Bellevue, Wash. — T-Mobile put Verizon in its crosshairs, launching a free trial program targeted to Verizon subscribers and launching an anti-Verizon ad campaign.
The carrier’s Never Settle Trial, exclusively for Verizon customers, lets Verizon subscribers try out T-Mobile with what the company said is “no risk or extra out-of-pocket expense.” Verizon subscribers can sign up for the 14-day Never Settle Trial from May 13-31.
The new ad campaign, called #NeverSettleforVerizon, highlights a “long list of painful ways Verizon forces its customers to settle for a subpar wireless experience,” the company said. They include high costs, a slower LTE network compared with T-Mobile, limited data, service contacts, overages and bill shock, T-Mobile said. Other Verizon failings, the company said, include waiting to upgrade phones, having unused data “repossessed” every month, “being trapped” by early termination fees, music streaming that counts against data plans, limited Wi-Fi calling, hidden fees, and “no guarantee that plan prices won’t go up unexpectedly.”
“With T-Mobile, you don’t have to settle for trickery, gimmicks and carrier BS the way you do with Verizon,” said T-Mobile president/CEO John Legere. “I’m so confident in our kick-ass network experience that we’re footing the bill so Verizon customers can give T-Mobile a try.”
Under the trial program, Verizon customers port their number to a new T-Mobile smartphone but hold onto their old Verizon phone. After the trial, if the customer stays with T-Mobile, T-Mobile will pay off Verizon’s early termination fees (ETFs) up to $650 or outstanding device payments when they trade in their Verizon phone to get a T-Mobile Simple Choice plan.
If the customer wants to return to Verizon within 14 days, the customer hands back the T-Mobile phone, and T-Mobile refunds any trial costs, including costs related to starting back up with Verizon. Those costs include activation and other related fees.
