My overall review of Paul Lipsky is that he knows how to make money with dropshipping on eBay or Facebook marketplace. He's well known as the king of eBay drop shipping. And what started as a side hustle in 2018 has morphed into over $2.5 million in earnings.
But Paul Lipsky teaches retail arbitrage. The buying and reselling items from retail sites (like Walmart and Home Depot) on established platforms. The goal of the business model is to source and buy discounted items. Then resell them on sites (like eBay) but at a higher price to make a profit. But dropshipping on third-party platforms has one of the lowest profit margins of any online business model. So if you're looking for an alternate way to generate a digital income, starting a lead generation business might be a better choice in 2024.
Paul is best known for his eBay Dropshipping Titans course. And he has the largest YouTube channel dedicated to eBay drop shipping. Paul also has methods that teach students how to dropship on platforms like Amazon and Facebook Marketplace. Unfortunately, his Amazon Dropshipping Titans course is not currently available (due to changes in the platform's policies).
Paul's most recent course, Facebook Marketplace Dropshipping Titans (like his Amazon Titans Dropshipping course but on Facebook). Shows people how to use the Facebook platform to dropship merchandise. You'll save money on paid ads and take advantage of a platform with existing customers.
Paul has an easy teaching style. Plus, he offers a lot of value in his training programs. For example, Paul breaks down his processes step-by-step, which is perfect for beginners. In addition, he presents as transparent and honest both as a course creator and marketer. Plus, he's taught over ten thousand students and has hundreds of success stories.
The slippery slope of the dropshipping business model…
Dropshipping is a simple way to sell products online. This low-cost business venture is a way to make money without owning inventory. You don't need to shell out a lot of upfront capital or have a ton of overhead expenses. Instead, you list a product to sell. A customer purchases the item, and a third-party supplier fulfills the order on your behalf. You're not out of pocket or even need to touch the merchandise. You just list items at a mark-up and walk away with a profit.
But the business model has undergone a tremendous transformation, and the old methods of listing a ton of cheap items or low-quality products from China don't work anymore. If you want to be successful with this business model, you need to be the best marketer. That means you need to jump on trends before they become saturated and design better creatives with an angle that differentiates your store from the competition.
In 2024, drop shipping is about filling a void in the market or tapping into consumer pain points. But it's also about fast shipping, building trust with your target audience, and providing a stellar customer experience.
The business model still works, but it's more competitive than ever. Advertising on Facebook is expensive, with cost-per-click rates depleting the already thin profit margins. It's also becoming increasingly challenging to find fast shipping and reliable suppliers. Add to the mix that it's so easy for another drop shipper to come in-steal your creatives. Undercut your price point and outsell you out of your own market.
For drop shippers interested in an alternate solution or a method that's not the traditional style but can still make money online (with less aggravation). Marketplace drop shipping might be your answer. Paul Lipsky's courses teach people how to sell on trusted platforms. Sites with a pre-existing consumer base and a working system. Paul shares his dropship blueprint on how to take advantage of these sites and tap into customers looking for convenience.
But Paul's training is based on retail arbitrage. The buying and reselling of items from a retailer like Walmart or Home Depot. So you need to be constantly on the hunt for discounted or sale items that you can sell for a higher price tag. Far from passive-either you're doing the work or need to hire someone to do it for you. Retail arbitrage also means that you're working with super thin profit margins. So you need to sell a large quantity to see substantial earnings.
Paul Lipsky Pros & Cons
Pros
Mastermind Facebook group with over 4000 members.
Weekly live streams & FAQs every Tuesday on his YouTube channel.
30-day moneyback guarantee for every course.
Numerous success stories & testimonials on his site.
Cons
Retail arbitrage is not a passive income business model-it takes a lot of time and effort.
Paul often overexplains common-sense steps without giving enough substance to the money-making angles of the business model.
Inconsistent claims about revenue.
Paul Lipsky’s Story
Paul Lipsky went from a clock-punching corporate attorney stuck in the 9-5 grind looking to supplement his income. To a 'self-dictated and self-motivated million-dollar dropshipper.'
Paul began his drop shipping journey in 2018 and, after much trial and error, developed a system that worked so well that he generated $2.5 million in sales in two years. Now a YouTube sensation with over 88,000 subscribers. Paul is also an Influencer, business coach, and course creator who has published three marketplace dropshipping online training programs.
