T-Mobile and Verizon's Ad Dispute Intensifies: NARB Review Continues

The ongoing conflict between T-Mobile and Verizon over advertising claims has escalated as the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) upholds recommendations for T-Mobile to amend its cost savings statements in promotional materials. Verizon, as the complainant, argues that T-Mobile's messaging is misleading to consumers regarding potential savings when switching carriers, particularly in relation to included benefits versus actual plan costs.

T-Mobile's Appeal to NARB

The NARB expressed that T-Mobile should revise its advertisements to eliminate certain implied claims. T-Mobile declared its intention to comply with the NARB's decision while stating it disagreed with the panel's findings. Despite these assurances, Verizon contends that T-Mobile’s revised advertisements still convey misleading messages about the 20% savings available to customers switching from Verizon, attributing them solely to lower plan prices.

Following Verizon's compliance inquiry, the NARB initiated a compliance review. In October 2025, T-Mobile was requested to modify the claims under examination. T-Mobile agreed to this request and included a disclaimer with its advertisements stating that consumers could save 20% by "getting built-in benefits they leave out." Verizon contested this disclaimer, suggesting it did not clarify how built-in benefits related to "lower plan costs alone," prompting another compliance review by the NARB.

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"We disagree with the NARB's conclusions. Over the course of this review, we engaged at every stage, carefully reviewing the recommendations and making substantive changes to our advertising that we believe went well beyond minor revisions and reflect the accurate and substantiated savings the Un-carrier delivers. Many T-Mobile customers save more than the advertised 20% through included benefits others charge for, and disagreement from competitors does not change that fact. We continue to set the standard for giving customers more savings and value that adds up to real money in their pockets. While we do not agree with the decision, we take the self-regulatory process seriously and continue to uphold integrity, clarity, and transparency when advertising to consumers."

-T-Mobile

T-Mobile maintains it has undertaken substantial advertising changes and acted in good faith. However, the NARB emphasized that the disclaimers were insufficient for "reasonable consumers" to comprehend that T-Mobile-Verizon price comparisons included additional service costs beyond basic cellular service.

As the situation stands, the NARB indicated that T-Mobile has not made a genuine effort to comply with the recommendations outlined in NARB Panel 340, despite ample time to do so. The NARB held the option to escalate the matter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), known for its more severe enforcement capabilities.

Before any escalation, T-Mobile informed the NARB of its intent to reopen proceedings to present new substantiation for its claims. Thus, the dispute, which began in May, sees both T-Mobile and Verizon, as well as the NARB and NAD, engaged in ongoing discussions over T-Mobile's assertion that switching consumers can save 20%. Verizon argues that this claim is misleading, as it includes perks like free streaming services that should not factor into a comparison of monthly bill costs.

The rivalry escalated previously in June 2025, when T-Mobile criticized Verizon for its claim of being "America’s Largest Network." Verizon based this claim on postpaid subscriber numbers, while T-Mobile argued that the definition of the largest carrier should encompass geographic coverage, an area where T-Mobile has notably expanded. The NAD's ruling compelled Verizon to clarify that its designation of being the nation’s largest wireless carrier specifically refers to subscriber count, not coverage area.