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.)
Wow – Can’t thank you enough for starting this post. The exact thing played out for me and while they were talking to me (on the blocked number that I still can’t believe I answered) I pulled up information and saw this! Thanks, thanks and thanks again!!!!!
Thank You for this post. I got suckered into this over the phone. Luckily for some reason, her phone switched lines and I was put on hold and then she tried calling me back, before I gave her any of my payment information! I will not be answering their phone calls!
I must agree that their practices border on deceptive, and their sales pitch is aggressive. I did all of what was mentioned in the original post, received the plague and attended the 2012 Conference. Yes, I am a VIP member, but I come to the realization that my VIP level is based on the money that I paid. I was hoping that my membership would connect me to other women like myself searching for mentoring, and professional growth encouragement, but as of today, I am disappointed.
It is very hard for females to excel in the Corporate world, and it is even more difficult if you are an African American female. I was looking for support, uplifting from other professional sisters on how to manuever in this Corporate maze. I did not get this at the NAPW conference I attended. The women that I met and exchanged business cards with, did not follow up. I attempted to follow up with each, but to no avail. I even called the home office to let them know that their mentorship program was a huge FLOP in my book! Yes, I was transferred to different people having to leave message to call me back.
At the conference I attended, I was invited by a fellow member to travel to Detroit where she produced a television show allowing me an opportunity to speak on the services my company offer(Mediation and Consulting). This NAPW sister VIP even told me that she would give me a copy of the tape to bring back to Houston, and she would give me a list of her television contacts, where I could present the tape to be aired in Houston. I was so excited telling her that I had no problem traveling to Detroit at my own expense.
I made several calls leaving messages to this “generous” fellow NAPW sister, but to my disappointment, she never acknowledged or returned any of my calls.
I cannot beyond reasonable doubt say that NAPW is a fraudulent organization because there may be members that have benefited greatly from the association with the organization. I simply would like to know how they did it, and ask to please contact me.
What I can say without doubt is that I enjoyed the conference immensely.
Thank you so much for this post! I read it just in time as I was getting the pitch on the phone.
thank you for this! I actually answered an ad… AND went in for an interview… to be one of those sales people doing the membership calls. The interview was awful. I was more professional than the two women who interviewing me. They seemed bored, shady and I felt they were not telling me everything. When they asked me if I had any questions, they seemed annoyed that I did and that they had to answer them. Finally, they did emphasize the script and that I had to “stick to it”… all in all there were several red flags. I would never work for them.
Another warning… the woman told me they were founded in 2007 and recently went public. BIG red flag. This is clearly a profit-making company. It is not a professional organization in the traditional sense in which they are often non-profit, start with a like-minded professionals and which often take a while to ramp up to a sizable constituency.
I was just almost suckered into this myself! I saw the free membership advertisement on LinkedIn and signed up.I got a phone call, and when she got to the membership fees I hung up. That is ridiculous!!!! How do they go from free to $900+ dollars?
I wish I would have read this as soon as I got the letter in the mail. I can’t believe how stupid I feel for falling for something like this. I have a huge skepticism hat on all of the time (or so I thought) and I still fell victim. Luckily, my credit card company could not have been more helpful but ultimately I decided to get a new card number issued. I do not trust NAPW to not use my cc info in the future. Hopefully others will read forums/blogs like this and not fall into the trap…
I am so grateful to have stumbled upon your article. I just was duped/scammed/deceived into paying $199 for an introductory membership with this shady organization NAPW. I too had signed up because of seeing the advertisement on LinkedIn. After agreeing to the introductory membership, I decided to research the organization and came across your article, which was very helpful and eyeopening. After reading your article, I called the NAPW representative and it went straight to voicemail. I then called the billing department and again it went straight to voicemail. Then I called customer service and of course it went straight to voicemail, which I did leave a voicemail all three times. I also sent an email. Since, I was not able to reach anyone by phone, I called my bank and filed a claim against them as they charged me instantly and thankfully my bank has rectified this issue for me and reversed the charge. I agree with your article and all previous comments, that NAPW is definitely a scam, preying on hardworking women, out to steal our money. Yes, the number 1 Red Flag, is that they call you from an unknown/blocked number. I received their call on my work cell number, therefore, I was inclined to answer, as it could have been one of our clients calling. On my personal cell, I do not answer calls from unknown/blocked numbers. I will do my research on any future organizations I may be interested in joining.
