National Association of Professional Women

Review: This company has called me twice now claiming that I have "been chosen" for an "award", further stating they would like to mail me a certificate/plaque in my honor, etc. etc. only to then ask for my credit card number wanting $900 or more for membership fees to be eligible for the "award". When I try to ask about the award and why I must pay money, the associates are pushy and rude, talking down to me as if I don't understand what they are offering.

Bottom line-they call with the intent to ask for large amounts of money, but they always start by "honoring" you with a fake "award."

This is shady business practice.

If you do not pay hundreds of dollars, you no longer receive your "reward."

They are trying to take advantage of hard-workin women business owners. They justify the ridiculous amounts by saying that they are subsidizing half of the cost themselves for you to attend seminars, etc.

It's tricky and unethical.Desired Settlement: I would like my membership fees back. I have never logged on to any account from them (I don't even know what the password is) and I want to be taken off any mailing or call lists. I don't want them to have my credit card information anymore.

Consumer

Response:

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

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

Sincerely,

Review: I applied for membership to the NAPW which was advertised as a free membership. I received a phone call from a representative from that company insisting that I pay 989.00 to be in their elite membership. When I told them "no", the price went from 789.00 to 489.00 to 199.00 to 99.00. I continued to deny giving them my credit card information and was finally offered the complimentary trial membership. NAPW is advertising this membership as a free membership. I would never have given them my personal and professional information had I known this had any kind of cost.Desired Settlement: I need to know that all my personal and professional information will be deleted from the NAPW's database. I also need assurance, preferably in writing, that the information that I provided will not be used in any way by this organization.

Consumer

Response:

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

we cannot find this person in our databases from the name, telephone number or email address. We will gladly comply with her request to remove her information once we know who she is in our database.

Consumer

Response:

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

Sincerely,

Review: I had looked at the web site and filled in info that you had to give to look around. There was suppose to be a call and free membership. The call was long and they asked a lot of questions about what I did who I knew organizations I belonged to. Then told me the membership was $789. I said I had to think about that, told me my spot would go to someone else then told me another price of $489 for a standard membership that had less benefits but she would put in I could upgrade and would turn off auto renewal for me. Then said I would receive a plaque and described it then said that was 199.00 and I said do I have to get that and she said I didn't have to do anything. But I had to sign up right then send couldn't think about it and continued her speech about how great it was. I asked her to find my local chapter she was talking about and it took a while and she found it send starting raving about what a great chapter they are having so meeting on Oct * but couldn't find where when I asked, told me there were 400 members and the next day found it and saw there are 43 members. It looks to me like the local has been out of business for a while and is just starting again. Point is, she didn't know the info and gave me wrong info and definitely pressure you, you have to make the decision right then or you can't join. I should have known this was a sales scam but I thought it was a large networking group that would be helpful to me with my new business. She never mentioned that they are based in [redacted] and when asked where I was I said [redacted] is my business and [redacted] Is where I live she didn't even know the areas. [redacted] is only a few minutes from me. I didn't get to look at the web site with my membership until fri. I signed up Thursday afternoon and when I did it is extremely disappointing and I was surprised to find out that a man started and still runs the organization.

I called and left a message for customer service today sat October *, they are closed, that I would like my money back and asked them to call me. I want to give this complaint in because I don't think they should be able to sell the way they do and not give you all the info and correct info. They Also advertise a free membership and that was not an option. I am not confident that they will refund the money so I want to have this info with the Revdex.com.Desired Settlement: I want a full refund and to have them change their selling practices so this stops happening to women. They need to let people take time to decide and to have at least a cancellation policy. All sales people know you need to close a deal ASAP but the are too heavy pressure.

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] completed

an application for membership in NAPW. As

our material states, there is no fee to apply for membership, and we do offer a

free listing for those applicants who choose not to purchase a full membership,

as well as email delivery of our monthly newsletter. However, a password is

required to access benefits like seminars, local chapter meetings, other events

and resources, which is issued when an applicant purchases a membership.

On

October *, 2014, NAPW contacted her and conducted its initial enrollment

interview. During this telephone call

our representative explained the annual costs and benefits associated with membership.

We do begin by offering the most comprehensive packages and work with the

applicant to provide as many of the resources she seeks while staying within

her budget.

All

membership enrollments are final.

Because NAPW is a membership-based networking organization, the primary

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

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

members are able to access ancillary benefits provided by our business

partners. Because NAPW incurs costs upon

enrollment with those partners, we maintain a final sale policy. Please be aware that membership alone

includes no tangible product to be shipped to the member.

