Hi everyone and welcome to my review of Drop Selling Academy or DSA for short. DSA is a new cloud-based dropshipping software and training that was released near the beginning of October 2018.
As my regular readers will be aware, dropshipping is one of my favourite online business models and I will be launching a dropshipping business in the future.
Hence the reason I continually seek out new software tools and training that will help me be better prepared and give me a greater chance at success.
I have reviewed several other dropshipping tools similar to DSA like AliDropship, Oberlo and Dropified, all of which I highly recommend.
DSA has similar features to these tools and some additional training on how to start a dropshipping business.
In this review of DSA I will go through what the system offers, the upsells and if is worth purchasing.
Who Is Devid Farah?
David is the person behind this new dropshipping software and training and he is a real person.
That may seem like a weird thing to say but the last ecom product I reviewed made some ridiculous claims and not only was the author using a false persona, but I am pretty sure he wasn’t an ecom expert as claimed.
David Farrah is a real person, he has been in the eCommerce industry a few years and has been very successful running dropshipping stores.
He has only released a few products and they have all been about eCommerce, so you can be pretty confident about the information he provides.
Drop Selling Academy Review
Before I get on with the review, I just want to touch some of the claims made on the sales page, like many products that show you how to make money online, there is a lot of hype on the sales page.
I understand the need to market your product so that it sells and DSA is a good product, but there is no need to make claims like below, there is no way a newbie will be profitable with this system straight away.
I personally do not like statements like ‘copy our system’ or ‘three steps to success’ it gives the impression to newbies that its easy to succeed online by just copying other people and that is just not the case.
It is a shame about the sales page because overall this is a good product that has some weak points.
What is DSA?
DSA is a cloud-based software application which will allow you to find trending products from AliExpress and import them into your Shopify store.
I will be honest here, I didn’t purchase this product because of the software, as I stated near the beginning, there are similar apps like AliDropship and Oberlo and both have an established reputation with tons of success stories.
I did try it out the 1 Click Dropship app and it is a pretty cool, it has some good features which I will explain later but the main reason I purchased this product is that of the training and some of the bonuses they were giving out.
You will get access to 29 training videos that cover a few topics but its main focus is on how to find a profitable product to sell and how to find reliable suppliers for these products.
The training videos vary in length but that they do not overwhelm you with too much information
There were also some pretty cool bonuses that really interested me like their own private supplier database and a list of over 2000 top selling products.
One of the most time-consuming parts of starting an eCommerce business is finding profitable products to sell and finding reliable suppliers so the bonuses will come in handy for those who struggle with both.
DSA Training
This is the main reason I purchased DSA, after researching the background of the vendor and finding out that he has a background in eCommerce and has had huge success with it, I was hopeful that the training wouldn’t disappoint, and it didn’t.
Like I stated, most of the videos are all about how to find and source products for your dropshipping business.
One of the main reasons many fail with eCommerce is not doing sufficient research before they choose a product to sell.
This is the reason the majority of the videos concentrate on this aspect of dropshipping and I have to say having gone through all the videos, there is a lot of good information that will help you in finding a good product.
David basically takes you through his entire process in finding a product and sourcing those products from reliable suppliers.
It was interesting watching his videos because he was very transparent, and the videos didn’t seem scripted, he was basically thinking out loud and would tell you which products would work and which wouldn’t and the reasons why he came to those conclusions.
There are three main places he recommends for niche research they are AliExpress, Amazon and eBay.
AliExpress is where most dropshippers source their products from and he does a good job of explaining his process of identifying hot selling items to dropship.
He also shows you how to validate your product ideas by looking up similar products on Amazon and eBay and analysing how well they are selling.
What really impressed me was that there are seven videos where he researches ideas for a product, identifies one and hands it to you.
Now, seeing that there are probably thousands of other DSA members who will receive the same product ideas, I personally do not think it would be wise to start dropshipping these products for your eCommerce store.
Then again, most people will probably not take action with this information, so you may strike gold with one of his ideas.
My advice would be to analyse his process and come up with a product idea of your own, still, it was cool of him to research these products and give it away.
The final videos are all about Facebook ads and how to run a successful campaign. Facebook ads is the main traffic generation method used by the vendor and he has seen great success with it.