Thank you so much for your post. I received NAPW’s postcard in the mail and thought, “How nice!” I started to go to their website but decided to Google first instead and found your blog. While I’m sorry you had a bad experience, please know you certainly have saved others from getting scammed.
I feel sick to my stomach after reading this informative blog post and hearing the testimonials of other woman. I literally just got off the phone with whom I now realize was a professional con-artist, after speaking at length about my career history, volunteer work, and the fact that we both went to Loyola Marymount University(which I realize now could also be/most likely was just a fabricated scam tactic to deepen my trust and belief of being approved for membership by a genuine association for networking, and empowerment for professional working women. I just pulled up my banking statement online and the $ has literally already been deducted from my visa debit card. The only thing I can do now is to wholeheartedly spread the message to my fellow female co-workers, friends, and lead as many women as I can to this blog post, written by a woman with an obviously strong moral compass, who is actually taking a stand to support and empower fellow female professionals.
Thank you, Rachel! Though I was taken off guard and not able to read this public service announcement/cautionary tale before I myself was duped into this scam, I applaud you for taking a stand and advocating for female professionals who may be targeted by this “organization” in the future.
Call them and demand your money back. You need to be firm.
It worked for me.
Ugh! I wish I had read this before I got suckered back in December! I had a missed call from an 866 number today, googled the number and found your review. What an awful company!
Hi – Should have Googled NAPW and read your blog BEFORE I went through the exact same process you did. I was able to get someone after dialing ‘O’ at 1-866-540-6279 and they put me right through to billing. I was immediately offered a heavily discounted fee of $250 and she tried to play it off and get me off the phone (“you will be discounted $500 blah blah dollars….”). I told her no thanks and to please void my membership which she did slightly begrudgingly. I feel much better having the entire $789 in my pocket. Thank you!
You’ll never believe how I found your post!:
I was talking on the phone today from the NAPW (from No Caller ID) and was pleasantly reminded that I did send the card back for membership (thinking it was free and a good way to get my name out there). My husband just so happened to walk past while I was talking about what inspired me to get into the career I did. When I answered “My kids”, he gave me a look of Who are you talking too? I quickly pulled up my browser to type it in and show him the website (so I wasn’t rude talking to him while on the phone with her). I accidentally typed it in the google search, instead of the browser. THEN, I saw your post pop up right as she began to explain the packages (!?). It was a pleasant conversation, til then. And it went exactly how you explained. I immediately got a bad feeling, kept reading (as she talked) and I kept saying I wasn’t ready to purchase at this time and if I could call back. Thank you!!
Thank you so much! I just got the confirmation of my application, and was told they would be calling me. I decided to google them, and here I am. You saved me a lot of aggravation.
I just got a postcard, too. Glad I found your page before doing anything else. Wrote “SCAM” in big letters and posted it in my lounge so my hard working, poorly paid teachers dont fall for it.
I’m so glad I found this post so quickly! They mailed me about my “approved membership” (I didn’t apply!) and thought to look online before taking one step further. I had the membership in the recycling by the first paragraph. Thank You!
I’m happy to have stumbled across this! She kept “lowering the price” for me… as I kept saying that I wouldn’t do anything today without knowing who they really are. Felt like a true sales call!
I’m sorry to say I fell for this. I “joined” 2 months ago and just now got a call telling me that for another $489 I could upgrade my membership and extend it for 2 more months. That would mean over $800 for a 14 month membership. I was going to be a VIP member, get a plaque etc. etc. etc.
