TLDR – What’s The Verdict On Marvin Leonard’s Wholesale Underground
Alright, let’s keep it short & sweet. Is Marvin Leonard’s Wholesale Underground worth your time and money?
Well, probably not.
Sure, Amazon wholesale can be profitable, but don’t kid yourself—it’s not the goldmine it used to be. Expect to shell out between $5K & $15K just to get started. You’ll need cash for inventory, Amazon fees, product samples, ads, and more. Yep, it’s pricey!
Then, brace yourself for the product hunt. Finding that winning product might take months. And once you do, you’ll need to throw money at ads to drum up sales.
Don’t get too excited about your first ad campaign, though; it might flop, & you’ll have to tweak and test to get it right. Even if you start seeing sales, don’t expect to swim in profit in the long run. Low margins are the name of the game, and running ads ain’t cheap.
Keeping your inventory and prices updated is another headache. Constantly chatting with suppliers and making sure Amazon’s warehouses have your stuff is crucial. Mess it up, and you’re waving goodbye to potential profits.
Oh, & don’t forget: Amazon can suspend your account whenever they feel like it. One day you’re in business, the next day—you’re not. Lovely, right?
Sure, Amazon wholesaling can make you money, but it’s no cakewalk to get there and definitely not passive. If you’re looking for something easier and less nerve-wracking, check out the digital rental method.
Instead of hustling physical products, you build simple websites for local businesses and get them ranked on Google.
These sites are like prime-location billboards, generating leads that you can sell at a sweet 85% margin. Plus, you can rent out these sites to businesses that need them. Win-win!
Is Wholesale Underground Right For You?
This Wholesale Underground review intends to help you determine whether or not Wholesale Underground is a good match.
Wholesale Underground could be a great fit if:
- You already have an Amazon FBA store and want to dive into wholesaling.
- You’ve got some extra cash and are eager to start your own business like Amazon wholesale.
But, it might not be for you if:
- You like to verify a program’s reputation with public feedback. Wholesale Underground doesn’t have ratings on Trustpilot or BBB.
- You want to avoid fierce competition. With 9.7 million sellers on Amazon, standing out is tough and often requires smart marketing or paid ads.
- You’d like big profit margins. The various fees that Amazon charges can cut into your earnings, especially if you’re selling lower-priced products.
Explore our comprehensive list of the top Amazon FBA Courses & Gurus for additional guidance
Wholesale Underground Review: A 1,000 FT View
| Program | Wholesale Underground |
| Owner | Marvin Leonard |
| Price | starts at $497 |
| Refund Policy | 35 day action-based refund policy |
| Website | https://the-wholesale-underground.mykajabi.com/twu-2-0 |
Business Model
Wholesale Underground uses the Amazon FBA business model. This means you buy products directly from manufacturers at wholesale prices & then sell them on Amazon for a profit.
The profit margins are usually between 15%-20%, but your earnings will depend on the products you choose, the costs, your advertising spend, & how many sales you make.
You don’t need an LLC to start, but you will need some initial money to buy inventory, pay Amazon Seller fees, and cover advertising costs.
Some sellers leave Amazon’s selling platform because it’s expensive to maintain, takes time to see returns, has complicated rules, or they struggle to find profitable products. The workload can be high, and patience is key.
By using applications such as JungleScout, ZonGuru, Helium 10, & AMZScout, you can make managing your Amazon business simpler & more efficient.
| Area | Score | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Time Investment | 2/5 | Setting up and managing an Amazon FBA store requires significant time and ongoing effort. |
| Level Of Control | 1/5 | You have limited control over your business, as Amazon’s rules and policies govern it. |
| Ease Of Implementation | 2/5 | Implementing Amazon FBA can be challenging due to the need for thorough research & constant adjustments. |
| Profit Potential | 3/5 | While profitable, reaching significant earnings can be slow and requires substantial investment. |
About The Guru – Marvin Leonard
Marvin Leonard is an online entrepreneur with an inspiring story. His parents immigrated from Mexico to the United States. Finances were always limited when he was a child.
Uncertain of his future plans, he enrolled at a community college following graduation from high school. At 21, he joined the police academy.
