National Association of Professional Women

The balance of the fee was refunded. Transaction references are [redacted] and [redacted].

We are sorry that[redacted]’s experience with the NAPW has been less than ideal – we do striveto provide our members with resources and benefits to enhance and improve theirlives, both personal and professional.  We encourage and expect ourmembers to avail themselves of those...

benefits and to contact us with anyquestions or problems regarding their memberships. Members who do take the timeto explore and take advantage of the myriad resources available will findtremendous value in being a member of the NAPW. Our members are entitled to betreated with utmost respect and empathy, and every person on the NAPW team istrained to work with our members to resolve any issues; however, there areprotocols and policies which must be followed.  These policies are companywideand all of our team members are required to follow them. [redacted] authorized the June *, 2015 charge reflecting her annual membershipdues.  During her initial enrollmentinterview, our representative went over the membership, beginning with the mostcomprehensive package – part of the goal of the interview is to determine thebest package to fit the member’s goals and budget. We want them to get themaximum benefits for the money, which is why they offer the options in theorder they do.  Ourrepresentative also explained that NAPW uses an automatic renewal process,designed to protect [redacted]’s enrollment in and uninterrupted access to thebenefits provided by NAPW and its business partners.  Prior to concluding the interview, ourrepresentative specifically informed [redacted] that her annual membershipwould automatically renew.  [redacted]had the opportunity to opt out of our automatic renewal program at that time. However,in light of the fact that [redacted] was unable to contact us by mail becauseour new website did not provide this at the time, we have issued a credit for athebalance of her fee to her card. We take the claim that a member was "scammed" or that acharge was unauthorized very seriously.   We are also deeplyangered by the claims that NAPW takes advantage of women whenever someoneforgot about the terms to which she agreed or failed to use her membership andwants us to bear the financial burden of her oversight.  NAPW provides an amazingvalue for the membership fee.  Included in ALL memberships levels arewebinars, seminars, discounts, perks, online networking access and in-personchapter affiliation as well as a myriad of other benefits.  Ourorganization is growing, expanding and moving forward through numerousinitiatives, strategic alliances and corporate affiliations; offering membersadditional avenues to ASPIRE, ACHIEVE and CONNECT.   Every member of NAPW's management team works diligently todeliver maximum value to our members, and any claim that someone was"scammed" is demonstrably false.  We currently have almosta half-million satisfied members, all of whom are free to use our onlinenetworking portal, which gives our members more connectivity optionsand far more ability to promote themselves than other networking sites. We have over 150 local chapters across America, in which tens of thousands ofour members get together to take their online experience into the real worldand create incredible connections with other professional women. These localchapters are constantly implementing new ways for the local members tointeract.  We encourage of our members tojoin all of the chapters in their area - this gives them more opportunities toattend events that fit their busy schedules and widens the circle of localwomen with whom to network. Additionally, we are constantly providing and working toupgrade the secondary benefits such as free or discounted continuingeducation through leading providers like [redacted] and [redacted]; shopping and other discounts through a number of partnerships,including exclusive sponsors like [redacted], one of the world's largest computersuppliers; and interesting topical content provided through our social mediaand other outlets.  Again, our entire team is working hard every singleday to build these partnerships, identify and create content, and make greaterbenefits available to our members.  We were rated within the top 100 Best Websites for Women in [redacted]2013. Our corporate partners include prestigious and well-known brands like[redacted], and [redacted].  Internationally prominent women, like [redacted] and [redacted] have been featured speakers at ourconferences – each sharing her journey in building her reputation as aprominent business figure.  Star J[redacted] isour President and National Spokeswoman. These are women to whom integritymatters and they would have no part of the NAPW if we were any kind of scam. Quite frankly, there are negative comments on any and everything.Iconic brands such as [redacted] – even localrestaurants – receive complaints and criticism from customers who were nothappy with a product or service. However, despite those opinions, millions ofus continue to shop at [redacted], buy [redacted] cars and purchase [redacted] productsagain and again. As professionals, if we all believed everything we see on theInternet was true, rather than informing ourselves and making our own judgments,we would all view the business world very negatively.

