In the latest round of ultimate fighting, broadband wireless advertising edition, score one for T-Mobile.
The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs, the ad self-regulatory review body, has advised Comcast to modify or drop comparative wireless savings claims it makes in an ad for its Xfinity Mobile service. Comcast says it will comply with that and other NAD recommendations, which are to drop or modify its "Unlimited data for $30/line" claim in the ad and modify the ad to make sure consumers don't think Infinity is less expensive than T-Mobile "regardless of how many mobile lines are purchased" or, specifically, that it is cheaper when four mobile lines are purchased. T-Mobile had challenged the ad claims.
The ad was featured in a print mailer, an online (Google), and on TV featuring singer Becky G and animated characters from The Bad Guys film.
Also: Cox's 'Gig Speeds Everywhere' Ad Upheld
One issue NAD had with the $30-per-Line claim was that it was subject to throttling after 20 GB of use, which NAD said was not clear in the Google ad. Neither, it said, was the fact that the price is only available to Xfinity Mobile customers who are also subs of Comcast's Xfinity wired broadband service.
In its response to the decision, Comcast said it "agrees to comply with NAD's recommendations," though it did not say whether that would be modifying or discontinuing. "It also said it appreciated that NAD hewed to the FTC's .com disclosures guidance regarding search engine ads and space-constrained ads.
Broadband companies regularly challenge each other's ad claims before NAD.
Back In August, T-Mobile agreed to drop a home internet price claim that NAD said was unsupported, though in that case T-Mobile said it did not agree with the decision. ■