Our

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

containing login information for our members’ portal through which she is able

access all of the online benefits and enroll in Local Chapters. [redacted] lives in Nassau County, on Long

Island in New York. Contrary to her

claim, our representative was absolutely accurate in describing the local

chapter in Nassau County as one of our largest and most active. She is also near our largest chapter in New

York City, which often conducts joint events with Nassau County members.

Our representative further explained that [redacted] should review our Terms &

Conditions. Subsequent to logging in but

prior to accessing her benefits, she was required to

review and accept those Terms & Conditions.

Therein, [redacted] was provided with the details of our final sale policy,

along with all other policies governing her relationship with NAPW. NAPW’s Terms & Conditions are available

at [redacted] Within 10 days of enrollment, NAPW physically

mailed a welcome package to the member containing a paid statement, a membership

card and a welcome letter.

NAPW

employs a comprehensive call recording and auditing function. Our staff reviews the recording of each

completed interview for multiple compliance points, including that the

representative explained the automatic renewal process as described above. As

part of our investigation into this case, we reviewed that call again and [redacted] was made completely aware of these points at the time. This interview is

available for review if required.

NAPW

publicizes the availability of a comprehensive member services staff through

multiple dedicated pages. See [redacted] and [redacted]. Each of these pages publishes the contact

telephone numbers and email addresses, and provides a convenient form which

this member could have submitted at any time if she wished to engage our staff

for any reason.

[redacted] did contact us on October *, 2014 and we

left several messages for her to contact us so that we could resolve her

questions. She did not call us back.

We invite [redacted] to contact us directly to resolve this

matter. If this is a budgetary concern,

our mission is to work with any woman interested in being an NAPW member to

find a program which fits her budget – we truly believe [redacted] would benefit

enormously from membership and we would like the opportunity to demonstrate

this.

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:

They claim I was given correct information regarding the local chapter which they say is one of their largest, I was told the chapter Had over 400 members, when I found it on their web site it had 43 members.

They say they called me several times, I had 1 message from someone who just left a message to call them that was beginning of Oct.

They say they mailed an info kit to me, I live in [redacted] they are supposed to be in [redacted], I still have not received anything. I have come to the conclusion that they are far from straight forward. Money seems to be their only focus and "stretching" the truth is how they write their scripts that are used.

I don't understand how they can have an absolute no refund policy. Everything has at least a three day cancellation.

I am looking to get my $489.00 returned and hopefully stop them from taking advantage of others by not telling the truth.

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

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

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 cannot believe that this organization is allowed to operate!! This company is a total scam which offers a complimentary membership on [redacted] and later you find out you will be charged over $1,000 to join their membership!!. When you are contacted by phone they offer so many different options, lowering and raising prices, they make it very confusing as to what you are purchasing. I asked for information to me, and did not receive adequate information about their services and RECIVED NO INFORMATION regarding charges, fees and all hidden fees. Like a fool, I purchased their $798 membership and I was somehow charged on my credit card $1,005.16. I was approached today where they were giving me an elite award of "Woman of The Year" - for $995!! I refused. But prior to my rejection, the lady I talked to - [redacted] at ###-###-#### - said she would gladly charge the credit card account they have on file. Are they allowed to keep this information on file? I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED that they will fraudulently charge my account again without my authorization.

I did some research (did not have to dig too deeply) to find many women who had the same experiences and complaints as I do. They were scammed and taken by this worthless organization. I can become Woman of the Year, have my name in their newsletter and get special awards and plaques - for huge fees!! My interest in the organization was to participate in managerial courses yet no one contacts me regarding their website and how I an get a valid ID and password to sign on to the available courses.

I believe this company practices false, deceptive advertising; confuses the individual into purchasing their services and does not conform to accounting standards. I will place a complaint along with the hundreds of complaints I saw on other websites. What I really would like to know is if there are hundreds of complaints being made and 244 complaints on Revdex.com, why is this company not being investigated? I am personally contacting an attorney on this matter.Desired Settlement: I want the company to go out of business!! This is a scam organization, and wish that someone take complaints seriously to shut them down. I would, of course, like to get my membership fees refunded as well.

