This started out as a post to the EFA members’ discussion list, where we’ve recently discussed a couple of scams, but it got a little long so I’m posting it here. I also gave out my URL and was promised it’d be linked to my member profile, so in case that actually does get published anywhere, I want to emphasize here that I am not affiliated with the National Association of Professional Women. Which should also be clear from the rest of the post.
I come with a word of warning about the National Association of Professional Women. They’re advertising heavily on LinkedIn, I hear, and targeting new business owners whose bullshit detectors might not be finely tuned yet. (That would include me, I’m sorry to say.) The organization seems reputable but they’ll use flattery and high-pressure tactics to upsell you on anything they can.
A week or two ago, I got a postcard in the mail offering membership and providing a preapproved membership code. I thought about it, went and checked out the org’s website, and decided it looked legitimate and possibly useful to me. The site said that every woman who applies (should have been red flag #0) gets a complimentary basic membership but that there were many membership levels. I entered the code from the mailing, filled out a form, and figured I’d check it out at the free level.
A few days later, I got a phone call from Savina (at a blocked number; red flag #1) wanting to interview me before my membership was approved and leaving the number 866-540-6279, extension 270. I called back today, and the given extension was Pamela Caldwell’s voice mailbox. I left a message anyway, and Savina called me back an hour or so later. (Red flag #2 — there was no mention of “oops, I gave you the wrong extension” or “Pamela gave me your message” or anything like that.)
Savina seemed friendly, but I could also tell she was reading from a script at points. I answered questions about my work experience, my education, my business, where I see myself in five years, what I hoped to get from the organization, what I was most looking forward to, etc. At the end of the interview she said she was pleased to offer me membership. I thanked her, thinking I’d passed some test or received some honor, and we proceeded with the paperwork process. She said there was the Elite membership level, which cost $900-something, or the Premium level, which cost $700-something but didn’t have quite so many benefits, so which did I want to sign up for?
WHOA THERE. I don’t want to sign up for either! However, we’d now spent about 15 minutes talking about me and what I wanted from the organization, so I didn’t want to feel foolish by saying “no thanks, never mind” at this point. (Red flag #3, in retrospect.) Savina said she could offer me a trial membership at $99. I said, didn’t I see something on the website about a free level? She said that was a listing only and didn’t include all the networking and seminars and other benefits I’d just said I wanted. So would that be American Express, Visa, Mastercard…?
At this point I felt trapped enough to give up my credit card information. I wish I’d come up with some other excuse: I wanted to review the welcome packet she promised to send; I wanted to run it by an accountant or a mentor; I wanted an invoice or an online form instead of giving my card info over the phone. (I later found out that others who’d said things like these were told the offer of membership was a now-or-never thing, or that welcome packets or requested invoices never came.)
So once Savina had my card info and enough information to create my member profile, she then offered to sell me a very nice plaque commemorating my acceptance into membership. She read off what the plaque would say and said that they only reserve two plaques for each member, so did I want to buy one or two for $99 each? That, I managed to turn down. To finish the signup process, Savina told me I’d get an email with my member ID and website login, told me I could download the organization’s logo and put it on my own site and business cards and wherever else, and described what would be in the welcome packet
When we ended the call, I felt swindled. I’d had no intention of spending a dime on membership, but because I’d been enthusiastic about membership for most of the call, I felt pressure not to backtrack. The more I thought about the whole thing, the more red flags started to appear, and I did what I should have done in the first place: researched the organization. My phone even offered “national association of professional women scam” when I started to type in the search box. Uh-oh.
I found blog posts and comments from 2007 through January of this year, all telling pretty much the same story, with some of the same names and phone numbers, though the exact dollar amounts changed from year to year. A post, Women Work Smart: Watch Out for Scams Attacking New Business Owners, and comments that echoed the experience I’d just had. An unfavorable article from 2009 that NAPW wanted taken down in 2012. A speaker who’d been offered a complimentary membership, then asked to pay for memberships and awards. A Ripoff Report article that had a fluffy, glowing “special update” at the top and a name removed from the original, critical report. Even negative Yelp reviews of the organization.
