Some play app to chip away at student loan debt

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some people are playing an app to chip away at student loan debt.

It's called Givling. You answer trivia questions. You get two free games each day. The more questions you get right, the more points you get and the more money you can win.

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Givling sends you a check to spend however you want. But, play both free games five days in a row and you get a gold star.

Givling enters you for a $10,000 drawing it holds every few days. Win that and Givling sends the money directly to your lender.

Seth Beard is Givling's chief marketing officer. When Action 9's Jason Stoogenke spoke with him, he told Stoogenke the app had 500,000 players and 5,000 winners and has already paid out more than $3 million.

Givling gets its money from two main sources: players who chose to play extra (not free) games and advertisers.

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Stoogenke asked if there's any catch or fine print.

Beard said, "We understand we sound to be too good be true, but we're good and we're true."

Critics of Givling say the company changes the rules and has had technical glitches. They also claim the company can be unprofessional when responding to criticism on social media.

Beard admits there are growing pains associated with being a new app and having so many players.

Jennifer Guiry racked up $125,000 in student loan debt at Winthrop and at graduate school. Then, she heard about the Givling app.

"In the beginning, (I) was kind of skeptical," she told Stoogenke.

She started playing and won more than $500.

"I think I have more chance with Givling than I do with the lottery, for sure,” Guiry said.

Sunday Vanderver, a lawyer, won even more. She scored $50,000 toward her law school debt.

"So, it'll go directly to my lender, and I just watch that balance drop," she said. "It gives you hope, and I think we can never underestimate the power of hope."

Cox Media Group