Kale and Taylor have been running ads for four years now promoting Nine University. They sell courses, coaching, tools, software, and services to help you start and scale your own Amazon FBA business. Are they legit or a scam? How much does Nine University cost? What is their refund policy? What are people saying on Reddit, BBB, Trustpilot, and Quora? Read on.
NEXT: How This Compares To Amazon FBA
It’s interesting, Nine University used to be a single course. The price was anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 to enroll. Once in, they’d try to upsell you a $10,000 to $15,000 mastermind. Taylor and Kale made millions selling it this way. But their success would become their downfall. Making money hand over fist, Taylor and Kale began running their awkward ads harder and harder. Cringey as they were, it worked. Sales skyrocketed to several million a month.
Then one day, the internet decided it had had enough. Skeptics and unhappy students said Nine University was a scam. A ripoff. A bunch of half-baked ideas about making money with Amazon FBA that you could find for free all over the web. Worse, they accused Kale and Taylor of planting fake five star reviews and deleting negative ones. It got so bad, Nine University seemingly closed up shop for a while. They just kind of disappeared, turned all their ads off, and let the new wave of Amazon gurus take over.
Now they’re reemerging with their same old ads (“Oh wait, I’m in an alley in Pittsburgh getting outta my Volkswagen Golf”) but an entirely new monetization model. Today, when you go to Nine University’s website, there’s a much more corporate feel. Their team has expanded. Along with their product line. Now they’ve got:
- Nine University Custom
- Boost Nine
- Zoom Consulting
- Honey Badger Boost
- Fast Track
- Academy
- Masterminds
Basically, anything anyone doing Amazon FBA could ever need, at just about every price point, from a few bucks (for a small, specialized course) on up to tens of thousands of dollars (for done-for-you solutions). I like the move for two reasons. One, with a more diverse offering, they can serve (and thus profit from) more people. Two, it’s sort of a big middle finger to everyone on Reddit, Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, Quora, YouTube, etc., who called Kale and Taylor frauds. Right? Because now Nine University isn’t just this get rich quick program.
So it was a smart business move for them. But what about their customers? What should you, as a potential Nine University buyer, be on the lookout for? First and foremost, I would be concerned about quality. With so many new solutions, you have to wonder if Kale and Taylor really put the right team and systems in place to make sure each product and service can stand on its own. Or did they just slop a bunch of stuff together and outsource it to some of their favorite Nine University members?
Also, expect upsells. For example, say you buy Mining For Gold, a down-and-dirty Amazon product research course, for $147. It’s one of many snack-sized e-learning programs they have listed on their Nine U Academy website. Surely, once you’re inside, you’ll be blasted with time-sensitive offers for complimentary courses, slick software, and premium priced services. If you’re not careful, you could still wind up with a massive credit card bill, courtesy of the Nine University marketing machine.
Last, is Amazon FBA even something you want to do? Or would your time, energy, and money be better spent pursuing a different business altogether? Perhaps ours. There’s no products, shipping, or support. No one at Amazon telling you what you can and can’t do. A fraction of the competition. Way more leverage. And you can take pride in what you’re selling. See below.
ALTERNATIVE: Make Tiny Websites, Rent Them Out Monthly