Business

Response:

Review: The NAPW reached out to me and once I spoke with the rep she was trying to sell me and outrageous package. I informed her that I was not that bracket financially. She kept me on the phone till she got it down to only $99 to try for a year. In the conversation she never said it would automatically renew. I now have a $199 charge on my credit card and have no way of paying it. I called today and spoke with someone and all they said was oh yeah, that happens to a lot people, they don't read the fine print and no we won't give you a refund. I would assume that the person selling this would have told me it was an automatic renewal. All she said at that time was try it for one year at $99 and I agreed to that. This hurts the working class very hard.Desired Settlement: $199

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.

Our members are entitled to be

treated with utmost respect and empathy, and every person on the NAPW team is

trained to work with our members to resolve any issues; however, there are

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

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

[redacted] authorized the May *, 2014 charge reflecting her annual membership

dues. During her initial enrollment

interview, our representative went over the membership, beginning with the most

comprehensive package – part of the goal of the interview is to determine the

best package to fit the member’s goals and budget. We want them to get the

maximum benefits for the money, which is why they offer the options in the

order they do. [redacted] selected the basic level of membership, which is

a special offer where a member gets a full year’s membership at a cost for six months.

Our

representative also explained that NAPW uses an automatic renewal process,

designed to protect [redacted]’s enrollment in and uninterrupted access to

the benefits provided by NAPW and its business partners. Prior to concluding the interview, our

representative specifically informed [redacted] that her annual membership

would automatically renew. [redacted] had the opportunity to opt out of our automatic renewal program at

that time.

NAPW

employs a comprehensive call recording and auditing function. Our staff reviews the recording of each

completed interview for multiple compliance points, including that the

representative explained the automatic renewal process as described above. As

part of our investigation into this case, we reviewed that call again and [redacted] was made completely aware of these points at the time. She replied

okay when advised of the automatic renewal. This interview is available for

review if required.

During

the initial enrollment interview, our representative explained that [redacted] would receive an email (within 24 hours) containing login

information for access to our members’ portal.

Our representative further explained that [redacted] should review

our Terms & Conditions. Subsequent to

logging in but prior to accessing her benefits, she was required to review and

accept those Terms & Conditions.

Therein, she was provided with the details of our automatic renewal

policy, which was previously explained during the initial enrollment interview.

NAPW’s Terms & Conditions are available at [redacted].

Throughout

the year, NAPW made available to [redacted] a comprehensive membership

services staff, which is qualified to field all inquiries and would have been

able to work with her had she elected to opt out of her automatic renewal (or

any other questions she may have had).

NAPW publicizes the availability of this staff through multiple

dedicated pages. See [redacted]. Each of these pages publishes the contact

telephone numbers and email addresses, and provides a convenient form which

this member could have submitted at any time if she wished to engage our staff

for any reason, including opting out of her automatic membership renewal.

From day

one of [redacted]’s enrollment with NAPW, we communicated via email using

the address she provided: [redacted]. Email was clearly the primary communication

channel, by which [redacted] received her monthly newsletters and numerous

other organizational announcements. A

postcard reminder was mailed at the end of March to the address provided by her

at the time of enrollment, which is the same as the one provided here.

Additionally, well before it was processed, NAPW sent [redacted] a courtesy

reminder of her upcoming renewal transaction via email, and another reminder a

week later.

We have

reviewed all of our records. [redacted] did not contact us to cancel her scheduled renewal prior to

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

processed as she previously authorized.

[redacted] did contact us on May **, 2014,

after her renewal was processed. We left voice mail messages with all of the

phone numbers she provided to us on May [redacted], June [redacted] and June [redacted] did not return these calls. Had she done so, we would have been happy to

work with her to resolve the issue.

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

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

membership fee. Included in ALL memberships levels are webinars,

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

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

growing, expanding and moving forward through numerous initiatives, strategic

alliances and corporate affiliations; offering members additional avenues to

ASPIRE, ACHIEVE and CONNECT.

Every member of NAPW's management team works diligently to

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

"scammed" is demonstrably false. We currently have almost

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

networking portal, which gives our members more connectivity options

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

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

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

and create incredible connections with other professional women. These local

chapters are constantly implementing new ways for the local members to

interact. We encourage of our members to

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

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

women with whom to network.

Moreover, we host an annual National Networking Conference

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

an unforgettable day of networking, panel discussions, workshops and

presentations from extraordinary women like [redacted]. Click here for more information.

Additionally, we are constantly providing and working to

upgrade the secondary benefits such as free or discounted continuing

education through leading providers like Lorman Education and National

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

including exclusive sponsors like Lenovo, one of the world's largest computer

suppliers; and interesting topical content provided through our social media

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

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

benefits available to our members.