This member was fully-refunded by NAPW company check in the amount of $995 sent on March *, 2014.
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
At this time, I have not been contacted by National Association of Professional Women regarding complaint ID [redacted].
Sincerely,
[redacted]

At this time, I have been contacted directly by National Association of Professional Women regarding complaint ID [redacted], however my complaint has NOT been resolved...

because:
[Your Answer Here]
 
I have asked the organization multiple times to cancel my membership and refund my money, but they refuse to comply. They claim that they've tried to call me, but I cannot confirm this as I haven't received any voice mails. I have received multiple calls from a number that doesn't list the caller, but they never leave a message. 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We are sorry that [redacted] experience with the NAPW has been less than ideal – we do strive
to provide our members with resources and benefits to enhance and improve their
lives, both personal and professional.  We encourage and expect our
members to avail themselves of those benefits...

and to contact us with any
questions or problems regarding their memberships. Members who do take the time
to explore and take advantage of the myriad resources available will find
tremendous value in being a member of the NAPW.Our members are entitled to be
treated with utmost respect and empathy, and every person on the NAPW team is
trained to work with our members to resolve any issues; however, there are
protocols and policies which must be followed.  These policies are companywide
and all of our team members are required to follow them.[redacted] claims that the only times she had been
contacted by NAPW were to be upsold are simply untrue. [redacted] completed an application for membership in NAPW. As our material states, there is no fee to apply
for membership. However, a password is required to access benefits like
seminars, local chapter meetings, other events and resources. This is issued
when an applicant purchases a membership.  We assume that anyone who submits an application for membership has
explored the NAPW to see what we are about and they are ready to make a
decision about joining the organization.  With thousands of applicants to interview and consider, we do require
that applicants make their decisions at the time of the interview. We prefer to
allocate our resources to providing better benefits and services to our
members.  Applicants are then required to
go through an initial enrollment interview, during which they are informed that
we require an immediate decision.  If the
applicant does not wish to make a commitment at that time, we provide her with
an Initial Membership, which is free and allows them to have a listing on our
website, attend a local meeting, undergo a resumé review and analysis and
receipt of our monthly newsletter. It is our hope that by getting a chance to
experience some of the benefits, they will opt for full membership in the
future. On July
*, 2015, NAPW contacted her and conducted its initial enrollment
interview.  During this telephone call
our representative explained the annual costs and benefits associated with this
level of membership. One of the purposes of these enrollment interviews is to
determine what it is the applicant hopes to gain from her membership. Our most
comprehensive levels of membership, which include myriad benefits like
unlimited live seminars and webinars, discounts on courses for continuing
education requirements, networking, conferences, discounts and other resources,
are offered to each applicant and those who do wish to access these things can
choose to purchase that package. However, some applicants are not interested in
the educational benefits – which are the most costly component of membership.
Some of them are at different stages of life and have budgetary concerns. We
work with these applicants to find a level of membership which provides them
access to the resources they seek, while remaining within their budgets. She was
also advised that all membership enrollments are final.  Because NAPW is a membership-based networking
organization, the primary benefits at all levels are found through our
membership portal ([redacted]) as
well as through our face-to-face networking at our over 300 Local Chapters
nationwide.  Additionally, through our
online portal, members are able to access ancillary benefits provided by our
business partners.  Because NAPW incurs
costs upon enrollment with those partners, we maintain a final sale
policy.  Please be aware that membership
alone includes no tangible product to be shipped to the member.Our
representative explained that [redacted] would receive an email (within 24
hours) containing login information for our members’ portal through which she is
able access all of the online benefits and enroll in Local Chapters. Within 10
days of enrollment, NAPW physically mailed a welcome package to the member
containing a paid statement, a membership card and a welcome letter.NAPW
employs a comprehensive call recording and auditing function.  Our staff reviews the recording of each
completed interview for multiple compliance points.  As part of our investigation into this case,
we reviewed that call again and [redacted] was made completely aware of these
points at the time. This interview is available for review if required. On July
*, 2015, a representative from our Membership Services staff called [redacted]
at the number she provided during her enrollment, which is the same as the
number shown in this complaint. This call is part of our member outreach
program in which we go over the details of membership, introduce the member to
our website and instruct her on how to utilize the benefits and resources which
will be of most use to her . [redacted] was unavailable to speak with our team
at the time of the call, so she left a message and was sent a follow up email,
going over the general objective of the call and inviting her to call the
representative directly. The email included her direct contact information. [redacted] was contacted by our VIP department and offered an opportunity to
upgrade her membership. She declined this invitation, but her existing
membership remains intact. We are sorry if this was the only call [redacted]
answered, and that it happened to be a call about sales. On
November *, 2015, the same team member reached out to [redacted] again. This is
the second part of our member outreach program. After four months have passed,
we contact each member again, to remind her of her benefits, go over everything
with her if she was unavailable the first time and to answer any questions or
render any assistance regarding her membership.  Unfortunately, [redacted] was again unavailable, so another follow up
email was sent to her, again including the general objective of the call and
the contact information for her Membership Services representative. Copies of
both emails are attached.It is
disheartening that the only response to this outreach was an email requesting
to cancel her membership. [redacted] did
contact us on November **, 2015.  Our representative
went to great lengths to go over our attempts to reach her to assist in
utilizing her membership benefits, but that we are unable to issue refunds
after so much time since her enrollment. Unfortunately, since all of the
benefits provided by outside partners are paid for on an annual basis, it is
not possible to pro-rate her fee either. We do hope that [redacted] contacts us to try to come to a
resolution as there  are other options
available.

