National Association of Professional Women

Revdex.com:
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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]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:
 
Just wanted to touch base with you again because the company came back stating the mailed it last week and I have still not received it.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

It iscertainly [redacted]’s prerogative to insist that this is not resolved to her satisfaction;she is entitled to her opinion.  Again, weare disappointed that [redacted] is unhappy with this resolution; however, herclaims are invalid and we have demonstrated this. We invite the Revdex.com and [redacted]
[redacted] to review the conversations she had with members of our team which willsupport our response. We did issue the partial refund AS A COURTESY to her. Weconsider this more than reasonable and in our opinion the matter is closed.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because
I see quite a lengthy response and PR  for this company, however this does satisfy my complaint.  At the time of signing up in 2013, I do not remember being told that my account would be debited every year for membership nor did I sign an agreement or contract to that effect.  When I called on August *, 2014 to complain about the debit for another year of membership, the company gave me one half of the mebership credit, $99.00.  The Membership renewed on August *, 2014.  I do not think that I should be charged because I don't want the membership, have not used the membership, did not know I had to call before August *, 2014  to cancel  the mebership because I did not know it would automatically renew and debit my Account.
I want the rest of the $199.00 charged credited to my account which would be a credit of $100.00.  I do not see how this charge is legal since I do ot have a contract.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
 
 
 
 
In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

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]

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]

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 was contacted and refunded the requested...

money. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We are sorry that[redacted] experience with the NAPW has been less than ideal – we do striveto provide our applicants with resources and benefits to enhance and improvetheir lives, 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. Invitations to apply formembership are sent to select professional women who are referred to us throughprofessional associations, industry and charity events, subscriptions toprofessional publications and services and other members.  Invitees are free to respond with anapplication or not – we do not make cold calls to potential members.  As our material states, there is no fee to applyfor membership. However, a password is required to access benefits likeseminars, local chapter meetings, other events and resources, which is issuedwhen an applicant purchases a membership. We assume that anyone who submits an application for membership hasexplored the NAPW to see what we are about and they are ready to make adecision about joining the organization. With thousands of applicants tointerview and consider, we do require that applicants make their decisions atthe time of the interview. We prefer to allocate our resources to providingbetter benefits and services to our members. Applicants are then required togo through an initial enrollment interview.  Applicants for membership areentitled to be treated with utmost respect and empathy, and every person on theNAPW team is trained to work with applicants to explain the benefits and costsassociated with membership and 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] completed an application for membership in NAPW.  On September **, 2015, NAPW contacted her andconducted its initial enrollment interview. During this telephone call our representative explained the annual costsand benefits associated with membership. One of the purposes of these enrollmentinterviews is to determine what it is the applicant hopes to gain from hermembership. Our most comprehensive levels of membership, which include myriadbenefits like unlimited live seminars and webinars, discounts on courses forcontinuing education requirements, networking, conferences, discounts and otherresources, are offered to each applicant and those who do wish to access thesethings can choose to purchase that package. However, some applicants are notinterested in the educational benefits – which are the most costly component ofmembership. Some of them are at different stages of life and have budgetaryconcerns. We work with these applicants to find a level of membership whichprovides them access to the resources they seek, while remaining within theirbudgets.  Applicantswho choose not to join as paid members are provided with an Initial Membership,which 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. Itis our hope that by getting a chance to experience some of the benefits, theywill opt for full membership in the future.  BecauseNAPW is a membership-based networking organization, the primary benefits at alllevels are found through our membership portal (www.napw.com) as well as through ourface-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 businesspartners.   [redacted] was also advised that it might take 24 to 48 businesshours for her profile to be available on our website. She joined on aFriday.   Our business hours are between9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday ET, so if she called during theweekend, of course she would not reach anyone. Our phone greeting makes thisclear. [redacted] was contacted on Monday, and as she was less thanpolite, refusing to accept that she bore any responsibility for not researchingthe NAPW before joining because she wanted something for nothing, that she didnot pay attention to the information which was provided to her regarding theavailability of her profile and that she was angry because we were not availableoutside of business hours. 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. NAPW provides an amazing value for themembership fee.  Included in ALL memberships levels are webinars,seminars, discounts, perks, online networking access and in-person chapteraffiliation as well as a myriad of other benefits.  Our organization isgrowing, expanding and moving forward through numerous initiatives, strategicalliances and corporate affiliations; offering members additional avenues toASPIRE, 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 almost a half-millionsatisfied members, all of whom are free to use our online networkingportal, which gives our members more connectivity options and farmore ability to promote themselves than other networking sites.  We haveover 150 local chapters across America, in which tens of thousands of ourmembers get together to take their online experience into the real world andcreate 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 Lorman Education and NationalSeminars Group; shopping and other discounts through a number of partnerships,including exclusive sponsors like Lenovo, 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 Forbes2013. 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] [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 ownjudgments, we would all view the business world very negatively.   [redacted] fee was refunded to her as she changed her mind and contactedus within three days of becoming a member.  We consider this issue to be resolved.