Paul Joseph Lipsky appears to be a man of honesty and integrity, sharing value-both free and paid. He’s taught over 10,000 students on his quest to pay it forward. Many online reviews portray Paul as 'shady' and dishonest. But reviews from students on and off his website are positive.
Paul teaches his personal methods on how to be successful with marketplace drop shipping. And while this dropshipping style isn't as popular as Shopify dropshipping or Amazon FBA. Student testimonials prove that people are making some serious coin with the information taught in Paul’s programs.
What Is Paul Lipsky Marketplace Titans?
Marketplace Dropshipping is a way to 'ethically' tap into a pre-existing system and utilize an established platform-one with millions of purchase-ready consumers. With Marketplace dropshipping, you don't need to create a Shopify store or rely on paid advertising. But you're walking a fine line around platform TOS and compliance.
So your account could be shut down or permanently banned. Paul does teach methods to circumvent problems. He also shares tips on keeping your account in good standing. Paul also advises that the key to owning a semi-automated and profitable drop shipping business is based on product research, and he teaches a three-step process:
- Souring items in a specified price range.
- Finding a reliable supplier with fast shipping times.
- How to find proven products that are already selling well on other online sites.
Paul Lipsky offers three marketplace drop shipping courses. Each one provides in-depth training on how to dropship from a specific platform. Paul's course list includes:
eBay Dropshipping Titans:
Training designed to teach people how to dropship on eBay. Including what retail suppliers to use and Paul's list of top-selling product suggestions. Paul's Dropshipping Titans program offers 75 On-Demand Training Videos and 10 full-scale educational modules. Students also have access to downloadable PDFs and scripts. A one-time charge of $297 or three payments of $127 (equaling $381). You can read my full Dropshipping Titans Review for more info.
Amazon Titans:
Is 10 modules for $597. (Or you can grab his free mini-course). Amazon Dropshipping is an easy yet powerful business model that focuses on a platform where people spend a ton of money, and is a potential goldmine for drop shippers.
But Paul quit Amazon dropshipping effective October 2021. Here's why...
According to Lipsky, Amazon's return policy only works well if you use their fulfillment system. So for third-party sellers that don't use Amazon services, it can be a nightmare. Amazon was approving returns and sending products to the dropshippers home address. So drop shippers not only had to foot the bill for shipping. But were required to ship the item to their supplier.
The other issue Paul had was with a-z claims. Not a problem for Amazon FBA drop shippers. But for others, these claims are apparently crushing sellers' metrics, with Amazon closing them quickly and typically in the buyers' favor. Add in issues with tracking numbers and changes to their policies, and the platform has become increasingly challenging to navigate.
Paul Lipsky advised his viewers that he’s tired and taking a break from Amazon dropshipping. So the course is temporarily closed. But Paul promises he'll be back (there's too much opportunity on the platform to be done for good).
Facebook Marketplace Titans:
A step-by-step guide on how to set up a Facebook Marketplace account. Learn how to create and optimize listings and conduct product research in 7 core click-by-click video training modules.
Paul also shares his list of suppliers and 'backward' product research method. He reveals his top profit hacks (this is the stuff he's not sharing for free on his YouTube channel). The cost of the course is three payments of $197/month or a one-time fee of $497.
Paul also offers a Chrome Extension to automate some of the copy and paste parts of the process. Affectionately referred to as the Titan’s Marketplace Helper. You can access it with this link: Dropshipping Titans Marketplace.
SUMMARY
Paul shares a ton of value in his Facebook dropshipping course content. For beginners, his step-by-step training style is easy to follow. But, again, retail arbitrage is a ton of effort for minimal payouts. So you need to be able to find products at a discount and be willing to settle for marginal profits. But that means you need to sell a ton of stuff if marketplace drop shipping is going to be more than just a side hustle.
Yes, you're using trusted sites. Yes, people love convenience. But there are also many more consumers who take the time to price shop. Customers that don't care how optimized your listing is if someone else is selling the item for cheaper. So while the content Paul delivers is on-point. Unfortunately, this style of drop shipping may be more work than you bargained on.
Positive Reviews Of Paul Lipsky
Brian Williams is a student in Paul's eBay Dropshipping Titans program, and he shares a video testimonial on Paul's website. Brian had been drop shipping for four months and had taken other dropshipping courses.
