This week, the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Review Board’s (NARB) ruled that T-Mobile failed to comply with its recommendations regarding the carrier’s cost savings advertising claims.
The initial case was brought before the NARB’s National Advertising Division by carrier rival Verizon as the two companies continued a long-running battle of claims and counter claims about cost savings between differing consumer plans.
Verizon’s latest complaint, which resulted in case #7415, questioned T-Mobile’s advertising claims in its “Save on Every Plan” brochure, two commercials, “Top Three Plays of the Day,” and “Holidays Are Coming in Hot: Families: Save 20%,” a T-Mobile USA press release, and on T-Mobile’s Savings Calculator website.
As a result of its findings, NAD recommended that T-Mobile discontinue these claims:
- “Families can switch and save 20% vs. the other big guys plans plus streaming services.”
- “Switch and save versus AT&T and Verizon’s comparable plans plus streaming.”
NAD also recommended any unsupported claims be discontinued. T-Mobile’s appeal was denied.
After the ruling on the appeal, Verizon came back to NAD, saying that T-Mobile’s updated advertising continued to make similar claims. After a compliance review, NARB again recommended that the T-Mobile claims be revised.
Though T-Mobile revised its advertising, it was questioned again by Verizon. NARB made a second compliance ruling — issued this week — concluding that T-Mobile had not made a bona fide attempt to bring its advertising into compliance with the decision.
The advertising claims and counterclaims are part of an ongoing battle among the largest three carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon — to build their customer bases, with much of the concentration on convincing consumers to switch providers.
The meta battle royale has continued for some time, with one of the latest salvos being the T-Mobile advertising claims that Verizon questioned.