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]

This member has been refunded.  Due to the age of her account, it was not possible to credit her credit card, but a check requested has been submitted in...

the amount of $1,087.  This check should be issued within the next 7-10 days and will be sent directly to the member's address on file? ([redacted] / [redacted]).
[redacted]

We received your information from the association noted - please contact them to remove your data. We have removed your information from our invitation lists as per your request. It was never added to our active database - those names are only of women who have responded to the invitation to apply...

for membership.

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.
 
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] authorized the May *, 2014 charge reflecting her annual membership
dues.  During her initial enrollment
interview, our representative went over the membership, beginning with the most
comprehensive package – part of the goal of the interview is to determine the
best package to fit the member’s goals and budget. We want them to get the
maximum benefits for the money, which is why they offer the options in the
order they do. [redacted] selected the basic level of membership, which is
a special offer where a member gets a full year’s membership at a cost for six months.
 
Our
representative also explained that NAPW uses an automatic renewal process,
designed to protect [redacted]’s enrollment in and uninterrupted access to
the benefits provided by NAPW and its business partners.  Prior to concluding the interview, our
representative specifically informed [redacted] that her annual membership
would automatically renew.  [redacted] had the opportunity to opt out of our automatic renewal program at
that time.
 
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 automatic renewal process as described above. 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. She replied
okay when advised of the automatic renewal. This interview is available for
review if required.
 
During
the initial enrollment interview, our representative explained that [redacted] would receive an email (within 24 hours) containing login
information for access to our members’ portal. 
Our representative further explained that [redacted] should review
our Terms & Conditions.  Subsequent to
logging in but prior to accessing her benefits, she was required to review and
accept those Terms & Conditions. 
Therein, she was provided with the details of our automatic renewal
policy, which was previously explained during the initial enrollment interview.
NAPW’s Terms & Conditions are available at [redacted]. 
 
Throughout
the year, NAPW made available to [redacted] a comprehensive membership
services staff, which is qualified to field all inquiries and would have been
able to work with her had she elected to opt out of her automatic renewal (or
any other questions she may have had). 
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, including opting out of her automatic membership renewal.
 
From day
one of [redacted]’s enrollment with NAPW, we communicated via email using
the address she provided: [redacted].  Email was clearly the primary communication
channel, by which [redacted] received her monthly newsletters and numerous
other organizational announcements.  A
postcard reminder was mailed at the end of March to the address provided by her
at the time of enrollment, which is the same as the one provided here.
Additionally, well before it was processed, NAPW sent [redacted] a courtesy
reminder of her upcoming renewal transaction via email, and another reminder a
week later.
 
We have
reviewed all of our records.  [redacted] did not contact us to cancel her scheduled renewal prior to
processing, as required by our Terms & Conditions, so her renewal was
processed as she previously authorized. 
 
[redacted] did contact us on May **, 2014,
after her renewal was processed. We left voice mail messages with all of the
phone numbers she provided to us on May [redacted], June [redacted] and June [redacted].  [redacted] did not return these calls.  Had she done so, we would have been happy to
work with her to resolve the issue.
 
We take the claim that a member was "scammed" or taken
advantage of 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].   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 Lorman Education and National
Seminars Group; 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 did send a check to [redacted]'s original address as we were totally unaware of the fact that she moved. She did not advise us of this. We have placed a stop payment on that check and issued a new check #[redacted] which was delivered today by UPS.