Marvin eventually became a detective, earning $80K a year—a pretty secure job. But working overtime, weekends, and holidays made him feel like he had no life.
Everything changed when he saw a video by Graham Stephan about passive income. That video lit a fire in him.
He started diving into business content and, on April 30, 2018, decided to quit his detective job to get into wholesale. Since then, he hasn’t looked back. Marvin’s drive comes from wanting to provide for his wife and newborn baby.
How To Do Amazon Arbitrage According To Marvin Leonard
Marvin Leonard’s Key Strategies This Year
- Tools: Marvin recommends arming yourself with the right tools for your affiliate arbitrage business. Check out Keepa for data analysis, Seller Amp for crunching profit-and-loss numbers, and IP Alert to dodge intellectual property headaches.
- Product Research: Get into data to predict which products will sell like hotcakes and avoid the duds. Marvin stresses the importance of this wholesale formula: understanding price trends and keeping an eye on your competition.
- Avoid Price Tanking: Be wary of sudden price hikes that might drop back to normal in a few weeks. Watch for products with a growing number of sellers—that’s often a red flag for an impending price drop.
- Product Sourcing: Try techniques like storefront stocking to quickly identify profitable products to sell.
- Increase Margins: Boost your profits by using cashback sites and discount gift cards, which can give you an edge over standard discounts.
- Understand Amazon’s Gating Policies: Get familiar with Amazon’s restrictions on selling certain products. Make sure you have the necessary documentation and understand the ungating process.
- Manage Order Cancellations: Learn why orders get canceled and how to reduce this issue. Use various payment methods & don’t hesitate to contact customer support for assistance.
- Inventory Management and Repricing: Use automated repricing tools to stay competitive & inventory management tools to keep track of and optimize your stock levels.
- Shipping, Prepping, and Prep Centers: Start by handling your own shipping and inventory prep to get a feel for the process. Gradually transition to using prep centers in tax-free states to cut costs and streamline logistics.
Issues Amazon Sellers Might Face According to Marvin
- Intellectual Property Issues: The risk of IP complaints is higher in online arbitrage. Tools like IP Alert can help you avoid brands notorious for filing these complaints.
- Product Blocking: Getting ungated in certain categories and brands can be a hassle and might require documentation that’s not easy to obtain.
- Order Cancellations: Learn why orders get canceled and develop strategies to mitigate this issue. Use different payment methods and contact customer support for help.
How Much Does Wholesale Underground Cost?
Wholesale Underground costs $497 for the 3-month membership and $747 for the 6-month membership.
There’s a 35-day action-based refund policy. To get your money back, you need to:
- Complete the training
- Set up a professional Amazon seller account
- Establish a legal business structure
- Open a wholesale account with a supplier
- Show proof that you’ve scanned and researched at least one inventory list using their analyzing software
If you meet these criteria, you can request a refund.
What’s My Personal Opinion On Wholesale Underground?
If you’ve been following my journey on The In Between, you know I’ve dived into various programs, including Wholesale Underground. My insights come from firsthand experience with this course.
Here’s the thing: Platforms like Reddit and Trustpilot are often packed with negative comments, usually from folks with complaints. But just because someone had a bad experience doesn’t automatically mean the course is a scam.
To cut through the noise, keep these points in mind:
- Check the Guru’s Real-World Experience: Does Marvin Leonard have legit experience in the Amazon FBA world?
- Look for Support and Coaching: A good support system, like a private Facebook group, is essential for navigating business challenges.
- Consider What You Get for Your Money: It’s not just about the price; look at the value in terms of videos, templates, and bonuses.
- Check for Transparency: Is the course clear about costs, upsells, and extras?
- Look at Financial Success Stories: Public testimonials are helpful, but remember, they don’t always tell the whole story.
Additionally, I have reviewed the Private Label Squad course. Explore templates designed to kickstart your Amazon FBA journey, although success isn’t assured given the competitive nature of the industry.
Also, I have reviewed Dropship Unlocked. Dive into a step-by-step guide for launching an eCommerce venture, complete with live Q&A support, but be prepared for a potentially lengthy and complicated signup process.
My Recommendation On Wholesale Underground
Now, let’s apply these criteria to Wholesale Underground.
The Positive Side:
- If you put in the effort & stay committed, there’s a good chance you’ll recoup your investment.