I agree this is a scam. Let this be a lesson, ALWAYS check things out on internet before joining. If they won’t give you time to investigate, then just say no, no matter how great it sounds.
I’m glad that I found your article! I’ve been getting a call once a day from a number from New York….didn’t answer it as I don’t know who it is and no message was left each time. When I googled the number I found comments about it being from NAPW and then came across your page! Thank you so much for the wealth of information and all those who responded to your article. This is going to save me the headache that you and other unfortunately experienced. Won’t be answering that call any time soon! MAHALO NUI LOA!!!
They sent the postcard right to my work. I’m not sure how they received my work address to be sending me the information. I’ve never had anything sent here. I have been asked to do a few additional trainings at work, so I thought this was something you needed to get nominated for. Thank you for this post and the information. When something seems too good to be true, it is.
Thank you very much for this. I was feeling very upset because I was supposed to participate in a webinar today that I could not access and was told that it would be tomorrow, but they person didn’t know what time. I also paid $499 for membership and received a card. I was feeling uneasy myself about this organization. I responded to a link but got an uh oh back from Aol in regards to email address. I am going to call my credit card and report a scam.
just adding one more thank you for the heads up!
I applied through their LinkedIn as and have been getting calls from a private number for a couple weeks now. Finally, today I answered, going through all the steps you went through and being accepted in. When they offered the $989 or $789 I said I could not afford that. She then offered me $489, I again said I could not do that and finally the “basic” $99 membership to which I said no, I truly can not afford that. She didn’t even say goodbye, just hung up on me. It was clear she was using a script as everything was being repeated as if what I had said the previous time was irrelevant.
Has to be some way that LinkedIn can stop them from advertising.
Thanks! Got the same letter today and wondered…hmmm should I? Maybe we should start our own group. :)
I just got the letter today. It says there is no cost or obligation to be included. Thank you so much for this post.
This company runs other scams too. When I had my photography business–I got one from this same address about being included in some Who’s Who’s of whatever. So when I got a letter from the NAPW I instead decided to mail one of my photography guide flyers to them. And if they do call me I will turn the tables and ask them if they were calling to order my photography guide. Amazing how fast the telemarketers hang up.
Just opened my envelope, then went on line to see who they were before I went to their website from a public view point. I am a real estate broker so I see they are hitting up the masses. I am already shredding it. Thank you Deborah
I’m so happy that I found this post. I just receive a letter today telling me that my membership request was approved and to call them to claim it… my first thought was, “I didn’t request a membership!” so I immediately suspected that it was a scam… I’m glad that I found this and was able to verify.
I got contacted by one of the membership recruiters today after using the NAPW advertisement link on linkedin. I was interviewed and then the high pressure sales tactics came out. Discussion of cost was not mentioned in the ad, in fact nor was the surprise interview. And they don’t tell you right away when they call that you have to pay, they try to slip it in casually and then pressure you to accept. I told them I would call back, but figured there was no way I would because they wanted too much money and I didn’t like how it felt like a pyramid scheme and not a professional organization. And after looking them up on yelp and then reading this review I can see I am not alone in having this experience with them. I would like linkedin to pull their advertising as well!
Thank you for the time you invested in this article…while on the phone with NAPW today I googled it and your blog popped up. Reading your blog while entertaining a 33min conversation with Sabine…it was like a movie unfolding and your article is on point!
Thank you, I’m happy to donate to your favorite charity since you saved me HUNDREDS of dollars today! ;o)
The original post could have been a recording of the conversation I just had with a representative of NAPW. I guess I am a little distrusting of people in general so I immediately had my antenna go up. I told the representative that I felt pressured to give her hundreds of dollars and I really didn’t know what I would be spending it on. I told her that I felt it was best to just table the conversation. I’m so glad I didn’t get involved.