We are sorry that[redacted]’s experience with the NAPW has been less than ideal – we do strive toprovide 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. [redacted]
[redacted] completed an application for membership in NAPW.  On November *, 2014, NAPW contacted her andconducted its initial enrollment interview. During this telephone call our representative explained the annual costsand benefits associated with membership, and that all membership enrollmentsare final.  Because NAPW is amembership-based networking organization, the primary benefits at all levelsare found through our membership portal ([redacted]) aswell as through our face-to-face networking at our over 300 Local Chaptersnationwide.  Additionally, through ouronline portal, members are able to access ancillary benefits provided by ourbusiness partners.  Because NAPW incurscosts upon enrollment with those partners, we maintain a final salepolicy.  Please be aware that membershipalone includes no tangible product to be shipped to the member. All of this wasexplained to [redacted] during her interview. Ourrepresentative explained that [redacted] would receive an email (within 24hours) containing login information for our members’ portal through which she isable 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 changedher login information, which cannot be confirmed without reviewing andaccepting those Terms & Conditions. Therein, [redacted] was provided withthe details of our final sale policy, along with all other policies governingher relationship with NAPW.  NAPW’s Terms& Conditions are available at [redacted].  Within 10 days of enrollment, NAPW physicallymailed a welcome package to the member containing a paid statement, amembership card and a welcome letter. NAPWemploys a comprehensive call recording and auditing function.  Our staff reviews the recording of eachcompleted interview for multiple compliance points, including that therepresentative explained the renewal and refund policies as described above. Aspart 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 membershipcommittee and was contacted on January *, 2015. This is the call to which shealludes in her complaint.  Our members are entitled to be treated with utmost respectand empathy, and every person on the NAPW team is trained to work with ourmembers 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. In this case, we cansee how [redacted] might have misunderstood that her card would be charged. [redacted] contacted us onJanuary **, 2015 about this charge and we immediately issued the refund to herfor the upgrade.  She also demanded thatwe issue a refund for her original membership, which we were unable to do asthe transaction had taken place more than sixty days prior (our credit cardprocessor does not permit credits after sixty days) and she had approved her enrollmentas a member. As ourVIP representative explained, NAPW has a comprehensive membership servicesstaff, which is qualified to field all inquiries and works with members on anyother questions or issues regarding membership, access to benefits and otherquestions.  NAPW publicizes theavailability of this staff through multiple dedicated pages.  See [redacted].  Each of these pages publishes the contacttelephone numbers and email addresses, and provides a convenient form whichthis member could have submitted at any time if she wished to engage our stafffor any reason. We take the claim that a member was "scammed" or that acharge was unauthorized very seriously.   NAPW provides an amazing value for themembership fee.  Included in ALL memberships levels are webinars,seminars, discounts, perks, online networking access and in-person chapteraffiliation as well as a myriad of other benefits.  Our organization isgrowing, expanding and moving forward through numerous initiatives, strategicalliances and corporate affiliations; offering members additional avenues toASPIRE, 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 300 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. Moreover, we host an annual National Networking Conferencewhere almost two thousand members where members from all over the country enjoyan unforgettable day of networking, panel discussions, workshops andpresentations from extraordinary women like Sara Blakeley, Arianna Huffington,Star Jones, Martha Stewart, Ivanka Trump, Randy Zuckerburg, Barbara Corcoranand Robin Roberts.    Additionally, we are constantly providing and working to upgradethe secondary benefits such as free or discounted continuingeducation 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 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 invite [redacted] to contact us directly to go over hermembership and work on a resolution. Tell us why here...

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.
 
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]
authorized the October *, 2014 charge reflecting her annual membership
dues.  During her initial enrollment
interview, our representative went over the membership, beginning with the most
comprehensive package – part of the goal of the interview is to determine the
best package to fit the member’s goals and budget. We want them to get the
maximum benefits for the money, which is why they offer the options in the
order they do. [redacted] selected the Preferred membership.
 
Our
representative also explained that NAPW uses an automatic renewal process,
designed to protect [redacted]’s enrollment in and uninterrupted access to the
benefits provided by NAPW and its business partners.  Prior to concluding the interview, our
representative specifically informed [redacted] that her annual membership would
automatically renew.  [redacted] had the
opportunity to opt out of our automatic renewal program at that time.
 
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 automatic renewal process as described above.  All of the compliance requirements were met in
this case.
 