The more I read, the more infuriated I got. I called the number back and pressed 0 for “immediate assistance.” An operator transferred me to the Finance division, where I left a stern message saying I did not want membership, do not charge my card, and call me back to tell me there will be no charges. I read more stories of people getting the runaround and called the number again, this time dialing the extension Savina had given me, which again directed me to Pamela’s voice mailbox — only this time, her last name was something like Jean-Michel, not Caldwell (another red flag!). I left another stern message saying not to charge my card.
I expected I’d have to fight a little harder to avoid charges, since Savina had said that all membership orders were final. But an hour after I left the first message, I got a call from Ben (blocked number) from the Finance division. He asked me to confirm that I’d purchased a membership today. I said instead that I’d done a little more research on the organization and decided not to proceed with membership. He said, “So you looked at the website?” I said that I’d looked at the website and some other recommendations online, and I no longer wanted to be a member of NAPW. Ben offered no other resistance and said that he’d reverse the charges, which could take up to 24 hours. And that was that.
My bank account doesn’t show a pending charge yet, so I can’t say what amount they charged or refunded. If anything does come through, I’ll update the post.
ETA, 3/29/13: I think it’s safe to say now that no charges came through at all. It looks like I changed my mind quickly enough that NAPW really didn’t charge my card, instead of completing the transaction and then reversing the charges.
Update, 2/4/14: There have been so many more comments on this post than I ever expected (almost 200 as of this morning)! If you did purchase a membership at any level in the National Association of Professional Women, I can’t offer specific advice beyond what I’d recommend for any other purchase: contact NAPW for a refund and to cancel your membership. Contact your bank or credit card company and ask to stop the charge if it hasn’t gone through yet, or if it has, ask the customer service rep what your options are. Several readers have mentioned automatic renewals without clear notice — commenter Kim Hales said in December 2013 that text authorizing the renewals is hidden in new/updated terms and conditions that NAPW members must accept in order to login to the members-only area of the website, where you’d need to uncheck a renewal option — so if you’re already on the phone with your bank or credit card issuer, ask if you can prevent that specific renewal charge. NAPW may also have a policy disallowing cancellation within 30 days of the membership’s renewal date.
Many readers have mentioned the misleading ads NAPW has placed on LinkedIn. Yesterday, commenter Karin posted the text of the support ticket she submitted to LinkedIn and the reply she received, in which an Ads Support Specialist promised to “investigate the advertiser in question.” LinkedIn’s advertising guidelines prohibit deception or lying. Since NAPW does have a free membership level, I don’t think advertising a free membership is lying per se, but I do think this tactic is deceptive. If you’re on LinkedIn, you can submit a support ticket here.
Other readers have mentioned NAPW’s Better Business Bureau rating, which seems to have tanked over time. Commenter Glenda said in August 2013 that the LinkedIn ads touted NAPW’s A rating but that, according to the BBB, NAPW was not an accredited business. As of October 2013, NAPW still had a high rating, but commenter Lil W. said in December 2013 that NAPW had an F rating then. Last week, commenter Gabby said that NAPW’s Wikipedia page had a “Controversy” section that mentioned a C rating from the BBB. Here’s the text of that Controversy section as it appears today:
As of January 2014, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) reported 256 customer complaints against NAPW since 2011. Based on these complaints, the Bureau issued the company a C rating (on a scale of A+ to F) for its “failure to resolve underlying cause(s) of a pattern of complaints”, among other factors cited in their review of the company.[10] Dozens of consumer complaints were also filed against NAPW with other complaint bureaus, reporting fraudulent practices. In response to BBB’s inquiry regarding what measures the company was taking to resolve “underlying issues”, NAPW reported that the “trend” of complaints reported to BBB was heavily due to online “negative PR” rather than customer experience.[11]
My post here tends to rank highly in Google searches for the National Association of Professional Women, with or without the word “scam” included. NAPW has not contacted me about my experience (or for any other reason). I don’t think I or my blog really register with them.
