Frequently Asked Questions

Members

1. Who is your average member?
2. How much does membership cost?
3. How do I join GATC?
4. What payment methods does GATC accept?
5. What is the refund policy on membership dues?
6. How can I cancel my membership/subscription?
7. I paid for my subscription and was filling out the membership form when I got an error. What can I do?
8. What are some benefits of joining GATC?
9. Do you sell/share my information with any third-parties?
10. How do I obtain my membership card?
11. What does my membership card do for me?

Events

1. How often are there GATC events?
2. What types of events are there?
3. Where are most GATC events held?
4. I have an idea for a event, who should I contact?
5. Can anyone plan a event?
6. Can my friends attend events without first being a member?
7. Does GATC hold events where men are allowed?

Featured Content

1. Who qualifies to be a "great boyfriend?"
2. How do I submit a "great boyfriend?"
3. How do I subscribe or unsubscribe to the e-mail list?

General

1. How did GATC get started?
2. How long has the GATC been around?
3. Where is GATC's home base?
4. I'm interested in working for GATC, where can I learn more?
5. Are you ladies any fun?

1. Who is your average member?
   Membership in the GATC is open to all adult women (18+) in North America, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or age. Although with that said, at the current time, we mainly cater to young professionals. All of our members have two goals in common, to meet and build lifetime friendships with other women and to gain access to useful information to enrich their lives. Our members are a mix of single, dating, married, and those with kids. Visit our up-to-the-minute member statistics to learn more.
   
   
2. How much does membership cost?
   Membership dues are currently $19.95/yr. For about the cost of a magazine subscription, you will gain access to members-only events, special contributor articles, the member network, discounts to businesses, and much more!
   
   
3. How do I join GATC?
   To become a member, click the "Get Started!" button on the left of our membership page. You will be temporarily rerouted to the PayPal billing page. Once you've paid your subscription, you'll be presented with a four-step information form (1. select username; 2. tell us about you; 3. provide emergency contact information for use on events by GATC staff; 4. optionally tell us how you found out about us). If you submit your subscription via PayPal (check your e-mail for your transaction receipt), and you are getting an error message during registration, please let us know.
   
   
4. What payment methods does GATC accept?
   Currently, GATC accepts Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, Discover, and eChecks via the PayPal payment system. Please refer to our payment information page for more information about signing up for PayPal. GATC does not provide technical support for the PayPal system. If you have difficulty signing up for an account or using PayPal, please refer to their online help pages.
   
   
5. What is the refund policy on membership dues?
   You will be billed when you first register for membership and again on your membership anniversary date via PayPal. (Your billing renewal date is displayed in the Members Area of the web site, under My Options). Should you choose to cancel membership, you may do so prior to any anniversary date, so you do not get charged for the upcoming year. Your membership will be terminated within 1 business day of your cancellation request. We do not provide refunds or credits for any partial annual subscription periods.
   
   
6. How can I cancel my membership/subscription?
   For security reasons, there is only one way to cancel your membership. This is for Girls & the City staff to verify that it's really you. Cancellations via e-mail are NOT accepted. To cancel your service, please log into https://www.paypal.com/ using the e-mail address and password associated with your GATC membership account to access your subscription information. Then, choose the subscription, in your account history, you wish to cancel. Cancellation requests must be prior to the end of the then current annual renewal period to avoid incurring charges for the next annual subscription period. We do not provide refunds or credits for any partial annual subscription periods.
   
   
7. I paid for membership and was filling out the membership form when I got an error. What can I do?
   First, don't panic! If we received your subscription via PayPal (check your e-mail for your transaction receipt), we will send you the membership information form via e-mail and complete the registration process for you. Please let us know of the problem, with as much detail (error message, operating system, etc.) as you can.
   
   
8. What are some benefits of joining GATC?
   The primary GATC benefits are listed on our membership page. We are always interested to hear your ideas for additional benefits, however we can ultimately only offer benefits we can support within our means.
   