During
the initial enrollment interview, our representative explained that [redacted]
would receive an email (within 24 hours) containing login information for
access to our members’ portal.  Our
representative further explained that [redacted] should review our Terms &
Conditions.  Subsequent to logging in but
prior to accessing her benefits, she was required to review and accept those
Terms & Conditions.  Therein, she was
provided with the details of our automatic renewal policy, which was previously
explained during the initial enrollment interview. NAPW’s Terms &
Conditions are available at [redacted]. 
 
Throughout
the year, NAPW made available to [redacted] a comprehensive membership services
staff, which is qualified to field all inquiries and would have been able to
work with her had she elected to opt out of her automatic renewal (or any other
questions she may have had).  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, including opting out of her automatic membership renewal.
 
From day
one of [redacted]’s enrollment with NAPW, we communicated via email using the
address she provided: [redacted].  Email was clearly the primary communication
channel, by which [redacted] received her monthly newsletters and numerous other
organizational announcements.  A postcard
reminder was mailed at the end of August to the address provided by her at the
time of enrollment, which is the same as the one provided here. Additionally, well
before it was processed, NAPW sent [redacted] a courtesy reminder of her upcoming
renewal transaction via email, and another reminder a week later. We send these
as a courtesy – technically we are not obligated to remind members of the automatic
renewal, and if a member contacts us before the actual renewal processes, we
will be able to stop that from happening. 
Each renewal immediately incurs costs to us as we purchase services and
subscriptions from outside partners and those fees are not refundable – this is
why we ask our members the courtesy of advising us that they do not wish to
automatically renew.
 
We have
reviewed all of our records.  [redacted]
did not contact us to cancel her scheduled renewal prior to processing, as
required by our Terms & Conditions, so her renewal was processed as she
previously authorized. 
 
[redacted] did contact us on October *, 2014 and
demanded a refund.  Our representative explained
our processes and policies and immediately credited her account for the amount
which had not already been paid out for her renewal.  We have also deactivated the automatic renewal
function of her membership, so that it will not renew.
 
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 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 have issued the balance of her fee. This was processed on
October *, 2014. As [redacted] did not notify the Revdex.com that the issue was
resolved, this is in response to her claims, which we have demonstrated are not
accurate.

Ms deBrito is incorrect. She was billed WITH AUTHORIZATION, for her initial membership fee of $489.00 on December **, 2014. She was also advised of and approved of the Profile set up fee of $99.00, which was billed on December **, 2014.
We billed [redacted]'s renewal fee of $489.00 on December *, 2015, which we refunded. There were no other charges billed to her card. 
[redacted] is entitled to her own opinion, but not her own facts.  This issue is resolved.  We cannot refund fees which were billed over a year ago and which were authorized.

Review: Somehow I was contacted by this company to become a member. The phone call came from sales but I did not know it was a sales call until several minutes into the phone conversation. The beginning of the conversation felt like it was a job interview to see if I was qualified to become a member of this exclusive association. After being approved to join, then comes the sales pitch. First offer was $800 per year which I declined, then $300 which I declined and finally $199. The sales lady told me at the time they never want cost to determine whether or not someone joins. Since paying the $199 annual fee (which will apparently renew in one year unless I cancel), I have received sales calls and texts from various companies, one of which is a scam for a free trip. Prior to joining this association, I had never received any sales calls or texts on my phone. I have also received emails that are advertising or selling things that I had never received prior to joining. I do not want this membership, I do not want my information shared with other companies, and I do want to cancel my membership immediately with a refund for the full amount as I have done nothing to activate my account. Usually there is a 72 hour cancellation window for purchases over $50 which is not on their terms and conditions, on their website or agreement.Desired Settlement: I expect a full refund of $199 and to be removed from all marketing sources.

Business

Response:

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.

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.

We do

not cold call. Ever. [redacted] completed an application for membership in

NAPW. On October *, 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.

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] should review our Terms & Conditions. Subsequent to logging in but prior to

accessing her benefits, she was required to 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 automatic renewal process as described above. 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.

We have investigated other claims from members who were suddenly

inundated with unwelcome solicitations, for the simple reason that our

membership lists are shared with our partners only. We discovered that there is

technology available to marketing companies which takes millions of email

addresses and when those email addresses send a message back which confirms

that they are valid, the addresses are sold. Apparently, when we send your

welcome email, this triggers that confirmation. We are still trying to obtain

more information about this as well as the best way to prevent it.

