National Association of Professional Women

Review: I signed up for NAPW via LinkedIn and was told it was free. When I received at phone call from ###-###-#### I was given information by Kathy G[redacted], Acct Coordinator at ###-###-#### She asks me how long I've been doing what I'm doing, if I belong to any other organizations, what my duties include on a day to day basis, where I see myself in 3-4 years, etc. I answer them all and she answers all of them with this generic comment. Then says "[redacted].” I was advised that in order to become a member that I had to pay a $99 Basic membership fee of which I paid. She advised that I would receive a confirmation email., which I did and would receive allow access to the website and features. I received confirmation email with the login and password, however when I go to log into the site, it says invalid email. I tried 8 times to log in and I have tried calling the number several times and , left a vm without a response. I have now read several other reviews stating they have the exact same issue and were never able to gain access to the site not reach anyone at the telephone number given.Desired Settlement: I will place a dispute with my CC company as soon as the transaction has posted to my account and also on Revdex.com to ensure that I receive a refund of $99 to this scam

Business

Response:

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] – 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.

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 just want to clarify the "business" response.1. Said business did not contact me the following Monday, I contacted them directly after having left several messages.2. I was not angered nor "less than polite"; however, after being asked 4 different times in 4 different ways why I was cancelling, one less than seasoned sales retention associate may feel that a stern no is "less than polite". As far as not paying attention to the availability of the profile, I received an email withing an hour of my initial phone call stating my profile was ready to be updated.3. The statement "refusing to accept that she bore any responsibility for not researching the NAPW before joining because she wanted something for nothing" Obviously, I didn't want "something" for nothing, because I gave my credit card. However, they are correct in saying that I may not have thoroughly researched the organization, initially since they had a only at this time offer. HOWEVER, buyers remorse and an uncomfortable feeling made me research moments later. After researching, this organization has less than stellar reviews on more than 15 different websites. All 300 negative reviews cannot be wrong, not to mention the probability that countless others did not post reviews as many others have.

Sincerely,

This organization is horrible. When I started my business in November 2014 and filed with the [redacted] Department, offers started to pour in from associations. NAPW's stated that as [redacted] of my own company I qualified for a free membership. I put it to the side for a couple weeks then called after Christmas. When I called and they told me it was going to be nearly $800 to join I hesitated but then relented. Not a smart move.
I had to call to get a member packet and ID number. I was so busy starting up my business that I didn't have a chance to discover that there wasn't a functioning chapter near me but 3-4 hours away.
I emailed them on May * to cancel my membership. After an email exchange where they said that there were members near me just not a chapter and suggested I learn how to use their website. I emailed once again stating that I wanted to cancel my membership that I paid an entire year in full, expiring on Dec. **, 2015. [redacted] from customer service said that since I was "six months" into my membership she couldn't refund me any of my dues. So I counted off the months to her stating that since I join on Dec. **, 2014 and today was May *, 2015, I was only 4 months and 8 days into my membership. [redacted] quickly said it was "60 days" in which they give full refunds.
As you can imagine, this Three-Card Monty game this supposed female empowering membership organization is pulling is wrong. [redacted] proudly boasted that NAPW was not a Revdex.com accredited organization. I said, now I know why. I raised my voice and demand a pro-rated refund. [redacted] scolded me for raising my voice. I then said that if I treated my clients the way NAPW is treating me, I'd lose livelihood. She continues to reaffirm that despite there being no chapter leadership near me there are other ways I can network with people online. Again asked her to cancel my membership and give me a pro-rated refund, in a stern voice. She again berated me. So I said. Fine just cancel my membership and I will report you to the Revdex.com, the [redacted] (b/c NAPW is based in NY) and the NY Revdex.com. [redacted] suddenly gets a change of heart and says she's going to give me a $300 refund out of the goodness of her heart.
DO NOT JOIN THIS ORGANIZATION!!!! Stay away. Go with your local chamber of commerce where everyone/everything is local and they know you. Lesson learned.

Review: I received a letter from the company stating I was offered free enrollment into the National Association of Professoinal Women. I filled out the info and then was contacted by a representative. They gathered more information about me and after they said it was free, they kept saying the cost of membership was $799. After multiple times of declining the offer, I was pressured hardly to pay for something. At the end of the call, I signed up for the $99.99 package.

Since I started on 1/**, I have only had access to the website but cannot do any changes or edit my profile. I emailed support that day and made calls and received a response 2/* that IT was working on it. In the meantime, I went to visit the Revdex.com website and couldn't believe the ratings this company has. I also discovered bad reviews on other sites and I do not feel confident with this business and them having my credit card information. They have not provided any value to me.Desired Settlement: I feel like I was misled in the sales process and not happy with post sales support. I do not want to do business with this organization and request to not be contacted again and my credit card refunded.

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 $99. This check should be issued within the next 7-10 days and will be sent directly to the member's address on file ([redacted])

Business

Response:

We have issued a second check, which will arrive within two business weeks. The original check has been stopped. Please do not deposit.

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 paid for a membership in August of 2013 for one year. I paid with my Visa Card at the time. I was reviewing my Visa statement online and see that the National Association for Profession Women. I was shocked as I did not call to renew a membership and did not authorize a fee for $199 on my Visa Card as of August *. I called the NAPW and asked for the $199 to be credited back to my Visa as I had not authorized the charge. The NAPW said I had to canel 30 days before 8/*/14. I did not know I was going to billed $199 until I saw it on my statement so I cannot call to cancel. I was upset and complained about their practice and they gave me $99.00 credit to the charge 1/2 of the total charge. I find this an unacceptable and I want to be reimbursed for the full amount.Desired Settlement: The initial disputed charge is $199. NAPW credited me $99. Leaves $100 that I want to be reimbursed to my Visa Charge Card. [redacted]

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.

[redacted] authorized the August *, 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 Introductory level of 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. 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.

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]

– which is the same address showing on this complaint. 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 June 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. Our membership

services did reach out to her on several occasions to follow up to make sure

she was aware of her benefits, but we were unable to reach her.