Check number [redacted] was sent to you this week. Please allow seven
business days for delivery.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has...

been resolved.  I am delighted that I will no longer be contacted by this organization and hopefully others like it. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

MEMBER FULLY REFUNDED - PARTLY TO HER CREDIT CARD AND THE BALANCE BY CHECK
[redacted]

The balance of the fee was credited back to this member's card as a courtesy.

[redacted]  - this member was refunded in full as our investigation showed that she, while not directly asking to cancel her membership, did indicate that she did not wish to move forward.

Thank goodness for the Revdex.com reviews! I almost said yes to the NAPW. I felt some pressure from the NAPW representative who wanted me to sign up at the highest level/cost of $900+. When I said no, she brought it down to a lower level/cost of $700+. When I said no, again, she offered the $99 one-year trial. She spoke with me for over 20 minutes, but when I told her I did not have a credit card on me to pay for anything, she then began to close out the conversation, stating that I should take her number and call her. Wow! Smells like a scam to me.

We are awaiting specifics from our accounting department. As soon as they are received, we will send the information in a message sent to the email used in this complaint, unless you request otherwise.
It may take up to ten business days before you actually receive your check as the request might not have made a check run deadline.
We sent you an email with a more detailed explanation and a confirmation that your requests have been met.  This was sent to the email you provided at enrollment -  [redacted] and to [redacted].  Please check your spam folder if you cannot find it in your inbox.

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.Sincerely, [redacted]

We are sorry that
[redacted]’s experience with the NAPW has been less than ideal – we do strive
to provide our applicants with resources and benefits to enhance and improve
their lives, both personal and professional.  We encourage and expect our
members...

to avail themselves of those benefits and to contact us with any
questions or problems regarding their memberships. Members who do take the time
to explore and take advantage of the myriad resources available will find
tremendous value in being a member of the NAPW.
 
Applicants for membership are
entitled to be treated with utmost respect and empathy, and every person on the
NAPW team is trained to work with applicants to explain the benefits and costs
associated with membership and to resolve any issues; however, there are
protocols and policies which must be followed.  These policies are companywide
and all of our team members are required to follow them.
 
[redacted] completed an application for
membership in NAPW.  On July *, 2014, NAPW
contacted her and conducted its initial enrollment interview.  During this telephone call our representative
explained the annual costs and benefits associated with membership. One of the
purposes of these enrollment interviews is to determine what it is the
applicant hopes to gain from her membership. Our most comprehensive levels of
membership, which include myriad benefits like unlimited live seminars and
webinars, discounts on courses for continuing education requirements,
networking, conferences, discounts and other resources, are offered to each
applicant and those who do wish to access these things can choose to purchase
that package. However, some applicants are not interested in the educational
benefits – which are the most costly component of membership. Some of them are
at different stages of life and have budgetary concerns. We work with these
applicants to find a level of membership which provides them access to the
resources they seek, while remaining within their budgets.
 
We
expect that those who have submitted and application for  consideration for membership have done so
after doing some research on the NAPW, 
and they are ready to make a decision about joining the organization.
With thousands of applicants to interview and consider, we do require that
applicants make their decisions at the time of the interview. We prefer to
allocate our resources to providing better benefits and services to our
members.
 
Because
NAPW is a membership-based networking organization, the primary benefits at all
levels are found through our membership portal ([redacted]) as well as through our
face-to-face networking at our over 300 Local Chapters nationwide.  Additionally, through our online portal,
members are able to access ancillary benefits provided by our business
partners. 
 
 We take the claim that a member was "scammed" or
that a charge was unauthorized very seriously.   NAPW provides an amazing value for the
membership fee.  Included in ALL memberships levels are webinars,
seminars, discounts, perks, online networking access and in-person chapter
affiliation as well as a myriad of other benefits.  Our organization is
growing, expanding and moving forward through numerous initiatives, strategic
alliances and corporate affiliations; offering members additional avenues to
ASPIRE, ACHIEVE and CONNECT.  
 