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 Lorman Education and National

Seminars Group; 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 so that we can

discuss her concerns and find a good resolution for her.

Review: I basically was coerced and duped into purchasing a VIP membership from NAPW by [redacted] on November [redacted] 2013, I was promised a Spotlight in the upcoming Newsletter, a feature on the website, a free [redacted] add to make my new business discoverable, and a plaque declaring me NAPW Woman of the year for $995.00. I followed up on November [redacted] when I hadn't been contacted about my [redacted] add ( no reply) I followed up on December [redacted] when the newsletter came out and I wasn't featured, I asked for the company to refund the VIP portion of my membership, since my business Launch Party had already taken place and I couldn't use the newsletter or website feature as I had planned. I was called by [redacted] ( same last name as sales person?) Who said she would look into it and call me back, when she did cal back she said that they would "Make it right" I said I just want my VIP membership money refunded, I then emailed her my refund request on December [redacted]. It is now January [redacted] and I still haven't heard back or been refunded the $995.00. This organization is preying on new businesses and promises things they cannot fulfill.The next step is the involve my family lawyer.Desired Settlement: I want the $995.00 VIP Membership refunded to my credit card account immediately.

Consumer

Response:

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

This member has been refunded. Due to the age of her account, it was not possible to credit her credit card, but a check requested has been submitted in the amount of $1,287. This check should be issued within the next 7-10 days and will be sent directly to the member's address on file ([redacted] / [redacted]).

Business

Response:

We do apologize - it looks as though the check was sent to the address

we had on file, which was provided at the time of registration. A

replacement check was requested and should be received within ten

business days.

Consumer

Response:

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 will contact my case worker to reopen the case if I do not receive the check as promised in the next two weeks.

Sincerely,

Review: I filled out an application for the Free membership on LinkedIn. I was called by [redacted] at ###-###-####. She told me I qualified for the $989 option. I told her that was too much, she then said I qualified for the $789 tier. I asked about the free membership and was told there was no 'free membership'. I asked if I could call back after speaking with my husband, and was bullied into agreement because my membership card, welcome packet, website options, magazine insert, and other 'benefits' all depended on what tier I chose. I immediately called the aforementioned number back and got a voicemail...at every single option I chose in the directory. So I left a message asking for my refund because of the misrepresentation.Desired Settlement: Refund and remove their false ad from all websites.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, my complaint, ID [redacted] regarding National Association of Professional Women has been resolved.

(By clicking "OK", your complaint will be closed as Resolved.)

Sincerely,

Review: I was originally interested in the free membership with NAPW which was advertised on [redacted] After being contacted from a representative I was billed for a larger amount ($789.00) that I did not anticipate. There were several tiers of "membership" and all I wanted was the free one. My information was taken down for a set-up fee $99.00 for an online profile which at the time I thought was reasonable for an online profile for networking etc. However I did not authorize the $789.00 Annual fee. It was billed immediately even before I could cancel anything. I disputed the charge and cancelled my card. When I got in contact with a representative I was told that my membership fee have already incurred because they pay different vendors/services at the time of sign up . I got a reduced rate and am waiting for a credit of $395.00 . I asked for a full refund but was told that a refund was not possible due to certain restrictions. My membership was only for 1 week and I did not use any of the services such as webinars, and some of the other services are misleading.. such as the "chapter association fees"... I will not be using any service as anything additional has another fee/cost associated. Example- I received an invitation to a webinar for a "reduced rate of $200"...Desired Settlement: The representative who contacted me did not fully disclose that a membership was not refundable nor was I told that I would be immediately billed for $789.00. I was told of the tiers of membership but was led to believe that I could "upgrade" to the higher membership at a future date. A full refund of $789 is what I am looking for as I have only held the membership for 1 week.

Consumer

Response:

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

member was refunded partly through her card and partly by check.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# [redacted], and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

While I did get refunded for half the total amount by card ($394), I did not receive any refund by check. According to representative, they could not refund because they pay out to their vendors immediately. The total amount was $789, I did not see any value for the remainder membership fee as I was only a member for a week when I decided to cancel.

In order for the Revdex.com to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Check number [redacted] was sent to you this week. Please allow seven

business days for delivery.