She was

proposed as a VIP member, but declined to upgrade her membership on December

**, 2014. However, she did not make any requests to change the status of her

existing membership during that conversation, so her renewal was left intact.

This call is also available for review.

[redacted] did contact us on August *, 2014 and

demanded that we refund her fees. Our representative explained to her why she

was billed and that had she contacted us when she received any of the

reminders, we would have been able to cancel the renewal. She did not do so,

and her renewal was processed as approved and scheduled.

As per her conversation with our membership

services representative, we have issued a credit to [redacted]’s account and we

have also deactivated the automatic renewal function of her membership, so that

it will not renew.

We take the claim 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.

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]; shopping and other discounts through a number of partnerships,

including exclusive sponsors like [redacted], one of the world's largest computer

suppliers; and interesting topical content provided through our social media

and other outlets. Again, our entire team is working hard every single

day to build these partnerships, identify and create content, and make greater

benefits available to our members.

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 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,

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

We understand that people forget things; this is why we mailed a reminder to [redacted], followed by two email reminders advising her about her renewal. This was something to which she verbally agreed when she became a member - we do not have signed contracts - we have verbal authorizations. Despite the fact that [redacted] did not call us at any time to change the status of her membership until after it renewed - a simple courtesy we request so that we do not purchase outside services for which we will not be reimbursed or refunded - it is not our desire to make people unhappy - therefore we have issued the balance of the fee back to her account.

Review: I initially joined the NAPW in April of 2014 after seeing that a respected colleague is the local chapter's [redacted]. I completed their form with the expectation of getting web access to seminars, career information, and the ability to network with other professional women. Shortly after filling out the membership form online, I was contacted by an account representative. She called during business hours expecting me to drop everything for a 30 minute phone call. Reluctantly, I scheduled a time later that week that was more convenient for me. The scheduled phone call felt like an actual interview and talking about my accomplishments made me feel fantastic -- I was actually being acknowledged for them. I was a bit shocked at the membership fee of $789 but having been told that the NAPW was the largest organization for professional women in the US with over 600,000 members just like me, I gave my credit card information and purchased the membership.

My issue is that once I purchased the initial membership, I was hounded several days each week by salespeople calling my office and mobile phone at all hours of the day and night. I finally took the call in early June and was offered the VIP upgrade membership with promised me a framed certificate of recognition with the official NAPW seal, featured profile on the NAPW website, VIP membership announcement in the monthly newsletter, and many other "perks" of VIP status. I have yet to receive the certificate.

This week I finally gave into the phone calls again to be greeted by another sales person (named [redacted], email [redacted]) from the editorial department needing to verify my profile information for the Legends book before going to press in a few weeks. Again, I was kept on the phone for 15 minutes verifying all of my profile information, was given an email address to send a personal photo, and then was offered to purchase a set of books for $995. I told her I was not interested in spending any more money with the NAPW, I did not want the books. She offered several more options reducing the price to $250. Each time I said no. She asked me if it was a financial constraint preventing me from purchasing -- I said, NO, I will not spend any more money with the NAPW. Her friendly tone immediately changed to cold and irritated and she promptly ended the call.

Today I got ANOTHER call from a salesperson in a different editorial department needing to verify all of my profile information again for the monthly newsletter about to go to press. I told [redacted] that I already verified all of my profile information with someone at the NAPW the day before and did not have time to do it again. She said this was for something different and she had to verify my information on the phone with me today before the publication deadline. I told her that I did not have time and she offered to email me the information that she needed to verify. I have yet to receive that email. I assume this was yet another attempt to sell me some other NAPW upgrade or service.

I believe that the NAPW (National Association for Professional Women) employs unscrupulous sales tactics that are intentionally predatory towards women. Please stop them from continuing to prey on professional women proud of what they have accomplished and hopeful to connect with others in the professional world.Desired Settlement: After contacting the NAPW's billing department, I was refunded a portion of the VIP upgrade total of $495 ($395 refunded back to my credit card on 7/**/2014) but was informed that the rest of my membership dues were non-refundable and my membership would stay in place until it expires next year. I would like a full refund of my membership fees and my profile information deleted from their database. I do not want to be associated with this organization in any way unless it involves a class action law suit of which I would happily participate.

The total amount that I would like refunded is $889.

Business

Response:

We have refunded the balance of the upgrade, and we are

investigating the other claims before taking any further steps. We do not prey

on women - we invite them to participate with other professionals and we provide

a number of benefits and resources specifically chosen and created to enhance

each member's life - both on a professional and personal level. Members who do

take advantage of these benefits have grown their business networks, improved

their skills and expanded their horizons.

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.

We also host an annual National Networking Conference where almost two thousand

members where members from all over the country enjoy an unforgettable day of

networking, panel discussions, workshops and presentations from extraordinary

women like Sara Blakeley, Arianna Huffington,

Star Jones, Martha Stewart, Ivanka Trump, Randy Zuckerburg, Barbara Corcoran and

Robin Roberts. Click here for more information.

Additionally, we are constantly providing and working to upgrade the

secondary benefits such as free or discounted continuing education

through leading providers like [redacted] and [redacted]; 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 also established the NAPW Foundation, which raises

money for organizations and charities which are important to women in general

and our members in particular. NAPW

Foundation’s philanthropic partners include [redacted], The

[redacted] and the [redacted].

Review: I received an invitation in the mail to join the NAPW. I had never heard of it so I went to their website. It looked like a normal business association so I filled out the info to join. I then received a phone call a day or two later from and account rep named [redacted]. She asked me a few questions about my profession then asked me what kind of membership I would like to purchase. She went through the explanation of the different options way too fast. I'm not the type of person that buys things over the phone much less without reviewing some information about it first. When I asked for her to send me information on each option so I could look it over and see which option would best suit me she refused. She said they didn't have any information they could send me. When I asked if she could just type up the benefits she had just explained in an email to me, she refused again saying that it wasn't possible. Claimed that the memberships are personalized. That makes no sense at all. She processed to keep asking me to buy this package or that one. I had to get [redacted] with her because she didn't seem to hear me the first two times I said I wasn't buying anything over the phone and I certainly wasn't buying anything without receiving information first. I don't trust this company at all. How can you not have literature on the product your selling. How can you seriously tell a customer that you can't give them information on what you are asking them to buy?Desired Settlement: I just wanted to get this information out there so people don't get fooled by this. I wish I had come here first and seen all the complaints already submitted. This company needs to be shut down. It's a scam!

