National Association of Professional Women

Review: I joined NAPW last year as a professional photographer. Since joining, my credit card was double billed every month for the payment of said membership. After much hassle, my acount was refunded each and every month. However, my membership came up for renewal and I corresponded with them via email and spoke to a representative stating I did not want to renew my membership that they do not have permission to charge my card. I even received a confirmation email that my auto renewal was cancelled and my card would not be charged. However, it was charged $495.00 on June [redacted] from NAPW.

Copies of emails can be provided if needed.Desired Settlement: I want my credit card refunded the full amount plus any and all associated charges for over drawing the account. I also want my credit card information removed from their system.

Business

Response:

We are in contact with this member to clarify the billing charges for the two separate memberships on her account. We have issued the refunds. We have also removed her credit card information from our active system.

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.

Sincerely,

Review: I applied to this organization to become a member and received a phone call from a high-pressure, very complimentary, pushy representation. She stroked my ego repeatedly and I fell for her fast talking sales procedure. I ended up handing over my business credit card number to the tune of over $1000. Later, I regretted my actions but have was too ashamed to contact my bank to dispute the charges. I called the organization to cancel the membership and asked for a refund. The organization refused to refund the money but did agree to send me no further information of any type. Yesterday, I received a communication from them about my 2014 membership and asked me to confirm the membership. Of course, I am declining and sent them a letter informing them of such. I may write a letter to my bank disputing the charges, but I doubt I will get very far as the process as begun in January 2014. Thank you.Desired Settlement: I would prefer that I be refunded the amount charged to my business credit card but I certainly understand that it may be too late. My alternate outcome is that the organization truly remove me from all of their communication lists and that no further charges be made to my credit card.

Consumer

Response:

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

- Member will be refunded by check

Business

Response:

We mailed check [redacted] to the address you provided in this complaint. on

June **, 2014. Please understand that because the original transaction took place

well over two months ago, we are unable to issue a credit to the

card that was billed. This is our standard practice for refunds.

Therefore, we had to send a request for a check to be issued. This

process can take up to ten business days as it is outside of our normal

protocols. Once the checks are issued, they are sent

via First Class US mail and the time of actual delivery to your address

will vary. If the address we used is incorrect, please let us know ASAP.

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.

you may have received an email from me regarding the closed status of my complaint. I wanted to let you know that on Saturday, July *, 2014 I received a refund check from the National Association of Professional Women. I am satisfied and I now consider the case resolved. I thank you for all your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

Review: I want to cancel my membership. They don't call me back when I leave messages. I think they are waiting for the membership to be automatically renewed on Nov *.Desired Settlement: I want notified that my membership is cancelled by them without cost.

Business

Response:

[redacted] contacted us via phone on Friday, October ** 2014 at 9:11 PM EDT - when our offices are closed. We called her back on Monday, October **, 2014 at 11:50 AM EDT and left a voice mail message for her to contact us. We wanted to inform her that her membership was not going to renew and would, in fact, expire at the end of November.

Rather than return the call, she filed a complaint with the Revdex.com.

As per her demand, her membership has been set up to expire.

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.

Sincerely,

Review: My issues with NAPW began with a phone call at my place of employment. The customer service representative who handled the call did not regard my working hours and became very lengthy and pushy in her attempts to sell me a membership into NAPW. The membership that she quoted me began at close to 1,000. In no way did I understand the details around NAPW, its membership or its benefits and did want to research more on my own to make a decision about membership. Every time I stated that I did not want to make a decision at that time, the representative became more and more pushy. She went from 1,000 down to 99.00 even after I told her that I would need to contact my husband to share that I was going to take a trial membership for 99.00. This however was not good enough for the representative and she proceeded to tell me that I would not have another opportunity to join if I didn't pay 99.00 on a credit card during the call. Due to fear of a missed opportunity, I succumbed to the sales pressure and purchased a membership. Once I completed that, she proceeded to tell me that my money can't be refunded because my name and profile would be placed in a a publication for national review. She then proceeded to try to sell me a glass plaque for an additional 99.00.

After hanging up with this woman, I did extensive research on the company and not only found that it was not an organization I wanted to be involved with due to the negative reviews, but also because of the unethical business practices of manipulating membership money from women trying to move forward in business and their careers.

I made an attempt to obtain a refund via their billing department, but was met by another very pushy representative that found every excuse not to refund my money. I then followed up the call with two emails to customer service and membership services. I have yet to hear back from either department.