   
9. Do you sell/share my information with any third-parties?
   We respect the privacy of our members and do not sell or share your information with any third-parties. It is also up to you whether or not you want to share your member information with the other members of the GATC in the online, login-required Member Network (part of the Members Area of the web site).
   
   
10. How do I obtain my membership card?
    Your membership card is available for printing in the Members Area of the web site. You will need to print a new card the first time you use it each year, as the cards expire the last day of each year. The membership card may be used for discounts at various companies, but is not needed to attend members-only events.
    
    
11. What does my membership card do for me?
    Your membership card allows you to obtain discounts for products and services at various companies within the geographical area that GATC currently operates within.
    
    

1. How often are there GATC events?
   The GATC has somewhere between one to four events per month, within 30 miles of the current geographical areas catered to.
   
   
2. What types of events are there?
   GATC offers a variety of events, most falling into one of five categories: 1. Third Thursdays - meet and mingle with other members, learn more about GATC; 2. Girls Night Out (GNO) - get together out on the town for women only; 3. Parties - potlucks, tv show or movie viewings; 4. Women's Workshops (WW) - lessons to help women learn and grow; 5. Travel - weekend or day trips to various places appealing to women.
   
   
3. Where are most GATC events held?
   A majority of our events are in the D.C. and Baltimore area, for the time being. If you are interested in having GATC come to your great city, please let us know.
   
   
4. I have an idea for a event, who should I contact?
   Please send your event ideas to the Event Managers, via the Submit Content > Event Ideas form in the Members Area. If you would like to host the event, please submit the event details in the Host an Event form in the Members Area.
   
   
5. Can anyone plan a event?
   Yes, starting in late 2007, we opened up event planning to all members. If you would like to host or plan an event, please submit the event details in the Host an Event form in the Members Area.
   
   
6. Can my friends attend events without first being a member?
   Some events allow for non-member attendance. When non-member guests are permitted, you will see the total number allowed on a specific event's details page.
   
   
7. Does GATC hold events where men are allowed?
   Some, but few, events allow for male guests. When male guests are permitted, you will see the total number of guests allowed on a specific event's details page, in addition to the event details saying clearly that the non-member guests can be male or female.
   
   

1. Who qualifies to be a "great boyfriend?"
   Great Boyfriends are guys that you know that you believe would make a great boyfriend to the right girl, but they are not having luck at love. Whether you are their ex, sister, mother, friend, coworker, etc., send the suggestions in. We will e-mail them and let them know they've been nominated and ask their permission to list their first name, bio (we hope the person nominating them will write to explain why they are such a great catch), and photo. They will also get a special e-mail address that forwards messages to their real e-mail account, and they can respond to the messages they choose.
   
   
2. How do I submit a "great boyfriend?"
   Submit your great boyfriend nominations to our Great Boyfriends Program Manager. In the absense of a Great Boyfriends Program Manager, please submit your nomination to our President.
   
   
3. How do I subscribe or unsubscribe to the e-mail list?
   The GATC e-mail list is opt-in only. When you subscribe for membership, you will have the option to join the e-mail list. After you become a member, you can log into the Members Area, go to My Options and subscribe or unsubscribe there. We send about one to two e-mails a month from GATC staff only with special deals, reminders about upcoming events, and much more.
   
   

1. How did GATC get started?
   Amy's bio sums up where the concept came from, and if you want to learn more about where she's taken it, you can learn more on the about GATC page.
   
   
2. How long has the GATC been around?
   The GATC concept began in 2004, but the web site did not go online until late 2005.
   
   
3. Where is GATC's home base?
   Currently, the GATC is a home-based business in the D.C., Baltimore, Annapolis, and Columbia, MD areas.
   
   
4. I'm interested in working for GATC, where can I learn more?
   GATC's current openings are featured on our crew page, with details on who to contact to apply.
   
   
5. Are you ladies any fun?
   We're sure people are curious about us before subscribing for membership. Of course we are fun. There would be no reason for GATC if it didn't help you build lifetime friendships and add a little joy to your life. The more fun the people are that join, the more fun the group becomes overall!