Please note the National Association of professional women is now running its operation as Worldwode Association of Professional Women. I just received a call from them to ask to join for $989 for a lifetime membership but did not commit. I then read the reviews online and fifur d it was a scam.

Review: I was contacted by this organization for an "interview" to belong to their group. You assume this was a form you filled out as they present it that way. When you job hunting there are many forms and sites you fill out so you think its plausible. No money or costs were discussed until after they informed me I was "accepted" well into the conversation. They do not give you an opportunity to back out at that time. . The price is high, and they add on items not needed and assume you will pay. They never told me the sale was final. When I called to cancel 3 hours later, no one returned my email, nor my 2 phone calls. This was a high pressured sale and in my opinion unethical. They are taking advantage of people unemployed. they also charged my credit card multiple times which the bank declined and notified me. I have now had to cancel my account.Desired Settlement: I want this service cancelled and all fees credited back to me or my credit card company

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 a trial membership with NAPW, and paid $99.00 for this in December, 2012. Then on December **, 2013, NAPW submitted a charge to my credit union, and took $199.00 for membership renewal, which I did NOT authorize. I called (left a voicemail) and emailed on 12/**/13, requesting that the charge be reversed, and that I wanted to cancel my membership. I attempted to use the identification number assigned me in December 2012, but received an online response that the ID number was not valid. I sent an email on 12/**/13 asking for a valid ID number so that I could cancel my membership. I have not heard back from NAPW concerning the valid ID. On 12/**/13, a customer service representative contacted me by phone, saying that in December 2012, I had "agreed to an automatic charge of $199.00 for another year of membership". I had not agreed to this, and told the CSR this. I said I had only agreed to the 6-month trial membership, with 6 months of free membership to begin in December 2012; but I did NOT agree to nor do I WANT to be automatically enrolled for any further membership. The CSR continued to repeat that I had agreed, and I continued to state that I had not agreed. I asked for an immediate refund, but the CSR continued to script me with the same statement over and over. I have had no further contact with this organization. My credit union has been notified and I filed a disputed charge form with them.Desired Settlement: I require a legal, legitimate check for $199.00 mailed to me immediately. My credit union has flagged and blocked NAPW, so they will not be able to access my credit union account for the refund.

Business

Response:

I have investigated [redacted]'s claims, and would like to apologize on NAPW's behalf. [redacted] did purchase a trial membership which, by design, automatically renews. The trial membership is sold at the $99 level, half the price of our basic introductory membership, with six months' membership for free. But it does auto-renew. In order to provide our members with as much notice as possible, we include reminders about the auto-renewal in the member's initial welcome kit, in subsequent emails with the member and in our site Terms & Conditions which the member must click through at least once (and every time they are revised) in order to use our online networking site. Additionally, we send two reminder emails in the month prior to the renewal, to alert the member to the auto-renewal and provide them an opportunity to opt out.

Review: I received a call from a woman named "[redacted]" membership number [redacted] which I later realize is the company's phone number who gives asks all of these questions and then makes an offer for a premium or preferred membership. She also indicated that the only options for membership that I had was for $789 or $900+. I was told that I had to make the decision during that call. Once I provided my information, the lady also indicated that there was a one time $199 profile fee and when I questioned why it wouldn't be added to the cost of membership, she indicated that she "waived" the fee. Unfortunately, this happened yesterday (02/**/14). I received an email from them regarding membership and clicked on the link for cancelling the membership which offered three options. I decided that I wanted it in writing and sent an email to the "[redacted] forwarding the membership email I received and indicated that I wanted the membership cancelled immediately and that I am contacting my credit card company. When I went on [redacted] (unfortunately, too late), I also find multiple reveiws that share the same experience that I had. This company needs to be stopped, they have unethical practices and prey on women.Desired Settlement: I want my credit card credited for the full amount, an end to their high pressure sales tactics and an accurate listing of their pricing.

Business

Response:

Per [redacted]'s request, the membership she purchased has been cancelled and a refund issued for $789.00. [redacted] should expect to see the refund post to her credit card account in 2-3 business days.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved. One additional note, I contacted my bank who removed the charge. I am glad that the company has decided to count this matter has resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: A representative from the National Association of Professional Women called me at work to discuss my membership. After telling she will recommend me for membership she proceeds to ask me which membership I would like ; Elite for $989 or Perferred for $789. She said I had to make a decison right away and pressured me to confirmed my membership by credit card. I promptly hung up.