Consumer

Response:

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

This consumer has asked not to receive further communications from NAPW. She has been deactivated in our CRM and will not receive any future emails or targeted advertising, though she may encounter passive, non-targeted advertising on the Internet.

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 was contacted today by a representative from NAPW letting me know that I was selected as one of the 2014 Women of the Year. After a long conversation, I was told that I would be able to obtain the discounted membership of $900+, which I declined. The price was reduced to $495 over a 2-month period, and included the cost of an upcoming conference. When I went to register for the conference, it states that I have to pay an additional $300+. This led me to reading other complaints that describe the same situation. I contacted my representative (about 30 min. after my first call) to ask her to refund the $247.50 and not to charge my credit card anymore. She said that the "billing department" would have to handle, so transferred me. I received a "we aren't available" message with another number to call. After calling that number and receiving the same message, I have no way of cancelling my charge (that has yet to go through yet). I did contact my bank, and am awaiting my options.Desired Settlement: I would like the $247.50 charge to be removed from my credit card immediately, and would like my card information to be removed from their system. I do not want to incur another charge of $247.50 next month or any type of automatic renewal.

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: After viewing an advertisement for the National Association of Professional Women on [redacted], I submitted an application for membership to what appeared to be a professional networking association geared towards women. Several days later, I received a phone call from an "Unknown Number". A representative of the organization identified herself, and asked me a couple interview style questions in order to "complete my application". She then immediately informed me that I had been accepted, and outlined several benefits of membership, such as networking, seminars, webinars, and retail discounts. She then described two levels of "membership", each costing upwards of $800-1000 a year. Obviously, this is an absurd amount of money for a professional organization membership, so I said no. She then offered me several "cheaper" versions ranging from $99-500 per year. I asked at least twice for her information and phone number so I could call back at a later time (and after some much needed research) with my decision on membership. She informed me that they did not go back and forth on memberships, and that if I wanted my application to go through, I would have to immediately give her my credit card information, over the phone, to an unknown number. I am a professional, well-educated person and I do not under any circumstances give out my personal information to people who call from unknown numbers. However, this sales pitch could easily work on others who are less wary, or desperate for anything that can help them find a job in this economy. Therefore, the National Association of Professional Women at the very least has unethical and predatory business practices, and at the worst is an outright scam, aimed at venerable women who are trying to better themselves and advance their careers.Desired Settlement: The NAPW must immediately stop contacting me, and remove any of my application information from their records. Further, the Revdex.com should see to it that action is taken to protect consumers from these unethical and predatory business practices.

Business

Response:

We are sorry that

[redacted]’s experience with the NAPW has been less than ideal – we do strive

to provide our applicants with resources and benefits to enhance and improve

their lives, both personal and professional. We encourage and expect our

members to avail themselves of those benefits and to contact us with any

questions or problems regarding their memberships. Members who do take the time

to explore and take advantage of the myriad resources available will find

tremendous value in being a member of the NAPW.

Applicants for membership are

entitled to be treated with utmost respect and empathy, and every person on the

NAPW team is trained to work with applicants to explain the benefits and costs

associated with membership and to resolve any issues; however, there are

protocols and policies which must be followed. These policies are companywide

and all of our team members are required to follow them.

[redacted] completed an application for

membership in NAPW. On July *, 2014, NAPW

contacted her and conducted its initial enrollment interview. During this telephone call our representative

explained the annual costs and benefits associated with membership. One of the

purposes of these enrollment interviews is to determine what it is the

applicant hopes to gain from her membership. Our most comprehensive levels of

membership, which include myriad benefits like unlimited live seminars and

webinars, discounts on courses for continuing education requirements,

networking, conferences, discounts and other resources, are offered to each

applicant and those who do wish to access these things can choose to purchase

that package. However, some applicants are not interested in the educational

benefits – which are the most costly component of membership. Some of them are

at different stages of life and have budgetary concerns. We work with these

applicants to find a level of membership which provides them access to the

resources they seek, while remaining within their budgets.

We

expect that those who have submitted and application for consideration for membership have done so

after doing some research on the NAPW,

and they are ready to make a decision about joining the organization.

With thousands of applicants to interview and consider, we do require that

applicants make their decisions at the time of the interview. We prefer to

allocate our resources to providing better benefits and services to our

members.

Because

NAPW is a membership-based networking organization, the primary benefits at all

levels are found through our membership portal ([redacted]) as well as through our

face-to-face networking at our over 300 Local Chapters nationwide. Additionally, through our online portal,

members are able to access ancillary benefits provided by our business

partners.

We take the claim that a member was "scammed" or

that a charge was unauthorized very seriously. NAPW provides an amazing value for the

membership fee. Included in ALL memberships levels are webinars,

seminars, discounts, perks, online networking access and in-person chapter

affiliation as well as a myriad of other benefits. Our organization is

growing, expanding and moving forward through numerous initiatives, strategic

alliances and corporate affiliations; offering members additional avenues to

ASPIRE, ACHIEVE and CONNECT.

Every member of NAPW's management team works diligently to

deliver maximum value to our members, and any claim that someone was

"scammed" is demonstrably false. We currently have almost

a half-million satisfied members, all of whom are free to use our online

networking portal, which gives our members more connectivity options

and far more ability to promote themselves than other networking sites.