But his dropshipping business wasn't doing well. After taking Paul's training, his drop shipping business improved dramatically. And Brian reports that it was because of the content and information he learned in the course. Brian is currently making over $100,000/month in sales while working a 9-5.
Renae is a YouTube influencer with over 135K subscribers. She and her team took Paul's Dropshipping Titans training at the start of the pandemic in 2020. (To help people find ways to make money online while laid off from their jobs). Renae tried a bunch of things. But in a video, she tells her viewers how she made money using Paul's step-by-step strategies and that it was the only 'make-money-online' idea she tried that worked.
Negative Reviews Of Paul Lipsky
Finding negative reviews about Paul Lipsky or his courses was a challenge. There are a ton of reviews done by websites promoting their business models taking potshots at Paul and his programs. But many of them are regurgitating the exact information. (Just wording it differently to appease the SERPs).
We uncovered comments from a site indicating that the method Paul teaches is flawed. But none of the commenters had taken one of Paul Lipsky's courses, and we couldn't find one negative comment from a student who took Paul's course.
Even feedback on his YouTube channel is positive. Any negative posts are around concerns with the business model or account bans and not insults or dissatisfaction with Paul or his courses.
SUMMARY
Paul appears to be the real deal and has a solid online reputation. While his program teaches a style of drop shipping that's challenging, the information he shares is solid.
The consensus from people who have interacted with Paul-or purchased one of his courses is positive. So while there are negative reviews online, the focus is less on Paul and more on the business model itself.
Does Dropshipping Work On 3rd Party Platforms?
Dropshipping on a third-party platform works and can make you money because the customers are already there. You don't need to pay for ads with marketplace drop shipping because the platform handles all advertising costs. But you need to be patient and scale at a healthy rate. You won't make a ton of money when you first start. (This is the time to learn-build up your systems).
The key is to add items systemically. (No spamming thousands of products all at once). Do your product research and list high-caliber items. Products that are selling on other sites and will sell well. But you need to fill orders quickly, upload tracking numbers, and provide excellent customer service. Just like you would with your drop shipping store.
Pro Tip:
Marketplaces will always protect themselves and their customers. They don't like adding too many items at once, poor customer service, or an influx of complaints and negative reviews.
Dropshipping on third-party platforms like eBay and Facebook can work. But you need to take the time to learn the business model and keep your account in good standing. Be on-point with your pricing, and use software to expedite your processes.
Is Paul Joseph Lipsky A Scam?
Paul Lipsky isn't a scam. He sells online courses that teach people how to make money with retail arbitrage on popular platforms like eBay and Facebook. If you pay for the program, you receive the materials and that does not equate to scamming. Paul also shows up every Tuesday for live Q&As on his YouTube channel and is active in his Facebook and Mastermind groups.
The business model Paul teaches might be questionable. (Primarily because it's as close as you can get to violating the TOS of these platforms without flagrant non-compliance). It's also based on a system where you need to sell mass inventory quantities for marginal payouts. But as a course creator-Paul Lipsky's legit.
My Final Thoughts On Paul Lipsky
Paul Lipsky has been fine-tuning his marketplace drop shipping techniques since 2018. Paul's teaching style is thorough, and what he lacks in a PowerPoint presentation. He more than makes up for in the value he shares. The issue here is not with Paul Lipsky or his courses. The problem is the business model.
Drop shipping is a low-barrier entry business venture. So it's super competitive. Marketplace dropshipping deals with the buying and reselling of goods. So not only is it competitive, but it requires a ton of work for next to no profits. While it's true that the customers are already there and convenience might trump price. Marketplace drop shipping isn't the best online business. primarily because it requires so much effort for minuscule returns.
Do I think that people make money with this concept? Yes-of course. And for people looking for the complete a-z on how to start a drop shipping business-Paul Lipsky's your guy. But if you want to make real money online. This business model would not be my first choice.
Here’s Why Local Lead Generation Is Easier…
If you're interested in a business that offers higher returns without worrying about TOS or account bans. Or one where you're not spending hours sourcing discounted items or dealing with unreliable suppliers. You might want to consider local lead generation.
It's a business model that focuses on acquiring leads for local businesses with websites you build and rank. And helps local business owners grow their companies.