At not time while I looked on their website or during the conversation prior to being accepted did I see or did she say anything about having to "pay a Membership Fee".

Business

Response:

NAPW has removed their name from our database and they will not be contacted again.

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 am delighted that I will no longer be contacted by this organization and hopefully others like it.

Sincerely,

Review: This company has on the terms and conditions on their website stating a person has to accept the terms and conditions before logging in its system. I do not except their terms and conditions because I don't want them to automatically bill my credit card. I called the company and the girl told me she could not refund the $989 because my benefits have been paid. I asked her what benefits? She did not have an answer. They offer me no benefits as far as I'm concerned. I've been trying unsuccessfully to cancel this membership but their system would not retrieve my log in information. I never use their system and their terms inducate that you have to agree or the customer can't use the system, therefore, I do not agree and I will not accept the terms. I do not accept the fact they can take whatever they want from my credit card and not advise me of the transaction, price or anything until after the fact. The company told me that I could agree so I can log in and then call them and have my account not to auto renew. I did not see that disclosed in their terms and conditions. Since I do not use their system, which offers me nothing, I should get a full refund. Their terms states that if I don't use their system or disagree that I should call them which is what I did. I want a full refund of $989. This organization is a rip off as far as I'm and lots of others are concerned. I even changed my credit card number and they still figured out a way to charge on it. The new credit card number was inputted into my account but not by me. I don't see how they can get away with it.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund of $989.

Consumer

Response:

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

I contacted the NAPW about this. The problem was resolved but not to my satisfaction. I only received a partial credit instead of the full credit that I requested. According to the NAPW the reason I did not receive full credit, even though I contacted them the same day they requested payment on my credit card, was because they said they had already paid some benefits on my behalf but they could not tell me who the benefits were paid to, what the benefit was for or the amount to whomever they paid, to benefit me. I did not request them to pay for any benefits since I don't know what they are and I have never attended any functions. This organization charges $989 and I have yet to understand the purpose of these charges especially since, if I ever attended any of there functions, I would have to pay for the functions in order to attend them. I never requested to attend any of this organizations functions. I have even changed my credit card number, in the past, in order for them to stop charging my credit card but they still continue to charge me. They are supposed to not charge me anymore according to the woman I spoke to on February *, 2014. Apparently alot of businesses are not happy with this organization according to the Revdex.com website. There are numerous complaints. I will see if I receive a credit, when my credit card statement arrives.

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Per the terms and conditions of all NAPW memberships, all members :

Must accept the terms and conditions in order to use the services provided

May opt out of automatic renewal or change the credit card

used for your renewal, by contacting our Renewal Department at ###-###-####, emailing us: [redacted], or visiting our online Renewal Center at [redacted] to submit a form

As per [redacted]'s request when she spoke with a membership representative on 2/**/14, $790 of her annual membership dues were refunded to her and her membership benefits were left fully active for the coming year. Her automatic billing was turned off per her request on 2/**/2014, so her account is not, and will not be scheduled to auto-renew. As of 3/**/14, [redacted] has also been issued an additional credit of $199. This represents the cancellation of her membership and all associated benefits.

Review: I saw an advertisement for NAPW on [redacted] and filled out a request for further information. I was contacted by a sales representative on Thursday, April **, ** and presented with a high pressure presentation to join the organization. I was under the impression from the ad on [redacted] that this was a free membership. This was not the case according to the sales rep and I was conned into purchasing a membership for a total of $1,188 with the promise of email confirmation immediately following our phone conversation The email did not come that evening or the following day. I have phone the company at all of the numbers listed on the website as well as the number I was contacted by initially. The recording states their offices are closed and their business hours although I have called during their "stated" business hours. I have contacted my bank to dispute/stop the transaction based on deceptive advertising, failure to provide service as promised and no ability to contact customer service or billing department.Desired Settlement: I want a full refund of the $1,188 charged to my bank card as well as no further contact from the company.

Business

Response:

– member was refunded through credit card.

Review: This organization offered their product with a free registration. A representative contacted me indicating they needed to verify my information for acceptance into the organization, which I felt was satisfactory since they claimed to be a national networking association offering to promote me and my services to a broad base of existing professionals. The introductory offer for profile updating was presented to me as $9.89, which I deemed a suitable amount for membership to a website. Once the call ended, I went about with verifying my bank account and discovered that $989 was removed from my account.

I immediately contacted the organization again and recieved a voice mail for the representative that had called me which sounded nothing like the person I had spoken to previously. I do not expect to ever hear from this person again.