Every member of NAPW's management team works diligently to
deliver maximum value to our members, and any claim that someone was
"scammed" is demonstrably false.  We currently have almost
a half-million satisfied members, all of whom are free to use our online
networking portal, which gives our members more connectivity options
and far more ability to promote themselves than other networking sites. 
We have over 300 local chapters across America, in which tens of thousands of
our members get together to take their online experience into the real world
and create incredible connections with other professional women. These local
chapters are constantly implementing new ways for the local members to
interact.  We encourage of our members to
join all of the chapters in their area - this gives them more opportunities to
attend events that fit their busy schedules and widens the circle of local
women with whom to network.
 
Moreover, we host an annual National Networking Conference
where almost two thousand members where members from all over the country enjoy
an unforgettable day of networking, panel discussions, workshops and
presentations from extraordinary women like [redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted].   Click here for more information.
 
Additionally, we are constantly providing and working to
upgrade the secondary benefits such as free or discounted continuing
education through leading providers like [redacted] and [redacted]
[redacted]; shopping and other discounts through a number of partnerships,
including exclusive sponsors like [redacted], one of the world's largest computer suppliers;
and interesting topical content provided through our social media and other
outlets.  Again, our entire team is working hard every single day to build
these partnerships, identify and create content, and make greater benefits
available to our members.

Revdex.com:
At this time, I have not been contacted by National Association of Professional Women regarding complaint ID [redacted].
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Signed up for this company thinking I was getting a great deal. What they don't tell you is that once you pay your astronomical membership fee the first time, you have to pay for almost everything else you want to do. If you don't have the money to attend hundred dollars webinars and pay for additional advertising, you're wasting your time. They also have an auto renew policy that is not clear. Their rates changed over the past year and they charged me double what I paid this year, without my consent. They claim to have sent me 2 emails- I have no emails in my personal email or my inbox in my account with them. They also claim to have sent 2 letters, neither of which were received. Upon calling them to resolve this issue, their customer service associates are not friendly and argued with me about speaking to a supervisor. It's looking like I may get a portion of the huge fee they charged me but they claim they cannot refund it in total because they have partners to pay and they will not cancel my membership as I requested. Severely disappointed in the lack of professionalism in this company that apparently aims to scam "professional" women.

We are sorry that
[redacted]’s experience with the NAPW has been less than ideal – we do strive
to provide our members with resources and benefits to enhance and improve their
lives, both personal and professional.  We encourage and expect our
members...

to avail themselves of those benefits and to contact us with any
questions or problems regarding their memberships. Members who do take the time
to explore and take advantage of the myriad resources available will find
tremendous value in being a member of the NAPW.
 
[redacted]
[redacted] completed an application for membership in NAPW.  On May **, 2014, NAPW contacted her and
conducted its initial enrollment interview. 
During this telephone call our representative explained the annual costs
and benefits associated with this level of membership, and that all membership
enrollments are final.  Because NAPW is a
membership-based networking organization, the primary benefits at all levels
are found through our membership portal ([redacted]) as
well as through our face-to-face networking at our over 300 Local Chapters
nationwide.  Additionally, through our
online portal, members are able to access ancillary benefits provided by our
business partners.  Because NAPW incurs
costs upon enrollment with those partners, we maintain a final sale
policy.  Please be aware that membership
alone includes no tangible product to be shipped to the member. All of this was
explained to [redacted] during her interview.
 
Our
representative explained that [redacted] would receive an email (within 24
hours) containing login information for our members’ portal through which she is
able access all of the online benefits and enroll in Local Chapters.  Our representative further explained that [redacted]
[redacted] should review our Terms & Conditions.  Subsequent to logging in but prior to
accessing her benefits, she did review and accept those Terms &
Conditions.  Therein, [redacted] was
provided with the details of our final sale policy, along with all other
policies governing her relationship with NAPW. 
NAPW’s Terms & Conditions are available at [redacted].  Within 10 days of enrollment, NAPW physically
mailed a welcome package to the member containing a paid statement, a membership
card and a welcome letter.
 
NAPW
employs a comprehensive call recording and auditing function.  Our staff reviews the recording of each
completed interview for multiple compliance points, including that the
representative explained the renewal and refund policies as described above. As
part of our investigation into this case, we reviewed that call again and [redacted]
[redacted] was made completely aware of these points at the time.
 
