T-Mobile used to be just cocky, now it’s actively trolling the competition. On Tuesday, the “Un-carrier” announced a new, not-really-a-deal aimed exclusively at Verizon customers called the “Never Settle Trial,” which runs from Wednesday, May 13 to Sunday, May 31.
The name is a shot at Verizon’s latest advertising campaign entitled “Flipside Stories,” which includes the hashtag #NeverSettle. The point of Verizon’s campaign is to argue that if you’re not on Verizon then you’re missing out on the “nation’s largest, most reliable 4G LTE network.”
T-Mobile sees it a little differently. “T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network is the nation’s fastest,” T-Mobile CEO John Legere said in a written statement. “With T-Mobile, you don’t have to settle for trickery, gimmicks and carrier BS the way you do with Verizon.”
Them’s fightin’ words
Hoping to peel away customers from Big Red, T-Mobile will offer Verizon customers a low-risk way to try out the smaller carrier. But there isn’t really a deal here and Verizon switchers won’t get any special discounts. Instead, the trial is more like a money-back guarantee.
Verizon switchers will have two weeks to try out T-Mobile by porting their number over to the new carrier and getting a compatible phone. During the trial period, T-Mobile won’t require Verizon customers to trade-in their old device.
Anyone who is unhappy with T-Mobile can return the new T-Mobile phone within 14 days and the carrier says it will refund “any trial costs from using T-Mobile.” The company will also cover any costs for restarting your old service with Verizon, including activation fees. Typically when customers are unhappy with a carrier switch, the new company won’t reimburse initial sign-up costs or pay for reactivation with the old carrier.
Anyone who sticks with T-Mobile past the 14 day deadline will have to trade-in their Verizon phone, and then the carrier will cover any early termination fees (ETFs) or device payments at Verizon up to $650—a standing offer at T-Mobile that applies to all new customers regardless of carrier.
The impact on you at home: If you’ve considered switching from Verizon to T-Mobile then May is a good month to do it since the risk of switching is so low. If you stick with T-Mobile after the trial, keep in mind that you’ll have to pay off your Verizon ETF upfront. T-Mobile will then reimburse you in the form of trade-in credit for your old device and a Visa prepaid card for the outstanding balance.