When you’re paying thousands of pounds for a mentorship program, you’d expect your mentors to be experts, right? After all, the whole point of investing in a program like Darren Campbell’s FBA Brand Builder is to gain insider knowledge, avoid costly mistakes, and fast-track your success on Amazon.
But what if the person mentoring you is still figuring out the basics themselves?
This is the exact concern many clients have raised about Jason McKay, a key member of Darren’s team. Jason serves as a Business Development Manager and is one of the go-to points of contact for mentorship and ongoing support.
Yet, a quick look at his activity in Amazon seller forums reveals a troubling reality: Jason is still learning the ropes and asking beginner-level questions that even new sellers might know the answers to.
What Jason’s Posts Say About His Expertise
Let’s look at a few examples from Jason’s posts in seller communities, which were shared with us by concerned clients:
- Bundling Confusion
In one post, Jason asks, “When bundling items, am I better to put it all into one product box or keep them separate?”
This is a fundamental question for Amazon sellers, especially someone tasked with mentoring others. Understanding the benefits and implications of bundling—like cost efficiency, packaging logistics, and customer preferences—is something an experienced mentor should already know. - Brand Approval Roadblocks
Jason also writes, “I’m trying to get brand approval, but Amazon is saying the name is already registered. I’ve tried about five times but no joy. Is there anything I can do?”
Brand approval is a standard step in setting up an Amazon FBA business. A mentor in Jason’s position should be able to guide clients through this process seamlessly, not be stuck repeatedly failing to navigate it himself. - General Product Launch Guidance
In another post, Jason asks, “Does anyone have a template or SOP [standard operating procedure] to follow when ensuring everything is covered when launching?”
This one’s especially revealing. If Jason doesn’t have a clear launch process to share with clients, what are clients paying for when they join FBA Brand Builder?
When the Mentor Is Still Learning
These posts paint a clear picture: Jason McKay, one of the faces of mentorship at FBA Brand Builder, is still figuring out the basics of Amazon FBA. While there’s nothing wrong with asking questions or learning on the job, it’s a problem when clients are paying £6,500 upfront—and an additional £150 a month for the Growth Programme—for access to expert guidance.
A mentor in Jason’s role should be equipped to answer these questions, not be the one asking them. The fact that Jason is reaching out to seller communities for help suggests a lack of experience that undermines the credibility of FBA Brand Builder’s mentorship model.
What True Mentorship Should Look Like
Real mentorship in a program like this should go beyond surface-level tips and motivational soundbites. Here’s what clients should expect:
- Proven Expertise: Mentors should have a track record of success on Amazon, including deep knowledge of processes like product launches, PPC advertising, and account troubleshooting.
- Tailored Guidance: Every client’s business is unique. Mentors should be able to provide specific strategies based on individual challenges—not just generic advice.
- Proactive Problem-Solving: Instead of asking basic questions in forums, mentors should already know how to navigate common roadblocks and have solutions ready to share.
If you’re paying £150 a month for “ongoing support,” you shouldn’t have to wonder whether your mentor knows more than you do.
Jason’s Role in the Bigger Picture
The concerns about Jason’s qualifications tie into broader issues with the FBA Brand Builder program. From hidden costs to questionable practices, clients have repeatedly reported feeling let down by the quality of support they receive.
For instance, in FBA Brand Builder’s “Growth Programme”: Is It Really Support or Just Another Expense?, we examined how the £150 monthly fee doesn’t seem to deliver the high-level mentorship clients are promised. Instead, clients often describe receiving generic, boilerplate advice that feels like it could be found in free Facebook groups.
Similarly, in Who’s Really Running Your Ads? The Big Gaps in Darren Campbell’s FBA Brand Builder Program, we uncovered how Darren’s team lacks the expertise needed to manage critical aspects of Amazon businesses, like PPC advertising. The recurring theme? A program that overpromises and underdelivers when it comes to hands-on support.
Why This Matters
When clients sign up for FBA Brand Builder, they’re investing in more than just a training program—they’re investing in the promise of expert mentorship. Jason McKay’s posts suggest that the program may not have the level of expertise clients are led to believe they’re paying for.
This raises some important questions:
- If the mentors don’t have the experience to guide clients effectively, where is the value in the program?
- How can FBA Brand Builder justify charging £150 a month for ongoing support that’s no more advanced than the advice you’d find in a free online forum?
- Should clients really trust their business success to a team that seems to be learning on the fly?
What You Can Do
If you’re currently in the program and feel the mentorship isn’t meeting your expectations, here are some steps to take:
- Document Everything: Keep records of all communications with your mentors and any advice you’ve received. If the quality of mentorship doesn’t align with what was promised, this documentation could be crucial if you decide to pursue a refund.
- Know Your Rights: UK consumer protection laws offer strong protections against misleading practices. If the program has failed to deliver as advertised, you may have grounds to challenge the contract.
- Seek External Advice: If you’re feeling stuck, don’t hesitate to reach out to organizations like Citizens Advice or Trading Standards for guidance.
- Read More: To dive deeper into the issues with FBA Brand Builder, check out our related articles:
When Mentorship Feels Like a Learning Curve
Darren, you’ve spoken about your program being led by an expert team and vehemently claimed you’re not running a scam. But the facts paint a very different picture. That tightness in your chest, the dread that creeps in each time we publish another exposé, the anxiety as the walls close in—that’s what more than 30 people who trusted your program have shared they feel every single day. They believed in the dream you sold them, and now they’re left struggling with the aftermath.
Mentorship is supposed to be the backbone of FBA Brand Builder, yet the reality falls painfully short of the promise. With mentors like Jason McKay asking questions that scream "beginner-level knowledge," clients are justified in wondering if they’re paying for expertise—or just bankrolling someone else’s learning curve.
Let’s be real: questions like “I really hope someone can help” or prefacing with “Apologies if this is a silly question” are perfectly reasonable if you’re a beginner looking for guidance. But when you’re the mentor on a £6,500 program charging £150 a month for ongoing “expert” support? Those words take on a very different tone. It’s hard to inspire confidence in clients when the guidance they’re receiving feels less like mentorship and more like amateur hour.
If you’ve encountered similar concerns with this program, we want to hear from you. Reach out to us at [email protected]. By sharing your story, you can help others avoid the same pitfalls and hold programs like this accountable. Together, we can ensure transparency and integrity in the world of online mentorship.