Do to my belief of unethical business practices with pressure sales tactics and unwillingness to accommodate my request for a refund, I am contacting the Revdex.com to investigate this companies practices and to have this matter resolved immediately. I would not and will not recommend this organization to a colleague or friend due to their business conduct and unsolicited sales tactics.Desired Settlement: I would like NAPW to refund my credit card in the amount of 99.00 immediately but no later than 3 business days upon the receipt of this complaint. I am not interested in further business with NAPW and I ask that they discontinue all contact with me and that they remove my home and workplace emails and phone numbers from their database.

Business

Response:

[redacted] became a Trial member with NAPW on October *, 2013. She contacted our Customer Service department on October **, 2013. On that date, [redacted] was given a full refund and her information was removed from NAPW’s membership database. She will not be contacted by NAPW again.

Review: This company charged a significantly different renewal fee than the original agreed upon fee offered when signing up for their services. They cold call professional women and offer membership for an original fee of $500+ with a renewal fee of $99. My account auto renewed last December for the agreed upon amount. Then this year, they sent emails that their terms and conditions were changing and without formal agreement, they charged my card for $789! This is an unreasonable change in yearly fees and their emails didn't detail the change in fee. You have to log into the site and check your email. Unfortunately, when you log in, you have to "ACCEPT their Terms and Conditions" before you can read the email detailing the change. When I called to request a refund of my money and a cancellation of my membership if this is the fee associated with it, the customer service representative was rude, demeaning, accusatory and completely unprofessional which is ironic since if they are going to use the word "professional" in their company name I think they should encourage their staff members to act accordingly. In the end they would only refund me $300 of the $789 no matter what I said.Desired Settlement: I would like the full refund of my money. The remaining amount would be $489.

Business

Response:

This member has been partially refunded, in the amount of $300 on 1/**/14. Due to the age of her account, it was not possible to credit her credit card for the remainder, but a check requested has been submitted in the amount of $489. This check should be issued within the next 7-10 days and will be sent directly to the member's address on file (Palm Beach Blvd. / Ft. Myers, FL).

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.

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 am writing regarding my interaction with the National Association for Professional Women. I submitted a request for information to the NAPW after reading about its free application/admission and received a call from [redacted] who conducted a brief phone interview before congratulating me on being admitted to the NAPW.

[redacted] advised me of the different levels of membership and at no time mentioned that there was a free option or that not paying was an option. I requested time to consider and was informed that she wasn't allowed to do so. I felt pressured to immediately sign up for membership with the NAPW and wasn't afforded the opportunity to research the membership options prior to submitting payment.

I would not have agreed to join this organization had I not felt pressured to do so.Desired Settlement: Requesting a refund of all monies paid and the cancellation of my membership.

Business

Response:

We resolved this matter directly with [redacted] on December **, 2014.

Review: I joined purely for the local chapter. The local chapter was not having any meetings and the chapter [redacted] failed to respond to me. I complained and wanted a refund but I was refused. The whole process was a joke. I was told that they would look into why I wasn't getting a response and was refused a refund. The chapter now ceases to exist and I am now insisting on a refund. I have not used any part of this membership and feel I was misled.Desired Settlement: I want a refund for the full amount. I was refunded for $99 for the profile, but want the rest refunded. I have not used this service and what was described to me does not exist.

Business

Response:

This complaint was resolved over the phone with [redacted] on September **, 2014.

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:

I September they did nothing for me. The just said they refunded me partial, but not the full amount which is the only thing that would resolve this. I was definitely scammed. I was told it will be 4 to 6 weeks before I get a refund check for the partial amount.