- The Amazon wholesale setup, while challenging, is doable.
- Marvin’s real-world experience is a strong positive.
- The private Facebook community is a valuable resource.
Why I Don’t Recommend Wholesale Underground:
- High Competition: Amazon sees over 3,700 new sellers daily. The competition is fierce, leading to price wars for the Buy Box and potential financial losses. This also means spending more time and money perfecting ad strategies.
- Up-Front Costs: Starting with Amazon wholesale requires a hefty investment of $5,000 to $15,000 for inventory, supplier test orders, seller fees, and advertising. Profits can take months to over a year to materialize.
- Time-Consuming Product Research: Constantly finding the next profitable product is a major time sink. Products may have short-lived success, leading to continuous research and making consistent monthly income tough to achieve.
- Expensive Paid Traffic: Increased competition is driving up ad rates on social media platforms, making it more difficult to sustain profitable advertising tactics.
- Risk of Excess Inventory: If sales do not happen, you may wind up with excess inventory, requiring you to sell at a breakeven or loss, creating a substantial business risk.
Looking for an alternative that doesn’t require inventory or physical products? Check this out.
Is There A Wholesale Underground Scam?
So, here’s the burning question: Is Wholesale Underground a scam?
Short answer is no. They’re not just going to swipe your money & disappear.
Yeah, you can make some cash with the program, but it’s not as breezy as Marvin Leonard might have you believe. Thinking about diving into Amazon FBA? It’s a decent option if you have some spare change and aren’t in a rush to see your money boomerang back to you.
Small Fit Business says about 70% of newbies spend three months just setting up shop. Also, Lifestyle Business found that a whopping 10% of sellers might wait one to two years before they start seeing any real profit.
So, just like any FBA journey, you’re signing up for a ton of upfront work with no guarantee of success at the end.
But here’s a crazy idea: What if you spent those three months kicking off a few digital rental properties instead? You could be making $500 to $2,000 a month, and you might even get rolling faster than that—I got started in just two weeks with Digital Rental Method.
The best part? You’re not tied down. With just an internet connection, you can run this gig from anywhere, living that dream laptop lifestyle. I’ve got friends absolutely killing it with Digital Rental Method while living their best lives:
- Taking yoga retreats in Bali
- Chasing Northern Lights in Iceland
- Living the urban nomad life in Tokyo
For them, it’s all about enjoying life first and thinking about money second. They can take a break and still make money. It’s all about making happiness the main goal.
What’s Inside Wholesale Underground?
Chapter 1: The Essentials
Marvin kicks off with an intro to the course, showing you exactly what you need to start your business.
You’ll learn which documents are necessary for international sales and how to navigate your Wholesale seller account. Plus, he breaks down the key terms you’ll encounter in this business.
Chapter 2: Without a Strong Foundation, Your Empire Will Fall
Marvin gets into the “Buy Box” – the coveted spot next to Amazon products where customers can click “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now.”
He shares top strategies for competitive pricing & introduces you to essential tools that save money, cut down research time, & help you make smarter decisions about which products to sell.
Chapter 3: Everything You Need to Know About Suppliers
Learn all about authorized suppliers and where to find them. Marvin provides critical questions to ask during vetting, a list of the best suppliers that sell brand products, and advice on connecting with them. He also warns you about which products to avoid and why, helping you dodge costly mistakes.
Chapter 4: Relationships & Ungating
Discover the importance of staying in touch with your suppliers’ sales reps and learn how to navigate Amazon’s category restrictions.
Marvin offers strategies to ensure you’re not gated from selling in specific categories, like grocery and gourmet categories, to broaden your product options.
Chapter 5: Payments & Shipments
This chapter is all about logistics. Marvin guides you through placing and paying for your first order, choosing between small parcel delivery (SPD) and less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments, and deciding whether to use third-party prep companies.
You’ll also learn about creating shipments and sending inventory to one or multiple warehouses, as well as bundling different products into one listing.
Chapter 6: Extra Knowledge Bombs
Marvin wraps up by showing you how to expand your product listings to more platforms like Etsy, Craigslist, Bonanza, and eBid to drive more traffic and boost sales.