I have filed a claim with my bank disputing the amount and hope to reconcile this loss, however, I would like to report this company as a peddler of scamming, and predatory marketing.Desired Settlement: Since I did authorize the account transfer (for the amount that I was thinking I had signed up for) I would just like to have the amount billed adjusted to the agreed upon amount.

I would also like to have that company be required to submit their contracts in writing to potential applicants for review prior to finalizing the sale. I feel that their conduct on the phone can not be relied upon to portray the actual terms of the agreement, and that they are targeting women trying to improve their professional careers. This is both unethical and dishonest.

Business

Response:

member was refunded through credit card.

Review: This organization keeps processing debit charges from my Bank of America account despite numerous attempts to cancel my membership. The "billing department" keeps hanging up on my phone calls.Desired Settlement: I want this organization to stop charging me and cancel my account.

Consumer

Response:

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

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

We left a message for [redacted] to contact us as we need additional information to resolve her case.

Review: JULY 2013 I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL THAT LEAD ME TO BELIEVE MY NAME WAS SUBMITTED AS A PROFESSIONAL WOMAN THAT WAS INVITED TO JOIN NAPW. AFTER A LENGHTY SPEEL ABOUT ALL THE WONDERFUL BENEFITS I WOULD RECEIVE AND A LENGHTY INTERVIEW ABOUT MYSELF I AGREED TO JOIN. I WAS THEN TOLD OF THE COST FOR MEMBERSHIP. I DON'T EXACTLY REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS BUT IT WAS SEVERAL HUNDERED DOLLARS. AT THAT TIME I TOLD THE LADY ON THE PHONE I COULD NOT DO IT AS I COULDN'T AFFORD IT. SHE WAS VERY VERY HIGH PRESSURE AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT NO FOR AN ANSWER. I RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO $99 FOR THE YEAR MEMBERSHIP WHICH AFTER I AGREED TO WAS TOLD COULD NOT BE REFUNDED. AND NONE OF THE BENEFITS I WAS INTERESTED IN CAME WITH THIS. I NEVER EVEN USED THEIR SITE. THEN JULY OF 2014 I GET CHARGED $199 FOR ANOTHER YEAR...WHICH THEY SAY I AGREED TO. I TRIED CALLING MULTIPLE TIMES AND COULD NEVER GET THROUGH SO I LEFT MESSAGE AFTER MESSAGE. I DID FINALLY RECIEVE A MESSAGE BACK AND CALLED AGAIN. I SPOKE WITH A [redacted] ID #[redacted]. THE TACTICS THIS COMPANY USES ARE UNETHICAL! SHE WOULDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION ON HOW TO CANCEL THIS MEMBERSHIP AND WILL NOT REFUND THE MONEY THEY TOOK FROM MY ACCOUNT. SHE BASICALLY ARGUED WITH ME THE WHOLE CONVERSATION. WHEN I ASKED WHY I COULD NEVER GET THROUGH AND IT TOOK SO LONG TO HEAR BACK SHE SAID WE ARE BUSY. SO NOW I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT CANCELLING THIS AS SHE SAID I AM NOW A MEMBER THROUGH JULY 2015. I DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR!Desired Settlement: I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ORGANIZATION AND THEIR SNEAKY TACTICS. I WANT TO KNOW MY MEMBERSHIP HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND I CAN'T SEEM TO GET THAT ANSWER FROM THEM. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE $199 REFUNDED.

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 July *, 2014 charge reflecting her annual membership

dues. She submitted an application for

consideration for membership in June 2013.

All applicants are interviewed by phone to determine if membership in

the NAPW is something that they wish to pursue and if the candidate is a good

fit for the organization. During this 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 trial 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. She also advised

her that she should contact the renewals department at least thirty days prior

to her renewal month if she wanted to make any changes to her membership. She

also asked [redacted] if she had any questions and [redacted] replied no, thanked

her and said that she was looking forward to her membership. She had the

opportunity to opt out of our automatic renewal program at that time or any

other time prior to her renewal.

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. [redacted] changed her login

information, which is recommended when the member does accept the terms and

conditions. NAPW’s Terms &

Conditions are available at [redacted]

Throughout

the year, NAPW made available to [redacted] a comprehensive membership services

staff, which is qualified to field all inquiries and would have been able to

work with her had she elected to opt out of her automatic renewal (or any other

questions she may have had). NAPW

publicizes the availability of this staff through multiple dedicated

pages. See [redacted]. Each of these pages publishes the contact

telephone numbers and email addresses, and provides a convenient form which

this member could have submitted at any time if she wished to engage our staff

for any reason, including opting out of her automatic membership renewal.