The BBB gives NAPW a D rating today, for reasons that match my experience and those of almost all the commenters below: “Many consumers tell BBB that they are misled regarding membership prices, membership levels, and additional fees for processing and set-up. For example, consumers reported seeing an ad for free membership for NAPW on LinkedIn. However, these consumers claim that when they contact NAPW to take advantage of that offer, they find out that joining is not free. Some consumers also allege that they were subjected to high pressure sales tactics by company representatives to join the organization even before they understood the costs or benefits. Other consumers that originally agreed to join the organization but opted afterward to cancel the membership say that they have difficulty reaching any company representatives to seek a refund.”
I’ll continue to update this post with more news as it develops.
Update, 11/13/15: There are more than 550 comments on this post, which is about 500 more than I ever expected! I’m amazed that new people continue to comment that NAPW is doing the same old song and dance. Unfortunately, however, it appears to be working for them. This week, journalist Nikki Gloudemann published Anatomy of a Scam: National Association of Professional Women, a deep dive into the experiences of former members of NAPW, who’s running the organization, what it’s like to work in the call centers, and what the future looks like. (NB: This post is linked in the article and I was contacted for an interview. I wish I’d said yes.)
It is two years later and I just went through exactly what you posted! I received the card, sent it in, felt special when they called and asked questions to qualify me and then wham!! 900 for the highest level membership. I kept thinking – I thought this was free! And started to doubt my own mind. I wish I would have googled first. Luckily I was able to resist the high pressure tactics and didn’t purchase.
I just entered my code online and then found your blog post — thank you I’ll be armed when they call.
I received a postcard and letter in the mail. Luckily I found your blog before I started the process. Thanks so much for saving me the time and money if I had gone through it.
Joseph’s Reply:
My wife and I started our business March of 2014. She had received the NAPW letter, stating that she has been approved. It was signed off by Katie Maloney.
I began researching the organization and happened to find your blog and I’m so glad I did.
What an eye opener and a million thanks to you, for taking the time to post such an informative article. Every Professional Women should read this first prior to signing up. My wife definitely is not.
Thank You!!!
I was in the process of filling out all of my information when I also came across your blog. I continued reading everything you posted, ripped up my reply card, and now want to thank you for the heads up. I don’t need the hassle of trying to get a refund, or trying to get my info out of public access.
Thank you for your post!!! Luckily I was in the grocery store when they called, and I was able to tell them I had to get home to continue the conversation. She tried the “well, once we start, we can’t keep your information on file unless you pay the membership fee” I said well, I can’t do that right now, so it’s your loss if we don’t reconnect. Glad I read your post before she called back!!!!
Sooooo glad I googled first and saved myself all the hassles mentioned above. Thanks for posting!
I received my “invitation” this week. I came online to fill out my application but I am so glad I read this first. Thanks, you just saved me some money and hassle.
I got lucky. I, like others, received my card in the mail, checked out the website and decided that it’s be worth my time to join since it was free. I’ve had my business for a year and a half and could use all the help I could get. I expected to get an email or letter in the mail informing me of whether or not my membership was approved. No one said anything about getting a phone call. Yeah, I gave them a phone number. I put my number on a lot of forms but they never actually call.
For the first time in my life, I was saved by my Social Anxiety Disorder. My phone rang (which I had to find) and it was a lady from NAPW wanting to ask “additional questions” about my application. I’m sure I sounded very hesitant and slow to answer and she asked if I had just woken up. I explained that I’m not very good on the phone and wasn’t expecting a call. “What was that?” So I explained again and she kept asking me to explain what was wrong and I got so nervous and anxious that I just hung up the phone on her. She called straight back but I sent it to voicemail (she didn’t leave a message).
