Claims Comparing TVision Live Service to Cable TV Discontinued Due to T-Mobile's Termination of the Service During National Advertising Division Challenge
NEW YORK, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- T-Mobile USA, Inc. informed the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs that it has permanently discontinued challenged claims made in connection with its TVision Live service, including that TVision Live is half the price of cable and allows customers to watch "only what you want." During the proceeding, the advertiser informed NAD that the TVision Live service has been discontinued and, as a result, the challenged claims were also permanently discontinued, including:
Express Claims:
- "Half the price of cable TV."
- "Will you save money? Save half!"
- "Cut the cord on cable with TVision. See why TVision services are the right alternative to cable. Save money, watch only what you want, make changes to your subscription we've got the answer to your cable problem."
- "Can you watch what you want? Of Course! With TVision services, you control what you watch."
- "With TVision Live TV, T-Mobile customers can save more than half off the average cable bill."
- "[TVision is] the TV you want to watch, without hundreds of unwanted channels bloating your bill. And, with no hidden fees or exploding plans—you can say goodbye to surprises on your bill."
- "No surprise fees. No box rental fees."
Implied Claims:
- Charter's cable services, and those of all other cable providers, cost twice as much as TVision Live.
- T-Mobile's TVision Live service offers equivalent programming as Charter and other cable service provides, at half the price.
- TVision Live customers will get equivalent programming for half the cost of cable.
- Cable providers, including Charter, improperly add unwanted and inferior programming in order to improperly inflate customer bills.
- Cable providers, including Charter, have fraudulent and unfair pricing practices, while T-Mobile does not.
- Cable customers pay more for inferior programming.
- Cable providers engage in sneaky pricing practices that improperly inflate customers' bills.
- Cable service providers in general and Charter specifically have "exploding plans."
- Cable service providers in general and Charter specifically have "surprise fees" and "hidden fees."
- Cable service providers in general and Charter improperly inflate customers' bills.
- T-Mobile's pricing is different from cable, because T-Mobile's advertised price is the total monthly bill customers pay.
- TVision Live customers only pay the advertised price, and nothing more, for the benefit of watching TVision Live and on their TVs.
The advertiser's claims were challenged by competitor Charter Communications.
In reliance on the advertiser's representation that it has permanently discontinued the challenged claims, NAD did not review the claims on their merits.
In its advertiser's statement, T-Mobile stated that it has "voluntarily and permanently discontinued the challenged claims for TVision Live solely because it has discontinued its TVision Live service."
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About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs is where businesses turn to enhance consumer trust and consumers are heard. The non-profit organization creates a fairer playing field for businesses and a better experience for consumers through the development and delivery of effective third-party accountability and dispute resolution programs. Embracing its role as an independent organization since the restructuring of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in June 2019, BBB National Programs today oversees more than a dozen leading national industry self-regulation programs, and continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-directed marketing, and privacy. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.
About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.
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