From day

one of [redacted]’s enrollment with NAPW, we communicated via email using the

address she provided: [redacted].

Email was clearly the primary communication channel, by which [redacted]

received her monthly newsletters and numerous other organizational

announcements. A postcard reminder was

mailed at the end of May to the address provided by her at the time of

enrollment, which is the same as the one provided here. Additionally, well

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

upcoming renewal transaction via email, and another reminder a week later.

We have

reviewed all of our records. [redacted]

did not contact us to cancel her scheduled renewal prior to processing, as

required by our Terms & Conditions, so her renewal was processed as she

previously authorized.

[redacted] did, however, dispute this charge with her bank rather than contact us

directly to resolve the matter. Once this process begins, we are obligated to

provide the bank with supporting documentation to justify the charge, which we

did, and we abide by the decision of the bank.

If a member chooses to dispute any charges through her card issuer, it

must go completely through the dispute process and the bank makes the final

determination by which both parties are expected to abide. In this case, the bank determined that the

charge was authorized and did not refund the fee to [redacted].

[redacted] did contact us by phone on August *,

2014, after her bank declined to support her claim of an unauthorized

charge. She left a message claiming to

have called us repeatedly, but that no one returned her calls. We have checked

all of the logs which automatically record the numbers of callers to our

company; the only call from any number we have on record for [redacted] was the

one on August *. If she called from a different number, she did not leave us a

message, all of which are returned.

We called [redacted] back on August *, leaving a

message, which she returned on August *, 2014. During this call, our representative attempted

to explain to [redacted] that as she had disputed the renewal charge, we were

obligated to accept the bank’s determination and that she should contact her

bank with any questions. She also advised her that we did make certain that her

membership would not renew, and that if she chose to use her benefits, they

would remain active until her membership expired.

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 [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.

NAPW charged my card $495 for a membership renewal yesterday. I saw it reflected TODAY and I immediately called them to cancel the membership. With only one day from the day of the charge I didn't see much problem with acquiring a full refund; instead they are keeping nearly $200!!! I understand a small transaction fee or something but keeping more than $190 for one day is outrageous!!!

Review: After filling out an online form to get more information about the NAPW, I recieved almost 15 phone calls from people wishing to speak to me about and always at busy times. I finally was free to talk to them one day and they said they had some "interview" questions for me to be considered to join their association. I answered all of their questions and then was told I was accepted into their society. They initially told me membership was free, but then gave me the option of choosing 1 of 2 membership packages. The lady of the phone described the benefits and said there was a $7.95 package or an $8.95 package. I thought to myself, $7.95 a month is not bad for all of the benefits she listed so I agreed and gave them my payment information. She continued and pushed hundreds of dollars of merchandise and things at me all of which I refused and finally at the end of the call she said, "Okay so we have you signed up for the $795.00 membership package thank you." and hung up. Horrified, I immediately tried to get in contact with them to let them know it was a mistake. Not even 2 minutes after the phone call ended I contacted their customer service department and explained the misunderstanding. This was in April 2013. I have continued to contact the NAPW to find a solution to this problem. I have sent 11 emails, left 2 voice mails, and was hung up on once. They only call when I am at work and unavailable and never answer the phone during their typical working hours. It is unbelievable to me, that an association that prides itself in it's "Professionalism" would mislead people into paying hundreds of dollars and then refuse respond back to my persistent communication.Desired Settlement: I want a refund of my "membership" fee. I feel I was misled about the cost of membership and now that they know I am looking for a refund they refuse to contact me.

Business

Response:

Review: They have been calling me daily since I asked them to stop contacting me. I have called and emailed multiple times for them to stop contacting me, but they have only increased the number of times they have contacted me. I do not owe them any money and have told them multiple times I'm not interested in their services.Desired Settlement: I want my information taken out of their system and for them to never contact me by any means ever again.

Business

Response:

We regret the misunderstanding. Members of NAPW originally contacted this individual in response to an application to membership. We have noted that this individual would prefer not to be contacted. Should you have any further questions, you may contact me at ###-###-####.

Regards,

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. If I am ever contacted again by the NAPW, I will take further action.