[redacted] had been selected for consideration by our VIP membership
committee and was contacted on July **, 2014. This is the call to which she
alludes in her complaint.  Our members are entitled to be treated with utmost respect
and empathy, and every person on the NAPW team is trained to work with our
members to resolve any issues; however, there are protocols and policies which
must be followed.  These policies are companywide and all of our team
members are required to follow them. Therefore, based on her claim of being
treated with less than the respect to which she was entitled, we reviewed this
interview as well.  [redacted]’s
recollection of the conversation is different than what is on the
recording.  She was never accused of
being “in a tizzy” – when she advised our representative that she did not want
to spend any more money, our representative asked her if she had taken any
opportunity to use her benefits – attend a local chapter meeting, take a
seminar or webinar. [redacted] reiterated that she did not want to spend more
money and our rep replied that she DID understand that but what she was asking
was if she had been able to take advantage of the benefits already available to
her and that she did not need to get worked up as part of our representative’s
job is to make sure members are aware of the resources available to them.  [redacted] replied that she was planning to
do so and our representative explained to her that if she had any questions or
wanted assistance for anything, she should call our membership services department.  [redacted] thanked her, our representative
thanked [redacted] and the call ended cordially.  Both of these interviews are available for review if
required.
 
As our
VIP representative explained, NAPW has a comprehensive membership services
staff, which is qualified to field all inquiries and works with members on any
other questions or issues regarding membership, access to benefits and other questions.  NAPW publicizes the availability of this
staff through multiple dedicated pages. 
See [redacted].  Each of these pages publishes the contact
telephone numbers and email addresses, and provides a convenient form which
this member could have submitted at any time if she wished to engage our staff
for any reason.
 
We take the claim that a member was "scammed" or that a
charge was unauthorized very seriously.   NAPW provides an amazing value for the
membership fee.  Included in ALL memberships levels are webinars,
seminars, discounts, perks, online networking access and in-person chapter
affiliation as well as a myriad of other benefits.  Our organization is
growing, expanding and moving forward through numerous initiatives, strategic
alliances and corporate affiliations; offering members additional avenues to
ASPIRE, ACHIEVE and CONNECT.  
 
Every member of NAPW's management team works diligently to deliver
maximum value to our members, and any claim that someone was
"scammed" is demonstrably false.  We currently have almost
a half-million satisfied members, all of whom are free to use our online
networking portal, which gives our members more connectivity options
and far more ability to promote themselves than other networking sites. 
We have over 300 local chapters across America, in which tens of thousands of
our members get together to take their online experience into the real world
and create incredible connections with other professional women. These local
chapters are constantly implementing new ways for the local members to
interact.  We encourage of our members to
join all of the chapters in their area - this gives them more opportunities to
attend events that fit their busy schedules and widens the circle of local
women with whom to network.
 
Moreover, we host an annual National Networking Conference
where almost two thousand members where members from all over the country enjoy
an unforgettable day of networking, panel discussions, workshops and
presentations from extraordinary women like Sara Blakeley, Arianna Huffington,
Star Jones, Martha Stewart, Ivanka Trump, Randy Zuckerburg, Barbara Corcoran
and Robin Roberts.   Click here for more information.
 
Additionally, we are constantly providing and working to
upgrade the secondary benefits such as free or discounted continuing
education through leading providers like [redacted] and [redacted]
[redacted]; shopping and other discounts through a number of partnerships,
including exclusive sponsors like Lenovo, one of the world's largest computer
suppliers; and interesting topical content provided through our social media
and other outlets.  Again, our entire team is working hard every single
day to build these partnerships, identify and create content, and make greater
benefits available to our members.
 
We invite [redacted] to contact us directly to go over her
membership and work on a resolution.

At this time, I have been contacted directly by National Association of Professional Women regarding complaint ID [redacted], however my complaint has NOT been resolved...

because:
[Your Answer Here]
I received a voicemail from [redacted] with NAPW on Friday 4/** at 4:34pm.  The voicemail stated that they were submitting a check request in the amount of $890.  She stated that the check would be cut in their next check run next week, I was not given a specific date.  I did request a FULL refund, which $99 would still be owed.  I also requested that I receive in writing that my membership has been cancelled and that there will be no future charges to my card.  I will not consider this case resolved until: A) I receive the check and it clears the bank and B) I receive written documentation that my membership has been cancelled.
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

It can take up to ten business days to post to your account, you must ask the card issuer its specific policy. The credit went into the banking system on November * at 11:30 am. Attached is a receipt of the processing confirmation - you can give the bank the transaction ID number.