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

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] completed an application for membership in NAPW. On July **, 2014, NAPW contacted her andconducted its initial enrollment interview. During this telephone call our representative explained the annual costsand benefits associated with this level of membership, and that all membershipenrollments are 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.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] should review our Terms & Conditions. Subsequent to logging in but prior toaccessing her benefits, she was required to review and accept those Terms &Conditions. Therein, [redacted] wasprovided with the details of our final sale policy, along with all otherpolicies governing her relationship with NAPW. She changed her login information, which requires that she accept thoseterms and conditions. Within 10 days of enrollment, NAPW physically mailed awelcome package to the member containing a paid statement, a membership cardand a welcome letter.NAPWemploys a comprehensive call recording and auditing function. Our staff reviews the recording of eachcompleted 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 thesepoints at the time. This interview is available for review if required. At the time of her enrollment, there was achapter in [redacted]. Herbiggest issue seems to be regarding the local chapters, which are only a smallpart of the benefits included in membership. The organization was established as an alternative for busy professionalwomen who did not have the time to attend networking events in person – infact, the first local chapter opened a year after the inception of theassociation. It is a challenge to get busy women to meet in the same place atthe same time, particularly outside of major metropolitan areas. If a ChapterPresident is unable to attain a regular schedule of meetings, the viability ofthat chapter is reviewed and sometimes it is closed. This is what happened inthe case of the [redacted] chapter. Throughoutthe year, NAPW made available to [redacted] a comprehensive membership servicesstaff, which is qualified to field all inquiries and would have been able towork with her had she elected to opt out of her automatic renewal (or any otherquestions she may have had). NAPWpublicizes the availability of this staff through multiple dedicatedpages. Each of these pages publishes thecontact telephone numbers and email addresses, and provides a convenient formwhich this member could have submitted at any time if she wished to engage ourstaff for any reason, including opting out of her automatic membership renewal.[redacted] did contact us in September regarding the profile setup fee, which is a onetime fee for all new members. The membership [redacted] whoconducted her enrollment interview did request to waive the profile set up fee, butit never processed completely through our system, thus it did not post in [redacted]’s account. She did contact us to question it and after trackingeverything back, we refunded it directly to her card. She was provided with confirmation numbers ofthe transactions over the phone.She then contacted us on December *, 2014, askingus why we did not refund all of her money. This was quite surprising as thiscontradicted the conversation in September. As we are unable to issue credits directly back to card accounts morethan sixty days after a transaction has been processed, we resolved the matterby advising her that we would be sending her a check, which might take up tofourteen business days, for a partial refund of her membership, but that all ofher benefits would remain intact. We are also offering to extend her membershipfor an additional year, as we are hoping to re-establish the [redacted] chapterand would like he to be able to take advantage of it once it is again up andrunning. Our check number [redacted] was mailed out on [redacted], December**, 2014. Please allow sufficient time for delivery by the [redacted]. We take the claim that a member was "scammed" orthat a charge 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 [redacted]and [redacted]. 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.

Review: I originally enrolled in September **, 2014, paying $789 used a credit card. Every time they wanted to do something, such as "profile" - I needed to pay something. The minute I said that I am not interested in doing that all benefit and contacted ceased. In January 2015, I advised them because of these challenges, I did not want to renew my membership. However, what occurred is that not only did they put me in a non-renew status, they ended my membership denying me access to the member website. Due medical issues, I could not react/investigate sooner. I received no notification from them that my membership was cancelled. In addition, I paid 79 dollars for something I never received -- an alleged plaque with recognition. I paid a total of $868 and at a no time did I receive the benefit of the membership.Desired Settlement: Full Refund but will accepted pro-rated refund when membership was ended by them in January 2015.

Business

Response:

[redacted] – A detailed response is attached, as well as emails between [redacted] and the NAPW. This woman’s claims are completely false. We did not cancel her membership – she was using the incorrect information to log into her profile. She had changed it on her own so it was different than the information she received with her confirmation of enrollment. Rather than contacting us for assistance, she jumped to an incorrect conclusion. She declined to purchase a plaque, so one was never ordered. She did decline an upgrade to her membership, but that did not cancel her existing membership and emails continued to be sent to the email address she provided to us. She did finally contact us to complain about being cancelled and our representative explained what occurred. We have offered to extend her membership at no cost to make up for the time she thought it was not active.

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:

Their response goes to show the misleading communication. I was under the impression the plaque was going to be sent and there was no mention that I had to pay for it. The minute I no longer could pay for these alleged perks, communication was minimal if at all. I do not believe they are credible and forthcoming to prospective and new members, coming across as high pressured sales individuals who prey on those who are vulnerable and trying to get a leg up in their career. A full refund or an admission of guilt is all that will resolve this claim.

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

While we regret that [redacted] is not satisfied with our reply; we must maintain that the information was made clear to her and that she misunderstood. The issue about the plaque was not even brought up until May 2015. As we explained in our initial reply - the resources were there for [redacted] to use, we sent regular emails to her, all of which have contact information that she could have used to request assistance with her membership. Her recollection of events differs dramatically from what the recorded calls and correspondence demonstrate and thus does not justify a full refund so long after joining the organization. Again, we invite her and the Revdex.com to contact us to review the recording of the interview and subsequent conversations which took place regarding her request to not renew her membership.