We have over 300 local chapters across America, in which tens of thousands of

our members get together to take their online experience into the real world

and create incredible connections with other professional women. These local

chapters are constantly implementing new ways for the local members to

interact. We encourage of our members to

join all of the chapters in their area - this gives them more opportunities to

attend events that fit their busy schedules and widens the circle of local

women with whom to network.

Moreover, we host an annual National Networking Conference

where almost two thousand members where members from all over the country enjoy

an unforgettable day of networking, panel discussions, workshops and

presentations from extraordinary women like [redacted]. 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]; shopping and other discounts through a number of partnerships,

including exclusive sponsors like [redacted], one of the world's largest computer suppliers;

and interesting topical content provided through our social media and other

outlets. Again, our entire team is working hard every single day to build

these partnerships, identify and create content, and make greater benefits

available to our members.

Review: The primary complaint is not just one, they also besides charged my card with an unauthorized charge, but the other charge they did charge I cannot get a receipt for, an explanation of charges, or invoice for and I was to receive a welcome package within 7 days after the charge on 10/**/2013 that I am still fighting with them to get that contains my information about the organization, my card, the organization rules and regulation which I recently found out will charge my card at my anniversary without my permission over $600.00 for renewal. When I got online at [redacted] and another member had complained and started a hole chain of over 40 women complaining. I asked about my situation they immediately brought down the string of questions and complaints! I will be filing a complaint with the FTC and the State Attorneys office for Fraud. My card was charged $199.00 and $99.00 and this was for a membership for just access to the internet the lowest fee membership there is suppose to be. They bully you starting at $798.00 and work their way down until you say yes. I live off a part time income right now which I explained that my mother had suffered two strokes in 2013 and my business had declined and could not afford the high price, but they went ahead and charged my card with high charges anyway and one without my permission which is fraud and a crime. I have a string of emails that they will not respond to because they will not put anything in writing. I would like my credit card refunded for the two charges for one is fraudulent and the other I did not receive a receipt for nor did I receive the merchandise I was promised. Therefore by Federal Statutes I am entitled to a full refund.Desired Settlement: My credit card credited back for the two charges and funds paid to my credit card company for the finance charges incurred so that I can get those credited back to my account. I want no further contact with the NAPW nor do I want them to take any retribution,action or harassment, towards me or mine or face legal prosecution by the state of New York and Florida.

Business

Response:

Since the refund request was for a transaction that occurred more than 60 days ago, a check was issued for this request as was explained to [redacted] 2/*/14, when she spoke with an associate to request cancellation. Check refunds are processed for authorized purchases more than 60 days ago, and generally require 30 days to be received by the member.

Review: I signed up in June of this year. I was informed by the website that the local chapters were required to hold monthly meetings. The local chapter to this area held one meeting in August. At that time it was just myself and the President at the meeting.

I spoke with a [redacted] this time last month. Six months total and I have been unable to attend a local networking meeting because none have been held. I would like my membership to be refunded. Customer Service informs me verbally that it is non-refundable. That is a scam.

Today's phone call was a lot of arguing instead of making the customer happy.

This organization obviously takes money and then all bets are out the window.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund and I would like them to take the local chapters more seriously.

Nothing was done in a months time.

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 had received a promotional mailing to receive information on becoming a FREE member of NAPW in October 2010. I sent in the postcard requesting further information on what the program was. I received a call on October 18th, 2010, from [redacted] who at the time worked as an account director. If our call was indeed recorded that day I would LOVE to be able to hear it again to make sure what I believe was exchanged could be verified. After responding to her questions about the business I was involved in and such she said I was approved for membership and went on to tell me about the fees. I responded with a no, thank you, I'm not interested in being a part of this if I have to pay that. She insisted of course. So I told her that I was unclear about what the services really were that she was offering. So she went through a vague presentation which still left me unclear of the advantage. She then asked for my credit card information to get the membership started. I told her I didn't want to give it to her and she insisted again that I must. I was in tears on the phone because she was so rough and I truly felt I didn't have a choice. I wanted to hang up on her but I felt that would be morally wrong so I continued. I didn't want to give her my card information, however she pulled it out of me...all the while so upset and unsure what I was getting into. I was so mad at myself for letting her push me around! Membership information was mailed out to me on the 19th and I started getting emails from the company. I never could figure out how to get to the website they had supposedly set up for me, which I paid $189 to get set up. My credit card has also been charged $99 in both November of 2011 and 2012 for the annual maintenance fee of said website I've never used. I have tried numerous times EACH year to get my membership cancelled. I have never been able to connect with a live person. Even when I'm dialing a direct extension.Desired Settlement: First I want my membership terminated. I will be in contact with my credit card provider to stop payment should it try to come through. Why I didn't do that before I have no idea! I would like a total refund of what this company has collected from me in the amount of $695. 95. I am unhappy with how this company does business and a total refund seems the least they can do.

Business

Response:

Paid a fee to join which was extreme, but told what I could get. Later stated a need for additional fees for what sounds like the same as beginning. Will not continue with this after this year. I felt/feel this could be a scam.

Review: Many complaints - first to which the cost of membership which was offered as free -was not. Was $789. Has a bad Revdex.com rating - but posts a logo on their website.

Unable to delete my online profile - or make in unsearchable to ANY person, not just members. Privacy statement says I have to contact them to remove. I did. No answer.

Since my membership on 11/*, I've had over 50 unsolicited calls to my mobile phone (on the do-not call list) I believe they sold my number. The calls started 4 hours after my CC was charged. They have not responded to complaint.

