
Verizon has been urged by a national advertising consortium to modify or remove certain television spots that offer insight into the company’s text via satellite capabilities.
Earlier this month, the National Advertising Division (NAD) said rival telecom T-Mobile had launched a complaint about the spot, which showed people in remote locations communicating with others by connecting their mobile phones to satellites and texting loved ones in other places.
The advertisements contained a disclosure that satellite connectivity requires certain phones, and that the feature might not work in some parts of the country, including parts of Alaska. A website associated with the satellite feature also promotes the perk as part of Verizon’s service plans.
The NAD affirmed Verizon’s disclosures, but said they appeared in small font, and were likely not clear and conspicuous enough for consumers to see them.
“For these reasons, NAD found Verizon’s advertising reasonably conveys that customers can use satellite-supported texting services in remote locations and not that it is limited to Apple devices that can operate the latest mobile software,” the NAD wrote in its decision.
A spokesperson for Verizon said they appreciated NAD’s handling of the matter, and would comply with the recommendation.
The challenge brought by T-Mobile was part of the NAD’s “Fast-Track SWIFT” program, which allows the organization to scrutinize matters like disclosures on websites and in advertisements. The cost of bringing the challenge starts at $10,000, though the time to decision is less than a month, which is significantly shorter than the standard complaint process.
NAD is part of the BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization that allows the commercial product and service industry to self-regulate certain matters, including advertisements.