I went online to find an email so I could apologize for my rude behavior but I found this stuff instead. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway… I don’t have anything for them to con me out of.
I just received my phone call this morning. I guess my bullshit detector is in good working order (even though I’m still fairly new in my business) because I had zero compunctions about turning her down. After 10 minutes of selling me on the wonders of LAPW. I talked her down to the free membership level–but I had to say no half a dozen different ways before she would hear me. How many times do you need me to say, “I am not giving out my credit card information to someone who randomly calls me?!!” Talk about a huge red flag.
Their tactics are very shady, indeed. If they believed enough in their product, they wouldn’t need these hard-sell tactics to sucker people in. Thank you so much for putting your experience out there!
Thanks for sharing. Just got a call today few minutes back and the offer was very enticing. However, on the end portion, they were asking for membership fee that’s very expensive on an annual basis and asking for credit card information. That’s when I got suspicious and politely decline the offer. Then I checked the internet and found this article. Thank you, I just got out of it in time :)
Thank you for posting this! You have probably saved me a big headache – after reading I’ve thrown out the mailing I got and won’t even register on the website.
Same story. I got all of the way up to “visa or mastercard”? I said visa. Then as soon as she asked me for my card expiration date, I said, “Okay one second…” then hung up on her and searched google for anything in regards to this being a scam. Thank you for confirming my suspicions.
So glad I googled as well. I just listed it as an organization on my linked in and figured I earned it since I passed the “Interview.” LOL not giving them a dime.
I received a NAPW solicitation mailer this afternoon. I’ve never heard of this organization and immediately thought, “Oh, another company wants my money.” What’s interesting is, the letter opens by stating my “2015 membership has been approved.” I’ve never applied for membership with them; so, that sentence alone was strange. Your blog post helped confirm my suspicions. Unfortunately, there are way too many opportunists out there and their tactics are so sly. Thank you for your post! :)
Too bad, I purchased the $99 package… What should my next step be? Every page I try to go to on NAPW displays an “Error 404” message… I’m really irked right now and it’s the weekend so “their offices are currently closed.” This is so frustrating, I thought they were a legitimate organization.
Just received a solicitation mailer approving my 2015 membership (although I never signed up for it). I googled NAPW, found this post on the first page of results (along with the Yelp reviews), have decided not to sign up. Thank you for keeping this post up here!
Ironically, a network of the professional women who commented on this blog post would probably be pretty interesting!
Informing your state attorney general is helpful. If enough complaints are registered he/she will act.
Thanks for this article. Just stopped me from filling out the online membership for NAPW. Thankfully, I always do a little bit of research if I have not solicited for membership myself or have never heard of them. In this case it was both.
Thank you….I also came across your post after receiving a postcard, and am headed to the shredder as we speak. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
I was excited to receive the “invite” however, I’ve decided to join you and your followers….THE REAL NAPW! Your work is greatly appreciated.
Thank you .. I am so glad your post came up when I googled the organization.
My wife is on Facebook with her photography business (barely even started) and they have somehow found her first and last name (not listed) and our address (not listed) and sent her a letter stating her 2015 membership was approved even though this letter was the first she had ever heard of it.
I Googled the napw and found this page. Thanks for keeping it updated and we are sending the letter to the shredder.
I got my postcard in the mail today. You all are much nicer than I am. I would just hang up on someone who randomly calls and asks for credit card info. Thanks for all the info on this shady organization.
I received a post card in the mail also. I am so glad I googled NAPW and found your blog. I won’t waste my time. Thank you so much.