Sincerely,

Review: I paid to be a member of NAPW, was told it was a one time fee and they would contact me if I wanted to renew. I never contacted them or did they contact me. I noticed that they debited $199.00 out of my checking account. I called them about it and they said I agreed to auto debit, which I did not. I requested they cancel my membership and refund all my money. They refused and said as a courtesy they would only refund $99.00. I want all my money back. This was a deceptive organization that claimed they could advertise my business and increase my business but they did nothing for the business.Desired Settlement: Refund the rest of my membership fee

Business

Response:

[redacted] became an Introductory member with NAPW in October of 2012. At the time she joined, it was explained to her that NAPW uses an auto-renew feature, to ensure that our members’ benefits provided by our third-party business partners do not lapse. In addition, NAPW includes a reminder in its members’ initial welcome kits and, in the month prior to the renewal, sends multiple email reminders to the members’ email address on file.

In this case, NAPW provided [redacted] with a courtesy credit of $99 in October of 2013 and a final, full credit of the remaining $99 in November of 2013. I trust this matter is resolved. However, should this member wish to contact me with any questions she may do so, anytime, at [redacted]

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.

Yes it was resolved to my satisfaction. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Review: I saw there advertisement on [redacted] for free membership and contacted them. They were very courteous and told me all these great things I would get with membership then they told me it was $988. I have never received the membership package or any other benefits, I have recieved a few emails and several more high pressure sales calls. This was in July. In September they contacted me again to say I had been selected to recieve an award for Woman of the Year, after about 20 minutes of the sales lady telling me what a great honor it way and all the things that went along with the award she told me how much, when I said its just not in the budget and that I still had not received the initial membership package and things she said they were on the way and dropped the price. I gave in and agreed to $495 charge, which upon getting off the phone I immediately regretted and called back to cancel. They refunded me $330 of the $495, but would not do any more. Then today they called again under the pretext of writing my bio for the Woman of the Year feature of the newsletter after about 10 minutes they told me it would only be $995 when I refused they said they would lower the price, I continued to refuse, the sales person told me I was rude and hung up. To this day I have never recieved a membership package, I have never been provided with a member id so I can't even log in to the web site. I have recieved a few emails and several high pressure sales calls that cost both time and money.

Included with Membership but never received due to no membership package being sent and no member ID being provided:

Monthly Newsletter:

• New Member Announcement w/Link to Profile

• NAPW Perks Discounts

• Member of the Month Eligibility (Q&A)

• Feature Story Eligibility

Career/Educational Tools:

• Unlimited 1 & 2 day seminars (FREE)

• On-Demand Webinars (FREE)

• On-line Courses (FREE)

• Exclusive Videos/Podcasts

• Business Resource Center

• Online Career Center

• Mentorship Program

• Rising Stars Scholarship

Marketing Tools:

• Bulletin Board

• Authors Page

• Member Marketplace

Online Networking:

• Comprehensive Profiles/Search/ Advance Search/ Keyword Search

• Community Wall (Forum)

In-Person Networking:

• Local Chapter Meetings

• Annual Conference

Special Discounts:

• NAPW Perks

• Member Discounts Alerts

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS WITH VIP UPGRADE

Monthly Newsletter:

• Announcement of VIP membership status with Link to Profile

Career/Educational Tools:

• Select In-Depth Certification Courses (FREE)

Marketing Tools:

• Member Marketplace: Exclusive VIP Business Exposure

• Expert Press Release Eligibility

• Legacy Registry Eligibility

Online Networking:

• Photo rotated on Home Page with link to extended profile

• Expanded, more comprehensive profiles

• Highlighted VIP Profile to stand out in search results

• Exclusice VIP networking forum

In-Person Networking:

• Priority Notification and Seating at Special Events

Plaque

• Plaque with NAPW Corporate Seal (Gift, free)

Special Discounts:

• VIP Special Discounts Alerts (starting soon)Desired Settlement: I would like membership and affiliation with NAPW canceled and a full refund of membership fees $988 + $495 - $330 = $1153.00. I would also like to stop recieving calls and emails and to ensure that my credit card cannot be used by them again for them to delete and or destroy all my personal and billing information.

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 partially refunded the amount of $**0, on 10/*/*. Due to the age of her account, it was not possible to credit her credit card for the remainder, but a check requested has been submitted in the amount of $1,15*. 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:

This member has been partially refunded the amount of $330, on 10/*/3. Due to the age of her account, it was not possible to credit her credit card for the remainder, but a check requested has been submitted in the amount of $1,153. This check should be issued within the next 7-10 days and will be sent directly to the member's address on file ([redacted] / San Antonio, TX).

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,