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. We disagree on the events that occurred. While they may have a recording, it cannot verify my understanding of what transpired as well as what I understood the intent to be. As stated before, it does not appear this will be resolved but appreciate the Revdex.com's attempt in doing so.

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

Sincerely,

Customer service has been consistently rude and have had extremely difficult time canceling membership

Review: I saw an ad on [redacted] regarding the NAPW. I filled out the form and a couple of days later someone called me regarding my membership. She asked me a lot of questions regarding my talents and where I wanted to be career wise in a few years. After about 10 minutes she informed me that the membership would be approximately $900.00. When I stated that there was no indication of fees on their web site, she then offered me a reduced price membership, but of course it would not have all the benefits. When I told her that it was still too much cost for me to join, she kept offering me lower prices. Finally when I was getting ready to hang up the phone, she said she could offer me a free membership for a year and I would be receiving an e-mail shortly regarding the membership. It has now been over a week and I have not received any e-mail. I think it is a scam, and there are plenty of opportunities in my local area for free networking and seminars available to me from my company. I am concerned as to what the NAPW is doing with the semi-personal information I gave them over the phone.Desired Settlement: I would like other consumers warned about the deceptive practices of the NAPW. I would like them to put info regarding their fees on their website in order that other potential clients know exactly what they charge so it does not appear that there are no fees for the "membership". Also, I want to make sure that any information I disclosed to them on the call is not kept on file with them in any form.

Business

Response:

We apologize for the confusion. Any individual that applies to NAPW is

entitled to a complimentary membership; this individual is correct in her

understanding that there are several levels of membership, ranging in price,

which grants varying degrees of access to the educational resources, networking

platforms, and ancillary services. Memberships

are structured and designed to fit unique needs; any individual may contact

Customer Service at any time with fee structure inquiries. All individuals that

apply are entitled to receive monthly newsletters from NAPW; I believe this is

what the individual is referring to in her expectations to receive an email

regarding the membership. This email is

scheduled to be sent to: [redacted] To be clear, this is a monthly newsletter,

and is sent to the entire membership base once every month.

I trust that this clears up any misunderstanding and

miscommunication. I encourage this

individual to stay updated by reading the monthly newsletters.

Should you have any further questions, please contact me at

###-###-####.

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.

Review: I registered to join this organization and received a followup call within 24 hours. Somehow I was accepted after answering only a few questions and then the high pressure sales tactics began. I was told only of the 2 highest membership options. After choosing the less expensive option of $789, I did offer my credit card information. However after this I was told of the automatic annual renewal, that the sale was final and that there was also an additional $99 fee. I immediately felt duped. I do not feel that all options were explained clearly nor was I able to review anything in writing in order to make an informed decision. After completing the call, I researched the internet only to find that this is a kind of high pressure sales tactic and the lower priced options are indeed available. Then I contacted my [redacted] at my employer and asked if the company sponsored memberships for this organzation. I was told not this one because it is not reputable. I was instructed to promptly cancel my membership and attempt to stop the charges. If all options were clearly explained prior to giving my card information I would not have proceeded. I did try to contact the organization but could only leave a voice message. That is a huge red flag to me. My credit card has already been charged for $789 so I contacted the bank about a possible scam transaction. I do feel this organization is suspicious and should improve upon their sales tactics by being more informative.Desired Settlement: I would like a complete refund and prompt cancellation of my so-called membership.

Business

Response:

Review: I found NAPW online and requested more information via their online form. On Thursday, Oct ** 2013, I received a call from [redacted], an [redacted] with NAPW. She went through a series of questions and at the end confirmed I was an ideal candidate for inclusion into the NAPW. [redacted] talked about all the supposed member benefits and mentions membership levels of '9 89' and '7 89' Giving lots of supposed detail of the two levels when I hesitate she includes me into the 7 98 level. So she asks questions to fill in my profile and gets to asking me about my credit card information. Why I gave it...I have no idea but as I told my husband it was just a weird conversation. Somewhere in there the amount of seven hundred ninety eight dollars was identified as the membership fee. When I hesitated AGAIN there were promises of wonderful supposed benefits on their website - which of course you can't see until you agree to fork over money. Once [redacted] got me to agree to this she mentioned the $99 maintenance fee - of which I again hesitated over and miraculously it was waived. [redacted] then mentioned that there was no cancellation of this transaction allowed...AGAIN I hesitated to which [redacted] said 'We are just required to say that.' So thinking I could cancel I agreed...immediately my credit card was charged. [redacted] told me she was my [redacted] proceeded to fill in my online profile asking me the same questions as before and gave me her phone number ###-###-####. As soon as I hung up, I knew I made a mistake and called [redacted] back at the number she gave me. The first phone message was left for [redacted] on Thursday, Oct **, 2013 @ 9:11 am CDT asking her to please call me back as I needed to cancel. When I did not hear back from her I placed a request to be contacted by the Billing Department of NAPW on their website. At 10:16am CDT the same day (Oct **), I received a call regarding my inquiry. I told her that I really could not keep my membership due to being in the middle of home repairs and this really blowing my budget. I went through pretty much all of the above to which the lady was very sympathetic and seemed to understand not wanting to put undo burden on me. She supposedly talked to her finance department and got me a $400 discount which meant a $389 membership again talking about the wonderful benefits on their websites including numerous discounts to stores such as Home Depot which would more than pay for my membership 'in no time.' She gave me a transaction number of [redacted] for the $400 credit to my credit card. So that night for the first time I logged into NAPW and looked at the supposed benefits and NAPW Perks as they are called. The Home Depot 'Perk' is nothing more than what I had already seen on the Home Depot website - Most if not ALL the education series require a fee; the rest of perks were of no benefit or like the Home Depot one - offers I can get elsewhere for free. Plus the main emphasis on the NAPW website is for starting your own business which was never represented by anyone from NAPW - I never stated I wished to start my own business - nor do I have a desire to do so. If I did then and only then do I see the benefit of the NAPW. Lastly my profile was missing all references I made to church and my serving there. I have sent emails to the billing & customer service department asking to cancel my membership peacefully; I have submitted two additional online billing inquiry requests which their website says will be answered within 3 business hours - neither have been responded to - the last one being three hours before I submitted this complaint. One additional phone call made today to the customer service number ###-###-#### at 11:21am right before my last online billing inquiry request was submitted. And as of typing this complaint, on Oct **, 2013 @ 2:30pm the credit transaction that was granted on Oct ** has NOT been credited to my credit card. Unfortunately I have no membership number available as I have not received my membership packet via mail...but given what I have seen so far I doubt there will even be such a packet.Desired Settlement: A FULL refund of $789 to my credit card (happy to supply again when needed) plus FULL cancellation of my membership including no renewal processing of any kind and removal of my name and information from their website.

Consumer

Response:

I have received a credit for $389 back onto my credit card as of 11/**/2013 in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this fully refunds my money allowing this matter to be 100% resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: I fell into a marketing ploy for "FREE" registration for membership. Had a lengthy call with a rep from their membership services and at the end of the call she said the full amount of 789 was charged to my account. That is when I proceed to say NO, refund my money immediately and she gave me a run around story. Very unprofessional when I told her I wanted to the charge reversed. She said she told me it would go through immediately but that is not what I heard. I should have not given my cc info so that is my fault but the false advertising and the inappropriate attitude when asked for a credit was unacceptable. I have filed complaints with my cc company, and the NAPW billing & membership services outlets.Desired Settlement: Remove their ads for the "FREE" registration from websites like [redacted] and refund my money immediately

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.

Sincerely,

Review: Organization claims that I have been accepted as a member when I never filed for a membership. Plus, I believe my information has been acquired illegally. They have me listed as associated with a '[redacted]' when I am not associated with such organization.

I have made two phone calls to have my information removed and have not received a phone call back..

I demand that my information be removed from this organization, immediately.Desired Settlement: Remove my information and no longer contact me nor sell/provide my information to other company/organizations.

Business

Response:

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.

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:

[Your Answer Here]

The address of the office that sent this 'approval of membership' came from YOUR office. So how is it that I am not in your database?If there is a global server system that each office shares, then please make sure that my information is removed from that server.Thank you.

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]- Your information was in a separate database which is used to select women to whom we send invitations to membership. It is not in the active database, which comprises women who have applied for or entered into membership. I just received the confirmation from the marketing department that your information has been deleted from that first database.

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.

