The company Ingenio is doing big business with slick websites promoting spiritual advising sessions via texting. But on a website where rates go up to $49.99 a minute, consumer advocates have some fraud concerns.
The company Ingenio is doing big business with slick websites promoting spiritual advisors.
The companies operate several dozen well-designed websites with great user experience that are well-targeted to different markets. This is a booming little sector of tech, complete with savvy investors. Warren Heffelfinger, the CEO of Ingenio, calls his company “eBay for advice,” because it’s an online marketplace of websites where “independent people can buy things from other independent people.”
I asked Heffelfinger how he knows whether his customers are paying a lot but not getting any real help. “Greetings : ) What specific questions do you have for wee ones this fine day?” the intuitive texted me on the keen.com website to begin our session.“My faeries : ) They whisper to me what I am to tell you and other clients. : )”
Ingenio says its advice is meant to be “bite-sized,” but even a short call or text conversation could cost hundreds of dollars, which concerns Amy Nofziger, the director of fraud programs for AARP.
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