Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The National Advertising Division has recommended that T-Mobile discontinue or modify claims about its free in-flight Wi-Fi advertising.
- T-Mobile’s advertising suggests that Verizon customers incur a fee of $147 per month for in-flight Wi-Fi.
- The Un-carrier’s perk is only available on certain airlines and its disclosures omit which airlines are covered.
T-Mobile and Verizon are at it again. Last week, Verizon filed a lawsuit against the Un-carrier over false advertising after the Better Business Bureau’s National Programs’ National Advertising Division (NAD) agreed with Verizon’s and AT&T’s claims. Continuing on the topic of advertising, Verizon has challenged T-Mobile’s free in-flight advertising. Now the NAD has revealed its decision on this matter.
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As a bit of background, some T-Mobile plans come with an in-flight Wi-Fi perk. This benefit allows customers to enjoy unlimited access to texting and free Wi-Fi during the course of a flight. Meanwhile, Verizon customers don’t receive such a benefit through their plans. T-Mobile points this out through its advertising, highlighting how much customers can save.
The NAD has now recommended that T-Mobile either discontinue this advertising or modify it. The problem at hand stems from how T-Mobile’s claims are presented. On the carrier’s website, it implies that Verizon customers incur a fee of $147 per month in in-flight costs. At the same time, T-Mobile’s perk only works with certain airlines and the company’s disclosures omit which airlines are covered.
According to the NAD, T-Mobile defended its advertising by stating “it intended to communicate only what consumers would have to pay to get the comparable Wi-Fi benefit that is included in the T-Mobile plan.” The Un-carrier also reportedly submitted evidence that its customers frequently use the free in-flight Wi-Fi perk. However, the NAD found this explanation “ambiguous and inadequate” and states that the carrier failed to provide “evidence to support claims regarding what Verizon customers pay.”
If T-Mobile doesn’t discontinue its advertising, the NAD recommends that the advertising be changed to “clearly and conspicuously disclose the nature of its in-flight Wi-Fi benefit.” This would include clearly communicating that in-flight fees are charged by certain airlines. It’s also recommended that T-Mobile avoid discussing fees that non-T-Mobile customers would pay.
At the end of the day, the NAD doesn’t have the power to enforce its recommendation. So T-Mobile could choose not to comply with the recommendation. In that case, Verizon will have to go the legal route.
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