Sincerely,

I recommend not joining this organization on any level. They market their organization as prestigious, and an advocate for professional women with a multitude of services, but they really just want your money. The membership fees are absurd. In the small print, they tell you that your membership will automatically renew, but I did not receive any notification of this whatsoever and they charged me for a full second year - with not even a confirmation sent that this was done. When I saw it on my credit card and asked (within about 1 month) for it to be removed they hide behind their T&C's. They refunded me about 3/4 of the subscription. I got absolutely no benefits from being a member, but I also did not spend a lot of time on their website, which apparently is really all you're paying for access to.

Review: I contacted this company to become a member because their ad said that it was free. By the time they had contacted me, I had forgotten all about this place. When they called they wanted me to pay a huge amount of money then when I said no they started going down in price. She didn't say at anytime that there was a free memberships e I had forgotten who they were from when I filled the application. She went down far enough in price that I could fit it in my budget but it would still have been hard for me to afford it. So I said ok for her to charge it and then she added more money for a plaque that I never asked for. I went on the site afterwards and found out that there is a free membership. I called them immediately to make sure that they would not charge my account because I saw that there is a free membership and I got no response. Then I went on the website and emailed customer service. They called me and left a message and I called the, back and left a message and have not been able to contact them..Desired Settlement: I would like my money refunded and want nothing to do with them.

Business

Response:

Review: I joined the NAPW in 2011 after a pressured exchange with one of their sales people. Within two months of joining I called to cancel as I found no useful seminars or meetings listed in my area (New York City). In fact, I found zero benefit.

This past month (3 years later) I noticed a charge for $789 on my credit card statement. When I called to notify them that I had never used the service and had called to cancel 3 years earlier, and would need to be reimbursed, they told me they could not since I was an active member for 3 years. Active member? Then I was informed that I had been charged $99 in 2012 and $199 in 2013.

After a 5 minute discussion, they agreed to reimburse me $540 (or something close to that). No thank you - I would like the full amount reimbursed. Then they offered me $600, then $689. Basically, coming back with a new number every time I threatened to dispute this with my credit card company. Finally, I was told $689 was all that could be credited and if I decided to dispute this with my credit card company, I would be found in the wrong and required to pay in full, so I should just take their offer. Yet another scare tactic. I'm currently disputing the last charge with my credit card company.Desired Settlement: After seeing the numerous Revdex.com complaints I now realize that I wasn't alone in feeling this organization was a fraud. Given the organization did not provide what they claimed to offer, I want to be reimbursed in full for my initial membership fee. I never attended one event hosted by this organization as there wasn't much offered.

Also, given I cancelled very quickly after signing up, I will need to be reimbursed for the yearly fee's I have incurred.

Given the initial membership fee was incurred in 2011, I am still waiting to hear from my credit card company on what the exact fee was. I recall it being around $500. 2012 was $99 and 2013 was $199. Please note: I have disputed the $789 fee with my credit card company so they are working on rectifying that for me.

Business

Response:

[redacted]’s complaint to the Revdex.com prompted an

investigation into the claims made regarding membership. As a courtesy, we have

refunded [redacted]’s credit card to reflect the original renewal rate which she

accepted in 2011.

During [redacted]’s initial enrollment interview, our representative explained that NAPW

uses an automatic renewal process, designed to protect each member’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. We do ask our

members the courtesy of advising us if they are not certain they wish to renew

as we have immediate costs which are incurred with each renewal – costs which

are not refundable to us.

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. In the rare instance that a representative

fails to explain the process, we manually deactivate the automatic renewal

function and notify the member when their membership is about to expire so they

can elect to renew. According to our

records, [redacted]’s recorded interview was compliant.

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 [redacted] 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 [redacted] 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. We

also publish any changes in the terms and conditions of membership on the

member portal, and include reminders in most correspondence with our

members. The increase in our renewal

rates was announced in April 2013, and we also set up an announcement,

detailing all changes as well as our amended terms and conditions, which each

member wishing to access her profile was required to read and accept before

proceeding to the membership area.

Contact information for any member wishing clarification or to decline

the automatic renewal was provided.

The contact information was also provided in the postcard we sent out

to arrive via surface mail during the first week of April 2014, reminding [redacted] of her upcoming renewal. During the week of April **, 2014, well before

it was processed, NAPW sent [redacted] another courtesy reminder of her

upcoming renewal transaction. A second reminder was sent 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, which must be reviewed and accepted

before access is granted to the website, so her renewal was processed as she

previously authorized.

As per [redacted]’s conversation with our

representative on June *, 2014, more than thirty days after her renewal, all of

this was discussed with her and as a courtesy; we agreed to honor the renewal

fee to which she had agreed in 2011.