He also covers how to get more reviews using services like FeedbackFive and offers tips on hiring virtual assistants to scale your business, including costs and what to automate.
Bonuses:
- The Master of Money: Tips to boost your profits.
- Ungating Guides: How to ungate yourself in the Grocery, Gourmet, & Toys categories.
You’ll have the tools & knowledge to launch & scale your Amazon FBA business when you finish this course.
Conclusion: To Buy Or Not To Buy Wholesale Underground
Nope, I wouldn’t recommend buying Wholesale Underground.
Making money on Amazon, even with brand-name products, isn’t as easy as it was five years ago. The startup costs are high, & finding a profitable product can take months.
Once you do find one, creating ads to generate traffic and sales is a whole new headache, filled with trial and error. The first ads might flop, so you’ll be constantly tweaking and testing. Even when you start getting sales, the profit margins are slim.
It’s an expensive and time-consuming grind. Honestly, it’s a bit too much hassle for those tiny profits.
What’s The Best Way To Make Money Online In 2024?
Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of different ways to run an online business. I have sold everything, from resistance bands on Amazon FBA to decorative pillows on Shopify.
There isn’t a single best way to run a business, but I’ve found one that works really well: the Digital Rental Method.
This method works for everyone, no matter how much knowledge or experience you have. Even if you’ve never made a dollar online before, this is the most effective way to make substantial income today.
Here’s why this model stands out:
1. Flexibility and Time Investment
You don’t have to quit your job to start with the Digital Rental Method. Even working an hour a day can make a big difference. It takes time to see results, but small, consistent efforts add up.
Picture yourself traveling to Greece, Bali, or Tokyo while collecting checks worth $500 to $2,000. Sounds amazing, right? With semi-passive income, you won’t have to choose between time & money.
On the other hand, Amazon FBA requires a significant upfront time investment to set up your store, source products, & manage inventory. You need to constantly monitor & adjust to stay competitive, making it a full-time commitment from day one.
2. Ownership and Control
With Amazon FBA, you don’t really own your business. Amazon can change its terms or fees anytime, impacting your business.
As a digital renter, you have full control and ownership over your assets. There’s no middleman dictating your operations.
3. Ongoing Expenses
Amazon FBA has high ongoing costs, including seller fees, storage fees, & costs for ads & promotions. You also need to invest in inventory & handle returns and refunds.
With the Digital Rental Method, ongoing expenses are much lower. Once your digital properties are set up, costs are minimal, usually limited to hosting and domain fees. There are no inventory costs or hefty platform fees eating into your profits.
4. Scalability
Scaling with Amazon FBA can be tough due to high competition and the need for significant capital to buy more inventory and manage ads. Growth can be slow and requires constant reinvestment.
The best part about the Digital Rental Method? It’s basically copy-and-paste. Once you’ve set up your first digital rental property, you can duplicate it and find another “tenant” in a day or two, doubling your income with little effort.
5. Big Profits
With FBA, you face a lot of competition, making traffic expensive. Unlike branded products with slim margins, Digital Landlordship offers nearly 100% profit margins with minimal startup costs.
Each digital rental property can generate up to $2k per month in passive income. Adding more properties means more income with minimal effort. You won’t need to spend a fortune on ads or driving traffic, making it an ideal choice for higher profits.
6. Making an Impact
Wholesale Underground has you selling products for profit, not necessarily helping people. While making money is cool, it can feel empty in the long run.
With the Digital Rental Method, you’re helping real people. As a Digital Landlord, you’re connecting local businesses with customers, helping them grow while supporting struggling families. Plus, you both get paid, so it’s a win-win!
Ultimately, the Digital Rental Method is the best way to create a positive impact and feel good about what you’re doing.
You could spend forever researching without taking action. Or, you can take a step forward and think about what you truly want out of life.
Join a program that turns dreams into reality, just like it has for 2,000+ students who’ve discovered the Digital Rental Method.
With the right strategy, you can create a steady, reliable, and semi-passive income stream that doesn’t require much time or effort.
So, instead of exploring other FBA programs like Wholesale Underground, choose the Digital Rental Method and start making a real difference. You’ll gain financial freedom while helping businesses grow!
Find out how you can make passive income through the Digital Rental Method here.