However, like all paid advertising methods, you can lose a lot of money very quickly. Even with guidance it is not guaranteed you will see positive ROI on your ad spend.
The videos do have some great tips on how to succeed with Facebook ads but I do wish he covered some free traffic methods as well.
1-Click Dropship App
This is the dropshipping app that they have developed over the last year and is an impressive piece of software and they spent $10,000 developing so I am pretty sure they will continually update and improve it going forward.
It has many features that will help in the day to day running of a dropshipping business.
Some of these features include;
Search and import products from AliExpress inside the app
ePacket Filter
Shopify Integration
Import unlimited products
Cloud-based software
Easy to navigate dashboard.
There is a lot of hype on the sales page around this software and a lot of exaggerated claims like ‘patented product intelligence technology‘ that will allow the app to identify winning products for you?? A bit over the top and it does no such thing.
One feature I really liked is having the ability to search and add products from Aliexpress directly from the app and also filter for products with ePacket shipping.
ePacket shipping for anyone not familiar with the term is an agreement between the USPS and Hong Kong post that allows for faster delivery of small and lightweight items from mainland China to many countries around the world.
It is the preferred shipping method for most dropshippers but AliExpress doesn’t let you filter products for ePacket delivery so having this feature will save you a lot of time.
Overall I liked the app minus the sales page hype, however, I was disappointed to learn that there was no additional training for this app.
I am a fairly technically minded person so I found my way around pretty easily but for someone completely new this app may pose a challenge to operate without any guidance.
Bonuses
One of the reasons I purchased this product was because of the bonuses they were giving out, in total there are 8 additional products you get as a bonus when you purchase DSA.
They are;
Facebook Extractor – A script that will allow you to extract information from Facebook pages and groups regarding their members and use this information to create custom audiences for Facebook ads.
WooCommerce Messenger Marketing Suite – An app that will come in handy for those who run WooCommerce stores, this app will allow them to engage with customers through Facebook messenger and send them automated messages.
Facebook Trending Post Finder – A script that you can run to find trending posts on Facebook
70 Wholesale and Dropshipping Sources – One of the reasons I purchased this was to gain access to this list of suppliers. It is hard to find reliable suppliers and wholesalers online, most of what you find are just middlemen and many are outright scammers. Most legitimate suppliers and wholesalers are known for not having websites or if they do, these sites do not rank on search engines.
2500 product ideas in 10 niches – The other bonus that caught my eye, one of the hardest parts of starting eCommerce business is finding a profitable product to sell.
The Ultimate Dropshipper – This is a series of video tutorials from one of Davids other eCom training program.
Facebook Ad Cheatsheet – Self explanatory.
Upsells
OTO1 – Click Dropship Pro – $47
1 click ordering feature plus unlimited product sales reports
OTO2 – Click Dropship Gold - $47
Import products from 8 other sources including Amazon, eBay and Wal-Mart
OtO3 – Click Dropship Platinum – $37
Another three additional online marketplaces to source products from
OTO4 – Secret Supplier Database – $27
To many upsells in my opinion and I didn’t purchase any of them, although the secret supplier database is very tempting.
Final Thoughts
I really liked the training that is provided with DSA especially the tutorials on product research and selection.
The 1-Click Dropship app is easy to use and has some very nice features, however, it has some limitations which are only solved if you purchase the upsells.
From a newbies point of view, I think they could have provided a bit more training on how to use the app plus there was no training on how to open a Shopify store which would have been for helpful for absolute newbies.
The sales page hype is also something that doesn’t sit well with me, there is no way complete newbies will be earning six figures just by following this system. Plus there is a portion on the sales page that states you will need no money to succeed with the system, this is blatantly false as the main traffic generating method is Facebook ads and that will cost you money!!
I purchased this product mainly for the training and overall, I am happy, however, I do believe there are far better dropshipping apps than the one they provide.
If you are interested in operating a dropshipping business, check out my review on the following products
AliDropship – A fantastic WordPress plugin that has many automation features, plus there is a huge range of training and resources to help you get started with dropshipping.
Oberlo – The no.1 dropshipping app on the Shopify marketplace.
Dropified – A very similar app to Oberlo but Dropified is also compatible with Commerce HQ and WooCommerce.