Thank you!! I just got the same exact letter in the mail and thankfully found your blog post before I even went to their website (figuring their website would probably look legit enough, but I wanted a more objective review). You saved me time, money and energy so thank you thank you thank you!!!
Thank you so much for this. They almost got me but I brought up your article on my screen while they were on the phone with the pressure tactics. I told them — no thanks, I didn’t know it wasn’t free! LinkedIn should not allow them to advertise.
Just had a call and same situaiton. Fortunately the red flag went off during the questions and then during the offer for membership. What a scam…am mad Linkedin allows these to come through.
I received the postcard in the mail yesterday. Started researching today because I was considering mailing the card after looking at their website. Thank you for this information – I will be throwing the postcard in the trash after I finish this post.
thanks for posting this!!!!!!!!how do i take off my self of the mailing list!! i was iffy the minute i saw no caller ID and googled!!
I just finished a conversation with a representative of the NAPW. Following her interview questions to determine acceptance of my application, and her approval of my responses, I informed her that I was not interested in belonging to an organization that is not forthright. I do not appreciate the deceptive and misleading tactics they use in their recruitment practices and I value my reputation too much to have my name associated with their level of deception. Their bait and switch tactics are deplorable. She very sharply commented that she would remove my application. That is the best news I have had all day. Don’t be fooled by this organization’s tactics.
Just got my membership confirmation in the mail today. Thank you for posting this, as it was the first thing I saw as I researched the company. In the trash it goes!!!!!!
Thanks for this post! I have received the call today and it was going well until she started to talk about the membership fees. I was really surprised, but managed to give her an excuse to not make my decision so fast. She asked to wait in the line while I would verify my payment option, and this was the moment I started searching the web for more information… and ended up here!
Yeah, I admit to falling for this to, but I did manage to get a “trial membership” for a low price. I just wanted to see what would happen (had the money to spare), what things would be available to me. But after reading all of what you all wrote, I will not be doing anything on their membership website. I didn’t even go to the membership website when my membership package came. Buyer’s remorse? You bet! I wasn’t about to spend almost $500 on anything. So that’s all they’ll get from me.
So glad to see this. I was contacted and heavily pressured a which really surprised me but served as a red flag. I didn’t fall for it and did NOT provide any credit card info — I said that I needed to do some more research and this is what I found. Too bad I didn’t see this earlier — could have saved myself 30 valuable minutes!
Thank you so much for this review! I talked to them today after seeing the free membership link on linkedin. After I told her I couldn’t afford to join right now the call ended quickly. It was clearly all to scam money. Very disappointing.
So what are good organizations to join? Now I feel confused about which ones are scams and which are real?
I was just called by NAPW and had the exact same experience. I did not contribute any cash because I wanted to check them out a little more. I am thankful to have found this review!
As Robyn Wilkinson just asked: Are there any reputable organizations to join?
I know of a couple reputable organizations. NAWBO, National Association of Women Business Owners is terrific and reasonable, also BNI, Business Networking International. It was BNI that really was a big help when I first launched my business.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I just received the same membership approval letter with my current employer listed on the letter. I was almost flattered, lol! I truly hope your account has been credited the money by now, and I really appreciate you posting this and preventing others from falling victim to this scam!
Sincerely,
Jessica
Speaking about the Better Business Bureau reviews on the NPAW… About seven years ago I was contacted by the BBB to join as a member. This was interesting as I had always assumed that the BBB was a watch dog organization like Consumer reports–you couldn’t join or pay to sway the ratings. The BBB rep quoted me a cost of over $300.00 a year, based on my revenues, and that I would have a high rating plus good reviews on their website and for when people called. I did not join as I know that bad business reviews will show up on other internet sites even though the business is member of the BBB. Interestingly when I called the BBB a week after the sales call posing as a consumer asking for a rating and reviews on my business–the person said that my business was not listed in their data based and hence they had no information to give me.
Ladies it looks like we all need to get together and create a legitimate one ourselves!