Noticed they do not publish membership fees on their site.Desired Settlement: Refund of $789 to my [redacted] card

Business

Response:

We are investigating the cause of these unsolicited contacts. [redacted] contacted us on November ** and we have been trying to reach her to discuss the specifics of these contacts in order to determine the reason for them. We have left several messages for her to call us back so that we can get more information and resolve this matter with her. We are not able to proceed until she does return our calls. We would appreciate it if she would call us as we wish to get to the bottom of these calls and come to a resolution for her individual situation. Please call us at ###-###-####, between 9-5 ET, Monday-Friday.Thank you

Review: The organization posted a $989.00 annual membership fee to my checking account. I contacted them about this, which has caused my checking account to go into a minus balance and informed them that I did not authorize such a huge amount. They refused to reverse the charge. An argument ensued, when I was told they would not reverse the charge. I received a post card stating my annual membership was due soon, and I've been a member for a number of years and I was shocked when I was told I agreed to this. When did I agree to a $989.00 charge. I insisted they reverse my charge and close me out as a member, they refused to that and stated I could negotiate the amount. I stated I'm not calling to negotiate, I want a reversal. I've seen a number of posts related to this organization and it's practices for charges and now I'm one of them.Desired Settlement: I want a reversal of this charge to my checking account. I've spoken to the bank and they gave me the phone number to call. I called the organization and they stated they are keeping the money. I have bills coming in and no money to pay them. I can easily show you my bank balance if you need a screen shot.

Business

Response:

This member did contact us regarding the renewal of her membership. this member was refunded in full.

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 was called by [redacted] who wanted to highlight my business in a newsletter. She has been calling for a few weeks now. We talked this morning, and after asking questions about my business for 10 minutes, she went into detail about an "exclusive" membership, which she can sell to me for $945. So, the call was never about the newsletter. It was about selling a VIP membership for nearly $1K. Now, I'm in business because I'm not stupid. I was more curious than anything to see the tactic this person would use, and let her know I had to think about it. There is no way I'm going to purchase this membership. An award or recognition is not an award if you have to pay for it. Do actors pay $5K for their Oscars? I don't think so. It's an industry award for recognizing talent. So, I'm fed up with this organization and want to be disassociated immediately, with a refund for the original $99 I paid to join last September because all they do is use their member list for high pressure sales call leads.Desired Settlement: I want my membership revoked immediately and a refund of the $99 I paid last year since I've gotten absolutely no benefit from this organization at all. It's a front to sell "awards" and "VIP memberships". Basically, have people pay thousands for absolutely no product or service. SCAM.

Business

Response:

member was refunded by check.

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,

After signing up for a free membership from an advertisement on [redacted], I received a phone call from NAPW. They asked for information about me and then proceeded to tell me about the Elite membership level for over $900. After refusing, I was offered a preferred membership in the $700 area. This continued until I was offered a trial membership for $99. This was a high pressure sales call. She worked hard to keep me on the line and at each refusal insisted that this was a limited time opportunity. Their benefits do not compare to other professional organizations and I have never experienced this type of sales tactic from another. Please beware and I don't recommend the NAPW.

Review: I'm so disappointed. I made the decision to become a member of this association and with a heavy heart and sheer regret it was the one decision I made in my ENTIRE life that I absolutely regret. As a business owner it is imperative to ensure your customers are pleased. I know it's impossible to make everyone happy as some folks have unreasonable expectations. However, I like to think that I'm a fair and reasonable individual. When it comes to customer service at minimum a business should ensure ALL calls are handled and addressed appropriately and in a timely manner. It is IMPERATIVE that customers should not feel slighted. I at minimum expect efficient customer service and/or at least a call back as a member who just shelled out almost $1,000!!

I'm disappointed bc I don't have money to throw away. I've been in contact with the company to advise them that I am not interested in being a part of their organization and have asked for a refund, but I'm confident they WILL NOT refund/reverse any charges.

My angst and disappointment is due in part to me not receiving the email confirmation of my payment/transaction which was the first red flag as well as me never receiving my member ID number which was to be included in the email confirmation that was never sent.

I am to conclude that if I never received an email I won't receive the so called "welcome package" as promised by the rep. Additionally, my business info upload to their general website was entered INCORRECTLY. This is unacceptable. How am I to make business connections if the information is wrong???

I'm also disgusted at their lack of customer care as no one returned my call. Their lack of customer service reps is jaw dropping!!! Who runs a large organization such as they claim and apparently are understaffed? I've never worked with, worked for or experienced a business or organization which never returned customer inquiries, until now. Also, even more troubling is the association has a non-working email address ([redacted]) which is assigned to their HEADQUARTERS link!!!

I have yet to receive a callback, email or anything. Therefore at this point, I filed a claim to dispute the charges applied to my card and will be working with my bank to retrieve those funds.

The ONLY thing this association can do to prove they are not unscrupulous is refund my money back to my account. I'm sure that won't happen though...Desired Settlement: To have all monies refunded back.

Business

Response:

We are sorry that[redacted]’s experience with the NAPW has been less than ideal so far– wedo strive to provide our members with resources and benefits to enhance andimprove their lives, both personal and professional. We encourage andexpect our members to avail themselves of those benefits and to contact us withany questions or problems regarding their memberships. Members who do take thetime to 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 January *, 2015, 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. The email address is one which was providedby [redacted] and was verbally confirmed by her during the interview. However, when [redacted] contacted us theother day, advising that she had not received that e-mail, we discovered that aletter was missing from her e-mail address. This was corrected immediately, andthe e-mail was dispatched again to the correct address. [redacted] now hasher login information. While we completely understand [redacted]’sfrustration at not being able to speak with someone immediately, we do think itis a bit unfair to claim that we did not handle her issues in a timelymanner. [redacted] did contact us onSaturday, January **, 2015 at 9:43 AM. Our business hours are Monday throughFriday, from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, so she left a voice mail message. Member communications are handled withintwenty-four business hours; they are replied to in the order in which they arereceived. Our representative spoke with her and resolved [redacted]’sproblem before 11:00 Monday morning. The reason she did not receive her login information was due to a simpletypographic error in her email address, which was immediately rectified.Additionally, as a courtesy and because [redacted] had been enthusiasticabout becoming an active member of the NAPW, we refunded a portion of her feeand deactivated the automatic renewal function of her membership, so that itwill not renew without her express permission. We have also ensured that one ofour membership service representatives will speak with her to go over all ofher benefits in detail and assist her in taking full advantage of the resourcesavailable to her. Tell us why here...

