A charge from “WW Women’s Network Inc” on your credit card or bank statement is a billing descriptor used by the Worldwide Women’s Association, a New York organization that sells networking memberships and add-on services to women. Hundreds of consumers have reported charges under this descriptor that they say they never authorized. If the charge is unfamiliar, your most reliable path to a refund is usually a written dispute to your card issuer, backed up by a cancellation request to the organization and complaints to consumer protection agencies.
What the Charge Is
The Worldwide Women’s Association markets itself as a professional networking platform for women and claims a membership base of more than 255,000 professionals globally.1Worldwide Women’s Association. Homepage2Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Complaints Page 23Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Complaints Page 9 One consumer reported $2,638.90 in charges they said were unauthorized.
The Better Business Bureau lists the organization as unaccredited, with a customer rating of 1.07 out of 5 stars from 82 reviews and 351 complaints filed over three years.4Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Customer Reviews
Why the Charge May Have Appeared
Reviewers describe a consistent sequence. Someone fills out an inquiry form or responds to a LinkedIn message. The organization then follows up by phone, often with high call volume from rotating numbers, using what reviewers describe as a scripted format that resembles a professional interview before moving into a sales pitch.4Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Customer Reviews
Several consumers said they were told their payment covered a one-time “lifetime membership” of $199 or $249 and were unaware of any renewal or add-on obligation.5Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Complaints Page 3 When later charges are challenged, the organization has in some cases attributed them to verbal authorizations given during phone calls with representatives.3Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Complaints Page 9 In others it has denied the charges exist in its internal records, even after consumers produced their statements.2Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Complaints Page 2
Try Canceling Directly First
The organization’s stated refund policy allows a full refund within 15 calendar days of enrollment. After that window, membership purchases are treated as final and non-refundable, and later cancellation is “subject to the organization’s approval” and may carry processing fees.6Worldwide Women’s Association. Terms and Conditions7Worldwide Women’s Association. Membership
The posted contact channels are phone at +1 (718) 808-8689, Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, and email at support@worldwidewomensassociation.com.6Worldwide Women’s Association. Terms and Conditions Be aware before relying on these alone: consumers consistently report difficulty reaching a live person and no response to emails requesting cancellation.8Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Customer Reviews Page 5 Some who were told their membership would be canceled and their billing data “expunged” said new charges appeared afterward anyway.2Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Complaints Page 2 Send the cancellation request anyway, in writing, and keep a copy. You will likely need it for your bank dispute.
Dispute the Charge With Your Card Issuer
The Fair Credit Billing Act gives you the right to dispute charges you believe are unauthorized or the result of a billing error. Send a written notice to your card issuer’s designated billing inquiry address, which is not the same as the payment address, within 60 days of the date the first statement containing the charge was mailed to you.9Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges Include your name, account number, the amount and date of the charge, and why you believe it is wrong. Attach your statement, any screenshots of the signup page, and any email trail with the organization.
Once your dispute is received, the issuer must acknowledge it within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days.9Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges You do not have to pay the disputed amount while the investigation is open, and the issuer cannot report it as delinquent, close or restrict your account over it, or try to collect it in court during that time.10California Attorney General. Credit Cards – Dispute a Charge Federal law caps your liability for unauthorized charges at $50.
If the dispute is really about a service that was misrepresented or never delivered rather than a charge you never authorized at all, a separate “claims and defenses” process applies. It requires a good-faith attempt to resolve the issue with the seller first, a charge over $50, and a seller in your home state or within 100 miles of your billing address, though that distance requirement is generally waived for purchases made online or by phone.10California Attorney General. Credit Cards – Dispute a Charge The deadline is longer here: up to one year from the date the charge first appeared.
Chargebacks appear to work in practice. The BBB complaint record shows the organization has in multiple cases declined to contest chargebacks that consumers initiated through their banks.5Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Complaints Page 3 Ask your issuer to block future charges from the merchant as well, since consumers have reported new charges even after being told their account was closed.
File Complaints to Add Pressure
Alongside your bank dispute, formal complaints create a record and have in some cases produced refunds on their own.
- Better Business Bureau. Filing a BBB complaint has prompted refunds in some cases where direct contact did not. The organization’s BBB profile shows 100 of 351 complaints marked as resolved, with six formally unresolved.2Better Business Bureau. The Worldwide Women’s Association – Complaints Page 2
- State Attorney General. The organization is based in New York, so the New York Attorney General’s office is a natural destination. You can also file with your own state’s consumer protection office; the National Association of Attorneys General maintains a directory at naag.org.11National Association of Attorneys General. Consumer – File a Complaint
- Federal Trade Commission. The FTC does not recover money for individual consumers, but it tracks deceptive subscription complaints, which were running at close to 70 per day as of 2024.12Federal Trade Commission. FTC Announces Final Click-to-Cancel Rule
Does the FTC Click-to-Cancel Rule Help?
The FTC finalized its click-to-cancel rule in October 2024. It prohibits sellers from failing to disclose material terms clearly before taking billing information, from charging consumers without express informed consent, and from making cancellation harder than signup.12Federal Trade Commission. FTC Announces Final Click-to-Cancel Rule The rule updates the 1973 Negative Option Rule for modern digital subscriptions, with most provisions taking effect 180 days after Federal Register publication. It sets the standard your situation can be measured against, but it is enforced by the FTC rather than used to recover an individual charge, which is why the bank dispute remains your working tool.