PSA: Better mobile carrier deals may be yours for the asking - 9to5Mac

"Competition between mobile carriers is now so intense that they are not only trying hard to poach customers from each other, but even fighting legal battles over their tactics. AT&T has sued T-Mobile over its EasySwitch tool, intended to allow customers to compare rates and receive a personalized deal from the self-proclaimed "uncarrier" ... The Wall Street Journal reports on the corporate battles."

"Verizon's "Bring Your Bill" campaign invites AT&T and T-Mobile customers to upload their bills or bring them in-store to get a counteroffer from Verizon. Last month, T-Mobile introduced "Easy Switch," which asked AT&T and Verizon customers to share their login and password, then checked their rates with an automated tool and provided a personalized competing offer. T-Mobile's new feature kicked off a technical cat-and-mouse game."

"AT&T twice implemented new security measures to block the tool, then sued T-Mobile late last month in a federal court in Texas. It alleged the Easy Switch tool intruded into AT&T's computer systems and violated its terms of service "to harvest private customer account information and AT&T business information." Carriers also frequently file complaints about their rivals' ads with the National Advertising Division (NAD), with the Federal Trade Commission finding itself pulled into one of these disputes."

Mobile carriers are intensely competing to acquire and retain subscribers through aggressive tactics, personalized offers, and customer bill- or account-based comparisons. Verizon invites rivals' customers to upload bills for counteroffers while T-Mobile's Easy Switch asked customers to share logins and passwords to generate automated competing offers. AT&T implemented security measures to block Easy Switch and sued T-Mobile, alleging intrusion into computer systems and terms-of-service violations to harvest private account and business information. Carriers also challenge rival advertising with the National Advertising Division, and the NAD can refer disputes to the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general. Consumers can leverage this competition to seek better deals.

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