I received the postcard in January and like you, did light research to deem it legit. I received my phone call yesterday from Joan and quickly realized that it was a scam. I let her go through her script and went the nice route, telling her that I would have to think on it. When she threw out the line that she may not be able to hold my membership, I told her then I guess she would just need to cancel it. She offered the “free” complimentary membership & I still declined. I had some fun with her (I used to be a telemarkter in high school) and finally got off the phone. She was not happy. I ended up calling her back to leave a message that I would definitely NOT sign up for a membership. We’ll see if she calls me back!
Thank you for reviewing – I also googled NAPW and found this. I’ll save myself some aggravation and toss the offer.
Thanks! I just received the invitation letter and post card at my office today. It read like a scam to me, so I Googled and as I thought, though I am special, how would this organization know how special I am and want to offer me…………..humm, what are they offering??
SO glad I read this upon receiving this in the mail. Ugh HOW do these people get your information in the first place!? Yikes. Thanks again ; )
ugh I am so mad at myself – I am a smart woman! I did not take the time to investigate until 12 hours after the “call” that suckered me in – I am anxiously waiting to call them this morning to tell them I have been scammed and want a full refund – I felt it as soon as I hung up but was not able to google until later in the evening. My phone call went just like you said. I have learned a lesson and will share as you did!! I will be sure and post how the phone call goes for future reference. wish me luck!
Thanks… I was ready to proceed but had my doubts. Why I don’t understand is why any legal government agency do something with this scams and many others I have received since I opened my business.
I did look at their website after receiving the postcard, but wasn’t allowed to get into most screens without “membership”. It all looked legit though and I figured I’d just do the basic level for free. I received a phone call this morning, but missed it because I was in a meeting. As with every number I don’t know, I googled it. Your post came up immediately. THANK YOU! I will not call that number back, and I will not answer it if it comes up again. Whew! that was close!
thank you so much for writing your post has save me a lot of frustration. another website that’s a fraud is the claim pages.com you can pay the 400 to $900 and you never get any work and they treat you the same way these people do. it’s ridiculous how many people call in fraud your business for the advertisement. we need more posts like this.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the NAPW. i saw the ad in Linked in and I filled out the form and got a phone called from Savina. She left me her cell phone number (516-453-6255). I called her and she asked questons about my careeer, future plans and after fifteen minutes I got acccepted as part of the NAPW. She went on to explain the benefits, available seminars the people I was going to meet and so on. It soulded to good to be true for me, so I intereupted her and flat asked her if there was a memembership fee associated with the association and that is when she started tellinng me about the $900 Elite membership. I immediatley knew this is wasn’t good at all. Savina would not let me go, she was very persisting and would not give up…so I pretty much told her that I needed to think about it and needed to talk to my husband. I never called her back and got a hold of your article and I am so glad i did not get sucked in.
Thank you,
MJ.
Wow! Thank you! I was not offered a membership but they are posting on Craigslist for career opportunities, holding “open calls” (first red flag). Someone left a vm on my cell but when you call the number back it doesn’t go to a business but someone else’s vm. (second red flag) Not seeking a third red flag. Googled them and your info came up. Thank you for preventing me from wasting time. So sick of scams and the devils that commit them.
Wow!!! Thanks for this! After 20 min on the phone today with “Ann” she hit me with the cost… going from $900 to $99.. no thanks.. Glad I hung up and found your blog! God Bless!
Tonight I had the same experience that you described. I got the phone call 2x to my home phone. I retunred the call and it wasn’t the same person who had left a message for me. I asked her for some written information on levels of membership and she said, “are you in front of the computer, you can go to our site”. In fact, I was in the process of googling NAPW to get some background on why I was getting this crazy call from an organization that i had heard good thing about previously. (actually several years ago now)
Our conversation continued and I told her- “I was not in front of my computer and would she please send me something to read so i can think about it.” The sales tactics continued until alas i was offered the free membership. I am very glad your post was displayed when googled NAPW and saved myself all the hassles mentioned above. Thanks for posting!