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:

Although portions of the business' response is ACCURATE some of it is not. My first attempt to contact this company was on Friday, January * at which time I was dropped into their Customer Service voicemail and I left a message, but DID NOT receive a call back. In efforts to extend patience I waited for a call or email, but did not receive either. I then proceeded on Saturday, January ** to send out emails to this company and called to leave a message with the rep whom I interviewed with. I do understand that I would not receive a callback on the weekend as that's what the voice recording stated when I called on Saturday. However, I disagree with the business' response that I CONFIRMED the incorrect email address because that is NOT true. I agree that I WAS enthusiastic about becoming a member of a group which claims to facilitate networking of women in business, who wouldn't be? However as I stated for the cost I at least expected a callback on Friday which I did not receive. I don't think that is being unreasonable. Especially, since on Wednesday, January * the rep didn't hesitate to call me back to get my banking information when my call fell into her voicemail. Perhaps I should have done this beforehand, but it's a lesson learned, but I decided to look into this association by researching the Revdex.com's database and to my dismay sadly realized that my experience had NOT been unique. To see over 300 complaints against this association was troubling. With that and in fairness to this association I guess there are some individuals who have found some success in being a member of the NAPW. I will NOT be one of those women. I did receive a call on Monday morning and although I feel I should have been refunded ALL of my money as I only had a TWO DAY active membership, after negotiating the terms of my refund (initially the company only wanted to refund a tad over $200), Linda in the Billing Department and I came to an agreement of a refund of $500 which should post to my bank account within 3-5 business day. In my discussion with [redacted], it was determined that my email address and web address was missing a letter which was corrected. [redacted] in Billing informed me of the terms and conditions of the adjusted membership; however as I stated to both [redacted] (Customer Service Rep) and [redacted] (Billing Department Rep) I will NOT be utilizing those services and would like to move forward.I noticed that the full amount $989 cleared from my bank account cleared today and so I'll assume the funds would have to clear before the $500 can be refunded. I will wait to see if those funds will be refunded and should know by the end of the week (January **). I wish all the best of luck in life and business and appreciate everyone working with Revdex.com to get this matter addressed.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Attachedis the receipt of the refund we issued to [redacted]. We would also like to address the issue oftimeliness. [redacted] states thather message was left with Customer Service on Friday afternoon. Customerservice has hundreds of members calling them per day – and those calls aredealt with in the order in which they are received. This is why the prompts on our phone treeoffer several choices for members to determine which department would bestaddress the issue about which they are calling. It seems that [redacted]s message was not forwarded to the Billingdepartment until our staff had left for the day. Again, we did contact her on Monday morning. We dostrive to provide our members with resources and benefits to enhance andimprove their lives, both personal and professional. We encourage andexpect our members to avail themselves of those benefits and to contact us withany questions or problems regarding their memberships. Members who do take thetime to explore and take advantage of the myriad resources available will findtremendous value in being a member of the NAPW. We donot hold out to the public that we are accredited by Revdex.com because we are notaccredited. We have elected not to become accredited becauseaccreditation carries costs for both NAPW and the consumers. Once acompany is accredited, consumers are able to "lose" disputes and NAPWhas to pay Revdex.com for the process. Instead, we address every single consumercomplaint and we work with the consumer to resolve their problem. As theRevdex.com itself states on NAPW's page: "[redacted]"Furthermore, the number of complaints we face is actually incredibly low. The raw number is not the key, the ratio of complaints to consumers is. The Revdex.com recognizes this and actually states that our low number of complaintsis one of the elements which raises our rating. This is found right onthe NAPW Revdex.com page:"[redacted] " Mostof the complaints about the NAPW are from people who failed to research theorganization before sending in a application - they see the word"free" or "no cost" and do not bother to read the rest ofthe information or even visit the website to see what we are about. Othercomplaints about not being able to reach anyone are false - if they call duringnormal business hours, we usually handle those calls immediately. If they callafter hours and leave a voice mail message, or send an email or fill out arequest for contact, we respond the next business day - and we leave messagesrequesting that the member call us back. They also fail to understand that whenthey accept the terms and conditions of membership, they are obligated to standby that contract. When we enroll or renew a member, we automaticallypurchase services from outside organizations which are part of her membershipbenefit package. These are not refundable to us, which is why we havethese terms and conditions. It is fiscally responsible to make sure that fundsexpended on a member's behalf are covered by the membership fee wereceive. TheInternet and the Revdex.com provide an open forum for anyone to share opinions. Most of the complaints are made by peoplewho declined membership. Therefore, theyhave little concept of exactly what the NAPW is aboutand the benefits to being a member. We are committed to workingwith our members to help them get the most out of membership.We are constantly striving to address any complaints orquestions regarding the NAPW in a timely and forthrightmanner. We have been working withconsumer advocacy groups like the Revdex.com and [redacted]to determine how to improve our customer services. At our request, [redacted] conducted an investigation into the complaintsit received and came to this conclusion; "Because of our review andthe sincere efforts put forth by NAPW, [redacted] is confident in givingNAPW a positive rating. This was made possible by a completely honest approachto corporate introspection and a commitment to taking good care of theirmembers....Keep in mind, NAPW has worked with many members over time. Whatreally is amazing that despite [redacted] appearing on most search enginesright below NAPW, their complaint ratio is a fraction of a percent of theirnumber of members. NAPW's members show a satisfaction rate with the programsand services provided that is higher than most similar organizations."

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.

Thank you. I received my $500 refund. Good luck to all.

Sincerely, [redacted]

Review: On July [redacted], I wrote the message below to [redacted]. After two weeks with no response, I sent a follow-up e-mail. After two more weeks, on July [redacted], I sent a final follow-up email and also included three additional recipients: Inquire, Billing & Renewal - all [redacted]. In the three weeks that have followed, I have had no response.