So, have you tried DSA and the 1 Click Dropship app? Would love to hear your thoughts on it.
I have always been interested in drop shipping but honestly I have no clue where to start or how to get anything done. I dont want to spend a bunch of money to make money. Much of the stuff you write in the article makes sense but it just doesn’t feel like this soft ware is for me. I would welcome some advice on how to get started
Hi Dale
Dropshipping is one of my recommended ways to make money online, check out this article on how to start a dropshipping business.
All the best
I have tried dropshipping websites so many times in the past but could never get it right, I mean, I was never sure if you needed to write content on every product that you have on your online store, as the saying goes ‘Content is King’ but I have heard different variations on how to construct a successful drop shipping website but nothing has ever worked for me.
Do you think that I could get DSA for myself and start earning a proper living rather than struggle?
The bonuses alone look like they could help tremendously so I’m half tempted to go fir it just for them
Hi Matthew
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, as a newbie I will be honest and say there is little chance of success just from this training, however, everyone is different and you will never know until you try.
I think DSA can give you a lot of valuable information regarding product research which is very important but it could improve the training for newbies.
All the best
Hi Minhaj,
I really like your honesty in this review. I like it when someone has already tried a product and knows how it works before reviewing it. Because in this way, you’re able to give your readers thorough review of the product you’re talking about. Not like writing what other people are saying, whether it is true or not.
I think this product is worth it especially for those who are already into the drop shipping business and have some sort of experience. However, a newbie like me would not buy something that will be difficult to use, since you mentioned that the training does not include how to set up a Shopify store.
Above all, I personally don’t like using paid ads at all, since I often don’t see good result when I do. Well, the product looks good though, but I think the hypes and up-sells are too much for me to consider buying it.
Thanks a lot for your honest review and above all, your good advice.
Stephen.
Hi Stephen
I appreciate your comments, I agree with you, this product is good for people who already have an idea on how to set up a dropshipping store and do not mind playing around with the app to find out how it works.
I think newbies will find a lot of the video content well worth it but they will struggle setting up an ecommerce store from this training. Paid ads are also very risky if you are on a tight budget and have never run a PPC campaign before.
Thanks for your comment and all the best
I’ve looked at drop-shipping, probably for a year on and off, just picking up bits of info from the web but I haven’t bought any How To products. I realise that I need a proper guide. I can’t put everything together just from what I’ve read 🙁
However, I am wary of these digital products because most have hidden upsells which I think is deceitful and it really puts me off. I really appreciate the fact that you list the upsells. If the sellers did that I’d think them far more honest. The fact that you need to pay more to unlock thall the features of the app is terrible!
Bottom line, though, is that you don’t seem to recommend this for newbies. I will check out your other links but is there a product you CAN recommend for a newbie to get started in drop-shipping?
Thank you for the info,Ian
Hi Ian
Thanks for commenting, I think it will be beneficial for newbies but the training is not comprehensive enough, it does not go over the basics of how to open a Shopify store, where to purchase a domain name from, how to negotiate with suppliers etc.
If you want a good dropshipping training program, check out Store Coach.
All the best
Hi, Minhaj! I have been reading about how dropshiping works, and have found it very interesting. I’m convinced it’s an excellent way to start building my business online. I have explored other alternatives, such as network marketing, affiliate marketing and I have made my decision for dropshipping.
I have read a bit about Drop Selling Academy and as I started to dig in dipper, I have found your post! Your review is just what I needed. Thank you very much!
I greatly appreciate your honesty describing this product. The sales page would have made me frown. But thankfully you have unveiled the pros and cons and I’m satisfied with your description. I take it that there are better dropshipping services than Drop Selling Academy, but DSA is particularly useful because of it’s training.
I am new to dropshipping. And I need your advice. Would you recommend I start with DSA and absorb all the training they deliver? Or should I start with another service and search for training in another place? Thanks in advance.
Hi Henry
Thanks for your comment, DSA is a good product and the training they have will be beneficial for everyone, its just on the sales page they claim that they system will let newbies become successful eCommerce entrepreneurs when that is just not the case.
If want a more well rounded training program I suggest you check out the following articles;
Store Coach
AliDropship
Oberlo
Dropified
All the best