You know that feeling when two kids just keep tattling on each other? “Mom, he said his toy is better!” “But she’s lying about her toy!” And that’s more or less the same thing with Verizon and T-Mobile, except they’re not talking about toys.
It’s all about who has the better cell phone network. And instead of Mom, there’s this little squad known as NAD that has to referee their fights.
This whole Verizon, T-Mobile, and advertising argument has been going on for years, and frankly? It’s getting pretty entertaining.
Those two companies can do nothing but seem to disagree, from who has the fastest 5G networks to who’s saving customers the most money. They’re always filing complaints against each other, like they are involved in some corporate playground spat.
The Latest Round: May and June 2025
Things got really heated this spring. In May 2025, T-Mobile was smacked down by the National Advertising Division (NAD) for making false savings claims. You know those commercials where T-Mobile claims you can save 20% by switching from Verizon? Yeah, well, it turns out that wasn’t exactly true for everyone.
A national advertising review board recommended that T-Mobile US discontinue certain savings claims about its mobile plans after rival Verizon complained.
The NAD found that although T-Mobile revised the claims, one message still suggests that anyone switching from Verizon to T-Mobile will save 20%.
But wait, there’s more: T-Mobile didn’t just go, “Whoops, our bad.” Nope. T-Mobile to Appeal BBB National Programs’ NAD Decision on Verizon Challenge. They’re basically saying, “We don’t agree with the teacher, so we’re going to the principal.”
Verizon was called out in turn in June 2025. According to the NAD, Verizon did not clearly indicate that the satellite texting service is only available on specific new phones and under certain conditions.
So when Verizon was bragging about their satellite texting, they forgot to mention the fine print. Whoops.
It’s Not Just About 5G Anymore
This whole Verizon-T-Mobile and advertising dispute started with 5G claims, like who’s got the fastest speeds, most coverage, and all that jazz. But now these companies are squabbling over everything. They argue about everything from satellite services, network size, to savings claims.
Consider Verizon’s “America’s largest network” assertion. T-Mobile was essentially like, “Hold up there, buddy.” T-Mobile disputed Verizon’s assertion that it was “America’s largest network.” Because apparently not even something as fundamental as network size can be agreed on without a fight.
The Starlink Situation Gets Messy
Back in March of 2025, T-Mobile got a win for themselves when they were showing off their friendability with Starlink. Independent non-profit BBB National Programmes’ National Advertising Division (NAD) determined T-Mobile accurately advertised its partnership with Starlink in both campaigns on the telecom’s own website and social pages.
Verizon tried to call them out on being the “first and only” carrier to work with Starlink, but NAD basically said, “Nah, T-Mobile’s got this one right.”
The Bigger Picture: Everyone’s Getting Sued
Here’s where things start to get really wild. It wasn’t just Verizon and T-Mobile slapping each other around. The state attorneys general became so fed up with all the misleading ads by wireless carriers, they sued pretty much everyone.
On May 9, the Attorney General of New York announced a $10.2 million settlement with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile for advertising in ways he said were false.
That’s right – while these companies were busy pointing fingers at each other, the government stepped in and said, “You’re all being shady.” AT&T had to pay over $2 million, and both Verizon and T-Mobile each had to cough up more than their fair share too.
Why Should You Care?
Look, I get it. Corporate drama isn’t exactly must-see TV. But this stuff actually matters when you’re trying to figure out which phone plan to get. When companies make wild claims about savings or coverage, and then those claims turn out to be… well, let’s call them “creative interpretations of the truth,” that affects real people trying to make real decisions about their phone bills.
The NAD rulings help keep these companies honest. When T-Mobile says you’ll save 20% by switching, that should actually be true for most people, not just folks who happen to fit some very specific criteria buried in the fine print.
The Never-Ending Story
What’s crazy is that this back-and-forth shows no signs of stopping. T-Mobile won’t quit the ad battle with Verizon, according to a May 2025 report. It’s like these companies have made complaining about each other’s ads into a full-time job.
And honestly? Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Sure, it’s a bit ridiculous watching billion-dollar companies act like elementary school kids. But at least when they’re constantly calling each other out, it keeps them somewhat honest about their claims.
The Bottom Line
The Verizon, T-Mobile, and advertising dispute isn’t going anywhere. These companies are going to keep making bold claims, their competitors are going to keep challenging those claims, and the NAD is going to keep playing referee.
What’s in store for us regular folks? Just remember that when you see those flashy ads promising amazing savings or incredible speeds, take them with a grain of salt. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle, buried under a pile of asterisks and fine print.
At least we can count on Verizon and T-Mobile to keep tattling on each other when those claims get a little too creative. It’s like having two very expensive watchdogs that spend most of their time barking at each other.