How to Report Verizon Wireless for False Advertising

Having issues with Verizon Wireless? Did they mislead you or present false information? We explain how to report Verizon Wireless for false advertising and what options you have for compensation.

What is False Advertising?

False advertising if any type of misleading or deceptive advertising information that is intentionally false or misleading and influences consumers to buy a product or service as advertised. Basically any information that’s not true that has an influence on what you think and how you act, and what you end up buying.

There are rules that govern what is considered false advertising at the state and federal level in the form of consumer protection laws. Most of these laws are part of the The Federal Trade Commission Act, which established the FTC in 1914. Today the FTC has jurisdiction over complaints and claims of false advertising. In effect, businesses cannot lie to their customers, intentionally or not, in order to make their services or products seem more appealing. This is false advertising, as outlined by the FTC.

Note: No one actually needs to be misled for a court to find that an advertisement is misleading.

What Are the Different Types of False Advertising?

The FTC has different types of false advertising categories, the most common of which is mislabeling. Other examples include things like product disparagement or trademark infringement. If a company tries to hype up their products by comparing them to that of a competitor and they make disparaging remarks about a similar product from that competitor, this qualifies as false advertising.

Verizon Wireless False Advertising Scandals

The Verizon Wireless community chat board shows examples of customers upset over the false ads that claimed customers would receive unlimited data, but in reality, they did not. In fact, Verizon Wireless offered what they claimed was unlimited data, but then punished customers for making the most of those lack of limits. In New York, the attorney general found that Verizon terminated over 13,000 customer contracts because the customers had made “excessive” use out of the unlimited data service they paid for under contract. As if there could be such a thing when a service is considered “unlimited”.

Verizon had to pay $1 million to customers and pay $150,000 in fines to the state of New York as part of the settlement over this, for the fact that they said it was unlimited when it wasn’t in all areas, and for the fact that they canceled contracts for those who had made the most of their allegedly unlimited data.

The National Advertising Division has recommended Verizon change their ads not just for this but for the misleading claims that consumers get 5G networks when they only get 4G. To add to this, the FTC has filed legal suits against Verizon Wireless seeking injunctions and damages for false advertising and compensate customers.

What to Do If You See False Advertising in Action

If you see false advertising, it is up to you and consumers like you to take action and report it. Remember, the courts do not require that anyone actually be affected by the false advertising in order to convict a company. So you can submit a consumer complaint to the FTC and they will investigate and take action against Verizon Wireless if necessary.You can also submit a complaint to TruthinAdvertising.org where it will go public.

The FTC does not take kindly to situations where consumer health or safety are at risk, especially when it involves medication companies, diet products, healthcare products, alcohol, etc… They are also more lenient if it is the first time, but much less lenient if a company has been caught before.

However, if you have been wronged by false advertising, the rules pertaining to how you can get recourse will depend on your state’s laws related to Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices and any fine the FTC charges Verizon Wireless won’t make it into your pocket.

Affected by False Advertising? Here’s What You Can Do

So what else can you do? If you have lost money because of false advertising, other than reporting them, getting the company to make it right can be very time-consuming, if not impossible. You might try Verizon Wireless customer service and find that they can’t or won’t help you resolve the issue.

In this case, there are other options like consumer arbitration. Consumer arbitration is a faster and cheaper way to go compared to court. There are still rules, legal jargon, and paperwork so it is easy to get confused. That’s where we can help. FairShake helps you navigate the consumer arbitration process, from filing your claim to getting the resolution you deserve.

Tell us about your complaint and we’ll help you get a fair resolution.