I received a call recently from NAPW to work a bit on my profile since it was about to be featured on a newsletter. After talking about my profile and offering very little substance to the NAPW representative, I was congratulated on being chosen as a Woman of the Year in acknowledgement that I am at the top of my profession. I was told that this honor was based on a recommendation (I asked, but no details were supplied regarding the person who recommended me), my initial interview (which I was assured I had, even though I had never been interviewed for NAPW), and my stellar contribution to my profession (none of which was on my profile for this mystery recommendation to be based on). I was then told about this great offer being made available to me, for which NAPW was generously paying half since I was now a Woman of the Year. All I had to do was pay $900 – my half. When I passed on the offer, it became clear that this was not optional. Just to be sure, I told the caller that if accepting the “honor” meant that I had to spend the $900, then I would have to pass. After a clarifying question establishing that I was experiencing some financial hardship, the caller then said she would tell “them” that I would not be accepting the Woman of the Year “honor” and that ended the call.

Over the few weeks since this call, I have gone from anger to action. This is unethical behavior and, as I speak with colleagues who have interfaced with NAPW, I understand that this is not an isolated incident. As a result, please cancel my membership, remove me from your database and purge any and all references to my name. You are not an association to which I want to be affiliated in any way. If there is a credit that can be given for the months remaining on my membership, please apply that to the credit card associated to my account, which belongs to [redacted] (copied here). Do not under any circumstances automatically renew my membership, which I understand is the normal process at NAPW.

Finally, please acknowledge that all has been completed.Desired Settlement: Cancel my membership.

Remove me from the NAPW database and purge any and all references to my name.

Apply any credit to the credit card on file.

Confirm that this membership will not be automatically renewed.

Acknowledge that all has been completed.

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.

This is a disappointing message

to receive from [redacted] as her case is unique and it looks like a small

miscommunication led to this situation. An inability to reach her by phone when

she first contacted us has compounded the situation.

[redacted]’s friend, to whom

she alludes in her complaint, contacted us in order to make it possible for [redacted] to attend our annual Conference. One [redacted] explained what she wanted

to do for [redacted], our staff went to great lengths to authorize our highest

level of membership, with all of the attendant benefits, including unlimited

free seminars and webinars and other valuable resources in addition to her

Conference admission. We do make exceptions to our in certain circumstances and

in this case, we endeavored to complement [redacted]’s generosity.

We set up this membership so

that our normal automatic protocols – renewal, consideration for membership

upgrades and the like – were deactivated. This was done at [redacted]’s request.

Unfortunately, technology is

imperfect, and [redacted] was accidentally selected for consideration by our VIP membership

committee and was contacted on June *, 2014. This is the call to which she

alludes in her complaint. The

representatives who contact the VIP candidates work with a list of questions

with the assumption that the member in question went through the typical

enrollment interview and subsequent nomination vetting. We can certainly understand [redacted]’s

confusion about being considered – her membership was set up by her friend and

she never did have the initial enrollment interview, and her name was

mistakenly added to the list of Women of the Year nominees.

[redacted] sent us an email on July *, 2014, which she copied in her

complaint. We attempted to reach her by phone on July *, and again on July *.

The number we have for her did not permit us to leave a voice mail message, so

we sent an email to her requesting that she call us back at her earliest

convenience. She did not. Instead, she

sent a second email, accusing us of ignoring her request. We again attempted to

reach her by phone and again were unable to speak with her or leave a voice

mail. A second email message was sent to her and over the next few weeks,

attempts were made to reach her by phone. No one answered, there was no voice

mail set up.

We did respond to all of [redacted]’s emails. The fact that she did

not answer the phone, or have a voice mail option is beyond our control. She

did not read our emails – which may have gone into spam or quarantine. It is unfair of her to claim that we have

ignored her requests simply because she was not available to answer the phone,

does not have voicemail and did not read her emails. Nor did she provide any

additional contact information in her emails to us. We made every effort to

communicate with her to resolve her complaint. Our records and logs are

available for review if necessary.

The call by our VIP representative to [redacted] was not an act of

malice or unethical; it was simply an error.

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]

and [redacted].

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 have deactivated [redacted]’s membership, and requested that

she be removed from any future emails. This may take at least ten days to be

completed, during which she may continue to receive scheduled messages which

are already in queue to transmit.

There is no refund due to [redacted], or to [redacted], as the fee

paid was for the annual Conference which took place in April 2014.

We invite [redacted] to contact us directly to go over her

membership and show her the enormous value our resources can provide for her.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and even though this resolution is far from satisfactory to me since it contains multiple lies entered for the benefit of the Revdex.com, they agreed to the things I asked and I accept that the matter has been resolved.

The NAPW is lying about their action. I always check the log of missed calls and my spam e-mails. They managed to reach me by phone when trying to sell me something - it's not my phone. All they had to do was reply to any of three e-mails, and the matter would have been resolved. Considering that I since found the same unethical behavior noted multiple times online, I know they are spinning their response in an effort to look good. Meanwhile, unsuspecting people are buying the honor of being "Woman of the Year", and that is very, very sad.

Thank you for your help in resolving this.

Sincerely,

Review: I am yet another victim of this company's apparently frequent "hard sells". I saw an add for FREE membership in this organization, and so started the application process. However, once I got on the phone with a "membership director", [redacted], it very quickly became a robotic, scripted HARD sales call. She then quoted me only two available rates--$989 and $789 for membership. This is not even close to being "free". When I balked at that, she then said there was another "intro" option available for just $199. Not only is this still not free, until I balked at the cost, she never made any mention of this being available. When I was still very hesitant about the cost, especially for the "$99 profile editing fee", she claimed she would waive that for me. When I tried to end the call and not take advantage, this woman would not let me go, kept repeating all these itic scripted responses, etc. All I wanted was to not have to deal with this organization anymore, as they very much have a bait and switch mentality with the costs, and promote themselves as something they are not. I'm not happy with this organization at all, and am extremely unpleased that I was charged $199 for membership in a supposedly "free' organization.Desired Settlement: All I want is a full refund of any of these charges they've made against me so far (the $199 membership fee), to immediately and fully cancel my membership, and to not have any further contact with them. I do not want to be a member of a shady organization like this, and just want to go back to a point like this whole headache never happened

Business

Response:

We are sorry that

[redacted]’s experience with the NAPW has been less than ideal – we do strive to

provide our applicants with resources and benefits to enhance and improve their

lives, both personal and professional. We encourage and expect our

members to avail themselves of those benefits and to contact us with any

questions or problems regarding their memberships. Members who do take the time

to explore and take advantage of the myriad resources available will find

tremendous value in being a member of the NAPW.