We have issued a credit to [redacted]’s account,

which should have posted to her account by this time. Card issuers will provide exact information

regarding the availability of those funds. We have also deactivated

the automatic renewal function of [redacted]’s membership, so that it will not

renew next year.

We understand that consumers sometimes miss elements of the sale.

However, we want to make it abundantly clear that NAPW absolutely does not

charge any member without her knowledge or authorization.

We want [redacted] to know that 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

Moreover, we host our National Networking Conference where

almost two thousand members from all over the country enjoy an unforgettable

day of networking, panel discussions, workshops and presentations from

extraordinary women like [redacted] from ABC’s “Shark

Tank” and “Good Morning, America” co-host [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, the University

of Phoenix 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 do encourage [redacted] to log in while to her

membership while it remains active and take advantage of the exclusive member benefits.

We have a comprehensive membership services staff, which is qualified to field

all inquiries and enjoy working with all of our members to maximize their

benefits.

We do hope that this makes things clear to [redacted]. Please feel

free to contact us with any additional questions or concerns.

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:

I have not used, nor plan on using NAPW services as I was immediately unsatisfied with what was offered after signing up. Having cancelled within a few weeks of joining, I was surprised to find out earlier this month that I had still been charged the past 3 years.

I had stopped receiving e-mails and assumed this was due to the fact that I was no longer a member. Furthermore, I left my job and the e-mail alias being used as of April 2013 so NAPW was likely receiving notifications that I was no longer at that e-mail, or bounce backs, if they in fact were still sending me e-mails.

It is unfortunate that my cancellation is not being honored and my funds reimbursed.

I also find it incredibly shady that my last call with NAPW resulted in a negotiation of sorts on the most recent yearly charge of $789, continuously making offers of a reduced amount, in the hopes that I would cave and agree to a lesser charge. I did not agree, but the reduced amount was still charged. I would like to pay nothing, as I was unaware I was still a member!

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Member

Name: Member

# Case#

[redacted] authorized the May *, 2014 charge,

reflecting her annual membership dues.

During her initial enrollment interview, our representative 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 the [redacted] that her

annual membership would automatically renew.

[redacted] had the opportunity to opt out of our automatic renewal

program at that time. We also ask our members to extend

the courtesy of advising us that they wish to opt out at any time prior to the

actual scheduled renewal because we do incur immediate expenses as we in turn

continue their access to benefits for which we pay our partners to provide.

These are not refundable to us.

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. In the rare instance that a

representative fails to explain the process, we manually deactivate the

automatic renewal function and notify [redacted] when their membership is about

to expire so they can elect to renew.

According to our records, [redacted]’s recorded interview was compliant.

During the initial enrollment interview, our

representative explained that [redacted] that she would be receiving a packet

with her membership card and information about her membership – including the

automatic renewal policy. We also post our Terms & Conditions on our

website. They 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]

and [redacted]. Each of these pages publishes

the contact telephone numbers and email addresses, and provides a convenient

form which she 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 she received her monthly newsletters and numerous other

organizational announcements. The reminders that we send regarding her renewal,

which go to the email address on file about a month prior to the renewal taking

place, would have bounced back to a server which is not monitored regularly. We

do rely on our members to keep us up to date with their contact information –

[redacted] did not advise us that she had left that company or changed her

contact information. We do rely on our members to keep us up to date with their

contact information – [redacted] did not advise us that she had left that

company or changed her contact information.

We have reviewed all of our records. [redacted] did not contact us to cancel her membership

at any time after enrolling as a member. Nor did we hear from her before her scheduled

renewal prior to processing, as required by our Terms & Conditions, so her

renewal was processed as she previously authorized.

When [redacted] contacted us on June [redacted],

this was explained to her, and in consideration of the situation, we refunded

all but the expenses which we incurred on her behalf.

However, as there seems to be a clear problem with

communication, we have refunded the balance of her fee and it should post to

her account in accordance with the policies of the issuing bank.

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.

Sincerely,

Review: The organization charged me $789 in membership fees even though I submitted multiple requests to have my membership cancelled. The customer service line always goes to voicemail and they never respond to email requests. They have given me no way to cancel the membership and charged me without my consent. Additionally, their Terms of Service states "As your membership year draws near its close, NAPW will send you multiple reminders before processing your membership renewal." But I never received any reminders or warnings about renewal charges.Desired Settlement: Refund $789

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.

Sincerely,