THANKS MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT IN THIS MATTER OF NAPW. It is very helpful. SINCERELY, MAXINE
Thank you for this! I am expecting a call from “Pamela” in about 20 minutes since I couldn’t spend the time when she called yesterday. Now….. how to approach the situation. Could be fun. :)
I just received my invite in the mail yesterday. They must have had a big mailing this February with all the replies here! Thanks so much! I found it interesting in the invitation they called me an employee of the company I actually own! I was about to go on their site to check it out but glad I came across yours as well as other negative reviews! Saves me time and trouble!
Thank you…just received a membership notice in the mail.
I just got a letter today in the mail, look at their web page and something didnt look right, so i decided to dig and found your blog! Thank you!
I just received the NAPW mailer with my, “special code.” I thought it was ofd that they were sending me a special membership for my, “outstanding leadership, commitment,” within my profession at Lia Sophia (first red flag). Lia Sophia was a small multi-level marketing company that I was a part of for approximately 1 month, before the company announced they were closing their doors. I’m not commenting on behalf of the Lia Sophia company, I only mention their name because I was only a part of their business for a very short time period, not leaving me very much time to prove any, “outstanding leadership, commitment.” I’m also quite the geek when it comes to grammar and syntax. The wording used in the mailer I received caught me as a huge red flag (second red flag). The exact wording I’m speaking about is, “You were considered for this honor because of your outstanding leadership, commitment within your profession and employment at Lia Sophia.” It appears to me that the usage of a comma between leadership and commitment was in attempt to insert a list of items, however, listing two descriptive words, to commend my work with Lia Soohia, does not require a comma. After the nit-picky editing issues I had within the very first paragraph of my NAPW introductory letter, my eyes were on full-alert. Within the literature, I also read a tiny section mentioning, “There is no cost or obligation to be included.” I took this sentence to infer to me that I’m not obligated to pay, “right now.” This was my 3rd red flag. I then decided to do my research. I typed into my browser, “National Association of Profesional Women.” The first two things to pop up within my search engine, were related to the association website. The third listing was for their wiki-page, then I read the title to this article. This was the first article I read and I decided to stop here. Thank you for the informative literature, I do hope all who have fallen into this money trap have been able to resolve any issues, with ease. I will take this online article and all the following responses to it, as my lesson, “almost learned.” Whether the outcome is positive or negative, I very much value the advice of those who have traveled down any path and care to share what he/she has learned along the way. Thank you!
Flag # 17, based on the letter I just received unbidden from them – they misspelled my company name and lopped off half of the name of a client. Thank you for this wonderful post that just confirmed my doubts. I’d love to know who the jerks are behind this scam – if it’s women misleading women, I’ll be all the more miffed.
I just got off the phone with NAPW. I did not purchase membership. I kept thinking….how can you give me something for $99 that was $900 a minute ago?? I asked ALOT of questions and made her work…found this blog while talking and politely said no thank you. Thanks for posting this!!
These posts are quite insightful. I, too, was reeled in with a congratulatory pitch, then an attempted upsell to the tune of $900. When I balked, the rep bottomed out at $199 for an introductory level. The compimentary welcome package never arrived and evidently the free membership only entitles you to newsletter blasts.
I was really looking forward to what I thought was an association founded on advancing women in professional circles, not a revenue stream.
Thank you for your blog post. The biggest red flag? The Wikipedia entry shows that this organization for professional women was founded by a — you guessed it — man. Sigh.
Thank you for posting this, I did fill in the initial form however I felt like I really didn’t understand what I was getting. It would be nice to belong to a legitimate women’s professional network however this is not it and you saved me a lot of time and possibly money.
Got the post card then the phone call luckily I didn’t pay the extremely expensive membership fee. This may be a great opportunity to network but I wasn’t interested. Found this post afterwards glad to see it exists to save others from making a financial mishap.
I was googling during the “interview” and at the point they stated the costs I declined. I am sure the articulate young lady talking to me wasn’t happy. Very profuse with the praise. Disingenuous.