Applicants for membership are

entitled to be treated with utmost respect and empathy, and every person on the

NAPW team is trained to work with applicants to explain the benefits and costs

associated with membership and to resolve any issues; however, there are

protocols and policies which must be followed. These policies are companywide

and all of our team members are required to follow them.

[redacted] completed an application for membership in NAPW. On July **, 2014, NAPW contacted her and conducted

its initial enrollment interview. During

this telephone call our representative explained the annual costs and benefits

associated with membership. One of the purposes of these enrollment interviews

is to determine what it is the applicant hopes to gain from her membership. Our

most comprehensive levels of membership, which include myriad benefits like

unlimited live seminars and webinars, discounts on courses for continuing

education requirements, networking, conferences, discounts and other resources,

are offered to each applicant and those who do wish to access these things can

choose to purchase that package. However, some applicants are not interested in

the educational benefits – which are the most costly component of membership. Others

are at different stages of life and have financial concerns. We work with these

applicants to find a level of membership which provides them access to the

resources they seek, while remaining within their budgets.

The claim

that we use bait and switch tactics is simply not true as each woman who

purchases a membership has access to all of the benefits included in her

membership as soon as she receives her username and password. 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] Blakeley, Arianna Huffington, Star Jones,

Martha Stewart, Ivanka Trump, Randy Zuckerburg, Barbara Corcoran and Robin

Roberts. Click here for more information.

Additionally, we are constantly providing and working to

upgrade the secondary benefits such as free or discounted continuing

education through leading providers like [redacted] and National

Seminars Group; shopping and other discounts through a number of partnerships,

including exclusive sponsors like [redacted], one of the world's largest computer

suppliers; and interesting topical content provided through our social media

and other outlets. Again, our entire team is working hard every single

day to build these partnerships, identify and create content, and make greater

benefits available to our members.

Our promotional

materials do state that there is no fee to apply for membership; however,

access to the benefits and resources require a username and password, which are

issued with paid memberships only. We do

offer those who choose not to become paid members the option of having a

listing on our website and receiving our monthly newsletter via email.

We

expect that those who have submitted an application for consideration for

membership have done so after doing some research on the NAPW, and they are

ready to make a decision about joining the organization. With thousands of

applicants to interview and consider, we do require that applicants make their

decisions at the time of the interview. We prefer to allocate our resources to

providing better benefits and services to our members.

Because

NAPW is a membership-based networking organization, the primary benefits at all

levels are found through our membership portal ([redacted]) as well as through our

face-to-face networking at our over 300 Local Chapters nationwide. Additionally, through our online portal,

members are able to access ancillary benefits provided by our business

partners.

Our

representative explained that [redacted] would receive an email (within 24

hours) containing login information for the 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 is

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

mails 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. As she notes in her complaint, she did object

to one of the fees, and it was waived for her, but she sounded content at the

conclusion of the call. This interview is available for review if required.

A

comprehensive membership services staff, which is qualified to field all

inquiries, is ready and willing to work with our members to answer questions,

resolve issues and help our members maximize their benefits. 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 to submit

for action.

[redacted] did contact us that day and left a

message, and we called her back a few hours later, but she was not available.

She left another message, to which we replied, but again, she was unable to

take the call. We continue to reach out to speak with her to resolve this

matter.

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]

I have yet to receive a phone call from this organization. I have received several "888" area codes calls lately, but every time I pick up, the call disconnects. I don't know if they are using an auto-call service or what. Regardless. I do not wish to talk to these people--they will just try to hard sell me again, try to prevent me from cancelling, etc. I want a full refund and full cancellation immediately!!!! I have also emailed your customer service address ([redacted]) multiple times, and have yet to receive a single emailed response. I would prefer to communicate with this entity via email, so I have a written record of any conversations.

The only acceptable response to this will be the full and immediate cancellation of my membership, and full refund of the $199 for this membership as it will be cancelled. I don't want to be told about all the great things you offer--I want a cancellation. That is it. No desire AT ALL to have any membership with this group.This group has not offered me a cancellation or refund, nor will they respond to my complaints either.

I wish to receive emailed confirmation that my membership has been cancelled and that my fee will be refunded.

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Our phone numbers are identified by toll-free lines, and we did make several attempts to contact [redacted] - messages WERE left for her. Again, [redacted]'s version of events is markedly different from the evidence we have in the form of her conversations with our representative. She continues to maintain her original clai[redacted] which we have demonstrated are untrue - that she did not open her mail or email is a decision which is beyond out control; the materials were sent out as promised.

The fact that she chose to use the Revdex.com as a forum to resolve her complaint, rather than contact us directly so that we could work with her, is unfortunate as we are always willing to help our members with any concerns and we are not unsympathetic to the financial realities of life. However, to make such damaging claims about our organization when the reasons for her displeasure are due to her own choices, is unfair, and will not go unchallenged.

[redacted] was contacted successfully on the same day that she replied to our response, and her fee was refunded in full. It would have been helpful on her part if she reported this to the Revdex.com with the assiduousness in which she reported her displeasure.

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 stupidly allowed myself to be coerced into a 1 year membership and authorized $199.00 dollars to my account. Now, I see that WITHOUT my authorization, I was charged another 99.00 dollars. I do not know why. I have left three messages, and no one has returned my calls. I am beyond angry with this business. It is clearly a scam. I am closing my credit card account, and filing a formal complaint against this company with everyone I can.Desired Settlement: I want a refund. I did not and will not allow this company to have access to my account any longer.

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,