If you’re shopping around for a new wireless plan, you’ve probably seen T-Mobile’s ads promising to save you 20% compared to Verizon. But here’s the thing: what does that savings actually include? That’s the question at the heart of a dispute that just won’t go away.

Phone Arena reports that an advertising oversight board has told T-Mobile it’s not being clear enough about what those promised savings really mean. The National Advertising Review Board, which handles appeals of advertising complaints, sided with Verizon’s argument that T-Mobile’s marketing is misleading about price comparisons.

The core issue is simple but important: T-Mobile says you save 20% when you factor in all the extras that come with its plans — things like free streaming services. Verizon says T-Mobile should be upfront that this “savings” isn’t just about your monthly bill; it includes perks that cost extra elsewhere. For someone trying to compare actual phone bills, that distinction matters.

This back-and-forth has been going on for months. First, the advertising board told T-Mobile to stop making its original claims. Then T-Mobile said okay and changed things around, adding a small disclaimer. But Verizon objected again, saying the new version still confused customers. Now the board agrees; that tiny disclaimer about “built-in benefits they leave out” doesn’t do enough to help shoppers understand what they’re comparing.

T-Mobile disagrees with the ruling and says it’s made real efforts to change its advertising. The company maintains that its claims are accurate and that customers do genuinely save more than 20% when you count everything included in the plans. The company also says it plans to present more evidence to back up its marketing claims.

What does this mean for you as a shopper? It’s a reminder to dig deeper when comparing carrier plans. Those big savings numbers you see in ads might be real, but make sure you understand exactly what’s included in that calculation. Is it just the monthly service cost? Does it include phone payments? Are they counting free services and perks as “savings”? Getting those details straight before you switch could save you some frustration down the road.

Source: Phone Arena