YNOT – Though electronic matchmaking has come a long way from the early days when hardly any profile gave an honest representation of the person who placed it, trusting the people with whom one connects on dating sites still can lead to disappointment — and sometimes outright danger.
A new dating site designed for a niche that seems especially prone to charades hopes to change that perception by vetting every applicant before accepting him or her as a member.
“While most dating sites in general accept all profiles, SponsorForMe.com manually makes sure that every person joining the site not only is who they say they are, but are also the best and best looking,” said a spokesperson for Wyoming-based Sponsor Humanity Investments, the company behind the site.
According to a site-launch announcement, SponsorForMe moderators review all applications and summarily dispatch those that seem fake or likely to spawn spam. Men who are accepted must be good-looking and financially established. Though the site prohibits offering money for sex, it encourages male members to “support” their female contacts emotionally, financially or in some other way amenable to both parties.
The site isn’t as choosy when it comes to women, most of whom are college students, the spokesperson noted. Gals receive complimentary premium membership plus a $10 signing bounty.
One member who identified herself as a University of Chicago student, explained the site’s attractiveness to women in her situation.
“Older men are more attractive, better looking and much more appealing to me because there’s not any issue when it comes to money and financial stability,” she said. “I am young, and I need some guidance from more mature men. I look for guys who are willing to take me in and mentor me and help me on my life journey and career path.”
The men she’s met via SponsorForMe “subsidize” her lifestyle, she added.
Although the site solicits and accepts members from all over, a prepared statement indicated its largest user base is located in the Los Angeles area.
“However due to SponsorForMe.com’s unique nature and traffic, the Midwest and other typically underserved areas have seen a boost,” the statement noted. “Oklahoma and Nebraska have a disproportionately large number of members registered.”
An affiliate program managed by CCBill pays a 50-percent revenue share.
