Verizon has joined AT&T in challenging T-Mobile’s aggressive switching strategy that includes promotions, pricing comparisons, and a new Easy Switch tool
In sum – what to know:
Escalating legal pushback – Verizon’s lawsuit over disputed $1,000 savings claims comes on the heels of AT&T’s separate challenge to T-Mobile’s Easy Switch onboarding tool.
Misleading consumers? – Both suits raise questions about transparency in pricing comparisons and the use of automated systems to access customer account data.
Verizon last week sued T-Mobile US, arguing that its claims of more than $1,000 in annual savings for switchers are “mathematical fiction” and that the carrier has systematically mischaracterized Verizon’s service offerings.
The complaint states: “T-Mobile’s reliance on faulty comparative pricing reflects a pattern of deception, as it has doubled down on these tactics even after the National Advertising Division (NAD) recommended that T-Mobile discontinue these types of false cost savings claims.”
Verizon further alleges that T-Mobile’s comparisons rely on limited-time promotional pricing while using Verizon’s standard rates, ignoring Verizon’s active promotions and inflating projected savings by misrepresenting the value of optional benefits.
The suit also points to what Verizon describes as misleading implications around satellite connectivity, noting that most Verizon customers already receive satellite service at no additional cost through partnerships with Apple and Skylo.
T-Mobile’s efforts to lure customers from rivals are already the subject of another legal challenge. In December, AT&T filed a federal lawsuit over T-Mobile’s new Easy Switch onboarding tool, alleging that it uses AI bots to unlawfully access and scrape customer data from AT&T’s systems.
T-Mobile has marketed its Easy Switch feature as a fast on-ramp for new customers, allowing users to move to its network in about 15 minutes through the T-Life app. The tool’s AI-driven element, now at the center of scrutiny, reviews a customer’s existing AT&T or Verizon account information and recommends T-Mobile plans based on projected savings and service benefits.
AT&T is alleging that Easy Switch relied on a “scraping tool” that pulled customer data from secure, password-protected AT&T websites without authorization. On November 30, the carrier sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in federal court in Texas, aiming to stop what it describes as unlawful access to its systems.
AT&T further claims that after it introduced security measures to block the feature, T-Mobile repeatedly adjusted the tool to circumvent those protections. Ahead of Easy Switch’s December 1 launch, T-Mobile removed the scraping capability for AT&T accounts, requiring customers instead to manually enter information or upload a bill PDF.
Still, AT&T argues that the misconduct has not been fully resolved and also maintains that the tool may have continued collecting data tied to Verizon customers.
Much like T-Mobile President of Marketing, Strategy, and Products Mike Katz’s response to the AT&T lawsuit — “We’ll keep putting customers first… We. Won’t. Stop.” — the carrier’s statement on Verizon’s allegations signals that it remains confident in its competitive positioning.
“We’re thrilled that Verizon has finally conceded through this complaint that their customers can save hundreds and hundreds and hundreds when they switch to T-Mobile. While we disagree on how much they save, the facts are clear: when benefits included with T-Mobile’s Better Value plan, which Verizon and AT&T make you pay for, are considered, the math adds up to more than $1,000 in annual savings,” the carrier said in the statement. “Competitor disagreement doesn’t change those facts, and we stand behind the transparency of our marketing, disagree with the lawsuit and will defend it vigorously.”
