up for launch
  • Introduction to PPC
  • Basic terms & theory
  • Auto vs manual campaign & advertising match types
  • PPC launch planning guide
  • How to use the PPC planning guide
  • Setting up your first auto campaigns
  • How to plan your manual keyword campaigns
  • How to set up manual keyword campaigns
  • How to create a portfolio
  • What to do day 2 of launch
  • PPC bulk sheet optimization
  • Search term reports
  • Deduplicating keywords
  • Branded keywords and ASIN targeting
  • PPC bulk uploading
  • Auto campaigns - bulk sheet uploading
  • Manual keyword campaigns - bulk sheet uploading
  • Before you start ranking
  • Understanding sessions & conversions
  • Conversion - how to increase your sales by doing these 5 things.
  • FBA daily jorunal and  why you must use the it
  • Listing not showing BSR?
  • How to leverage pricing to gain reviews

Chapter 6: How to Get Reviews on Amazon

  • How to Get Reviews on Amazon
  • Quizes

Chapter 7: Maintain & Scale

  • When to cut your losses andMoveonto the next product?
  • How to increase traffic by using Amazon promotions
  • Hijacker? Someone selling on my product page in Canada
  • How to add & create variations in seller central
  • Finance side of an Amazon FBA business
  • How to calculate storage fee
  • How to read Amazon payment report
  • Miscellaneous
  • What to do when you are out of stock
  • New way to get trademark
  • How to get trademark fast
  • How to get a trademark to get brand registry
  • How to contact Amazon Seller support
  • How to send a free product using Manual fulfilment
  • Deadly mistakes of Amazon FBA
  • What to do before you are out of stock
  • How to create group discount codes
  • How to create dollar off or percentage off coupon codes
  • Remote fulfillment with Amazon FBA
  • How to do customer service on Amazon
  • FBA liquidation program - an alternative to removal/disposal

Extra Resources

  • FBA glossary of terms
  • FBA masterclass weekly call info
  • Viral Launch 30-day trial signup
  • FBA masterclass powerpoint
  • Amazon tricks, hacks, and lessons student submissions
  • FBA masterclass weekly call info
  • Coaching call recordings
  • 5 1-on-1 mentorship calls for 1 hour each
  • 4 VIP bootcamp 1 hour group calls
  • 20 Unit Challenge (VIP)

Who Is FBA Masterclass For?

  • Beginners who want to learn how to start an Amazon FBA business.
  • Anyone who wants to earn part-time income online.
  • Aspiring entrepreneurs who want to diversify into ecommerce.

6 FBA Masterclass Controversies

  • Misleading Income. Tom Wang posts testimonials of students making $100K per month. It's misleading because this is revenue, not profit. These Amazon stores are profiting around 15%. So, with $100K in revenue, students take home about $15K.
  • Tom Wang Doesn't Seem To Do Amazon FBA Anymore. He has posted no updates on anything related to his Amazon stores. It's unclear if Tom Wang is still running a high-level Amazon business or is just focused on selling the coaching. For example, Tim Sanders shows his Amazon seller account on his YouTube channel to prove he's running an 8-figure Amazon business. Tom never does. The only story he tells is his Sdara Skincare brand that he sold and exited already.
  • Lack of Transparency. Tom Wang does not clearly give the costs of an Amazon private label business. He says it can cost a few thousand to $100K. This is not very clear to a beginner. Tom doesn't want to scare people off by saying this flat out because he's also selling a high-ticket course. Amazon FBA will be tough with less than $5K to start. It's a physical product business, so you need to buy inventory in bulk.
  • FBA Masterclass Price. FBA Masterclass is one of the priciest Amazon FBA courses out there. Amazon FBA private label courses are usually cheaper. Tom Wang knows what he's talking about, but there are other experts with cheaper courses.
  • Tom Wang's Lack of Experience. Tom Wang has only 2-3 years of success on Amazon. His skincare line, Sdara, did well before he sold the brand. His success involved some luck as he hasn't proven he can repeat it on Amazon. Many of Tom's business tips come from stories. They are from his students and various sellers he interviewed on his podcast. This makes his coaching content feel a bit shallow at times.
  • Amazon FBA is Tough. Amazon FBA has tough competition, high costs, and many risks. It has many variables beyond your control that can go wrong. (e.g., your supplier ships a bad batch of inventory. You get hit with negative reviews from customers.) These challenges make it difficult and highly risky for beginners. 

What Is the Success Rate of FBA Masterclass?

The FBA Masterclass's success rate is unclear. However, according to TrueProfit, the success rate for Amazon FBA sellers in 2024 ranges from 1% to 27%. Success will depend on many factors. Quora user Jonas Leuffe says that poor product quality and unreliable suppliers often lead to bad reviews. Customer reviews are critical for Amazon FBA success. Tech2Globe stresses that growth depends on product competition, selection, marketing, and pricing. It is important to know the ins and outs of Amazon FBA if you want to be successful.

Busy Mom Makes $1,000 Daily Income With Amazon FBA

Mary's Background and Story

Mary is a tech consultant from Toronto, Canada, with no prior business experience. While on maternity leave, she thought about starting an Amazon FBA business to support her family. She saw Tom's ad on YouTube and was immediately hooked. She joined the course, even though she had never worked with manufacturers or launched a product before.

How Mary’s Business Is Doing Today

Mary started her Amazon FBA business in November 2020. She began selling baby products in April and quickly made $1,000 daily. She initially invested around $4,000 and now makes around 30% profit. Mary also started a successful Etsy shop. She leveraged her skills as a micro-influencer and her network in the motherhood community. She runs an Instagram page to boost sales and connect with customers.

Lessons Mary Learned, and the Challenges Faced

Stepping Out of Comfort Zone: Mary stressed how important it is to face your fears and try new things, even if you might fail. 


Investing in Oneself: Mary advises moms to focus on their own growth and put their needs first sometimes. She believes personal success and family life can go hand in hand.


Community Support: Mary pointed out the benefits of having support, like the Facebook group in FBA Masterclass. This kind of support helps with guidance and reduces the fear of starting new projects alone.


Continual Learning: Mary recognizes that in business, learning and adapting never stop. She believes it is essential for business growth and success.

What's not mentioned in the interview: Amazon FBA is an expensive business to run. The platform has fees, like storage, fulfillment, and referral fees. All these fees can cut into profit margins. 

Is FBA Masterclass Worth It?

In my opinion, FBA Masterclass is not worth it for several reasons. First, Tom Wang's lack of experience and repetition of success. Second, there are many other cheaper and proven courses. Some mentorships even provide personalized coaching. Third, the best way to learn Amazon FBA is to learn from your mistakes. Expect to fail at least your first few product launches and to not make a profit for the first few months.

Who Is Tom Wang?

Tom Wang is a serial entrepreneur who loves to "scale the unscalable" and share his business insights with others. People mostly know him for his Amazon FBA success and FBA Masterclass mentorship. He has a YouTube channel with 40.5K subscribers and a podcast, the Tom Wang Show. There, he shares free Amazon FBA tips, business insights, and personal development topics. He also started speaking at local entrepreneurship conferences in Vancouver, Canada.

Tom was born in China and moved to Canada in 2001. He dropped out of college 3 times and failed at 7 different businesses. In 2015, he was working at a Yellow Pages call center. His side hustles included buying hoverboards from China to sell on Craigslist. He even sold watches at local night markets. He initially discovered Amazon FBA from a friend with whom he partnered. They had some success, but they also failed a lot.

In 2017, Tom hired some Amazon coaches. He finally saw success and quit his 9 to 5. In 2019 alone, he did $3 million in sales on Amazon. Tom Wang's current net worth is estimated to be about $2 million.

Tom Wang Hires SEO Expert Jacky Chou to Rank His Listings on Google

Tom Wang didn’t find success with Amazon FBA on his own. He hired SEO expert Jacky Chou to rank his Amazon listings on Google for better visibility. Hiring SEO experts is an additional cost to your business, which increases the risks. Freelance SEO specialists cost $50 to $200. The costs will depend on their skills and experience. SEO agencies offer more services but charge more. Their fees range from $99 to $2,000 per product or $450 to $1,800 per month.

In a YouTube video on his channel, Tom interviews Jacky. Jacky explains his strategy of link building and tiering backlinks. This was an effective strategy a few years ago. Backlinks are still important, although less effective on their own now after the latest Google updates. You need to make sure you are hiring an expert who is up to date on the latest strategies.

Is Amazon FBA Profitable in 2024?

Amazon FBA is profitable if you're willing to treat it like a business that requires constant care and attention. The days when you can launch a few products, sit back, and make passive income are gone. The competition is much more fierce than 4 years ago. Sellers must reinvest profits to launch more products and ads. Amazon FBA private label profit margins are 14% to 28%. This does not include marketing costs. Expect to take home only 5% to 10% of your total earnings.

You likely won't see any profit in the first few months and may even operate at a loss. There are plenty of reasons you can fail an Amazon FBA business. If you want to be profitable, you need to know the common challenges and mistakes and how to navigate them. 

Reasons Amazon FBA Sellers Fail

Jungle Scout data shows that only 17% of FBA sellers last 5+ years. This means an 83% failure rate. The primary reasons Amazon FBA sellers fail include:

  • Insufficient capital and poor financial planning. Initial investment requirements range from $10,000 to $15,000 for launching 2 to 3 products. You need ongoing monthly expenses of $1,000 to $2,000 for sustainable operations. Many sellers underestimate the true startup costs, expecting to succeed with $3,000 to $5,000.
  • Product and market issues. Quality control issues can harm customer reviews. Market saturation lowers product prices and increases ad costs. Sellers who skip product research or misread trends often have unsellable inventory.
  • Poor profit management. A common mistake among new sellers is withdrawing profits too soon. They should reinvest in their business instead. Experts recommend reinvesting all profits for the first 1-2 years. Reach $75,000 in annual income before taking substantial profits.
  • Operational challenges. The day-to-day management of an FBA business can quickly become overwhelming. Account suspensions for policy violations, slow customer service, and shipping delays can cause negative feedback and lower sales. Sellers must also deal with rising Amazon fees. All these will hurt profits and lead to failure without proper systems.

There are many more reasons why you might fail on Amazon FBA. Some successful sellers even quit. They found it unsustainable and not worth it. 7-figure seller Travis Marziani found success selling 1 product that got popular. However, he quit selling on Amazon FBA because of rising fees and difficulty scaling.

Create Low-Risk Predictable Passive Income With Local Lead Generation

Local lead generation is my recommended business that has low-risk and creates predictable passive income. Compared to Amazon FBA, you do not have to sell any products or run any advertisements. For as low as $500 in initial investment, you can create and rank your website on Google using free SEO tactics. Once your site is ranked on Google, you can rent it out to local businesses for up to $2,000+ per month.

In Amazon FBA, you need to compete for the buy box against hundreds or thousands of other sellers. You only need to outrank a handful of websites in a local lead generation business. Scaling is also as easy as repeating the rank and rent process. There is no limit to how many sites you can own, meaning you have potential earning is virtually infinite. These reasons are why local lead generation is my recommended business to create time and financial freedom.

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  1. This sounds like a pyramid scheme. In the fine print it states, not everyone will be able to make money. Their are hidden cost etc.

    1. Unfortunately with Amazon FBA, there are many factors to consider and paid traffic is getting more expensive each year. Also, lots of online programs upsell you alot and after you’ve joined their program, there are other tools and systems you may have to pay for.

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