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Visible by Verizon

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Visible Service LLC
Visible by Verizon
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryWireless telecommunications
FoundedMay 10, 2018; 6 years ago (May 10, 2018)
Headquarters
Denver, Colorado
,
United States
Area served
United States
Key people
Products
ServicesMobile communications
ParentVerizon Consumer
Websitevisible.com

Visible Service LLC, doing business as Visible by Verizon, and known simply as Visible, is an American all-digital prepaid mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and brand wholly-owned by Verizon. Launched in 2018, the carrier offers services on the Verizon network, with all services delivered via e-commerce and mobile apps using generative artificial intelligence, and no brick and mortar retail presence. Visible competes against T-Mobile's Metro by T-Mobile, AT&T's Cricket Wireless, and EchoStar's Boost Mobile in the major carrier prepaid segment.

History

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Visible was launched by Verizon on May 10, 2018 without any prior announcement, promoting an unlimited plan for $40 per-month. At launch, the service was only available by invitation, and at the time, required users to register via the Visible app or its website. Once registered, Visible would send users a SIM card the next day and once installed, can access the network. In addition, only unlocked phones were available to be used at launch.[1][2]

In 2020, Verizon launched Yahoo! Mobile, an MVNO co-branded with the then-Verizon owned Yahoo! web portal; the service was identical to that of Visible, but with the addition of Yahoo! Mail Pro.[3] The service was discontinued on August 31, 2021, with customers being directed to Visible.[4]

In May 2021, long-time Verizon executive Angie Klein became CEO of Visible.[5] In November 2022, following its acquisition of TracFone Wireless, Verizon's prepaid and value brands were brought under a new Verizon Value division led by Klein.[6] In June 2022, Visible was rebranded as Visible by Verizon.[7]

Services

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Visible is positioned as an all-digital MVNO on the Verizon network, with most business conducted online and via the Visible mobile app, and no physical retail presence or call centers.[1][2][8]

Customers can pay upfront per-month or for a year of service. Visible offers "basic" and "premium" unlimited plans, with the "premium" plan differentiated by 50 GB of "prioritized" data access on the Verizon 5G ultra-wideband network, expanded roaming (including 2 GB per-day of data in Canada and Mexico), an extra line for a smartwatch, and the ability to purchase a per-day "Global Pass" for unlimited roaming and 2 GB of data in 140 countries. The service also allows customers to refer friends to receive a $20 credit.[8] Until August 2022, Visible allowed customers to add additional lines of basic service for $25 per-month ("Party Pay"); the cost of a basic plan was later lowered to $25 per-month in 2023.[8]

Marketing

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A Boston storefront decorated with a Visible advertisement.

Early promotion for Visible included storefronts in several cities decorated with solid blue "404 Store Not Found" signage, alluding to the carrier's lack of brick and mortar presence.[9] In 2019, Visible ran a stunt offering free massages at Denver Union Station, after having run a mobile billboard that contained the typo "unlimited massages".[10] In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Visible ran the campaign "#VisibleActsofKindness", and launched a wider television and digital media campaign to promote its services.[11]

Customer complaints

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The company has faced numerous complaints since its inception related to its lackluster or non-existent customer support, which is only available via chat through their Android or iOS app, and social media platforms Facebook and Twitter.[12][13][14][15] The company has no phone number, and thus no customer support via telephone.[15] Customer complaints range from weeks long waits for porting in/out to complete, SIM/eSIM provisioning issues, loss of service for multiple days, failing to honor promotional deals, and charges to credit cards without services provided.[12][13][16]

On April 28, 2021, the Better Business Bureau issued an alert posted for the company, citing a pattern of consumer complaints that the company was unresponsive to their request for assistance regarding cellular service and billing and advising consumers to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection.[14] The company's score with the Better Business Bureau is B−, with a rating of 1.38/5 stars.[14]

In a September 20, 2022 article in Fierce Wireless, the company admitted problems with its customer service model.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b Shieber, Jonathan; Ha, Anthony (May 10, 2018). "Verizon stealthily launched a startup offering $40-per-month unlimited data, messaging and minutes". TechCrunch.
  2. ^ a b Dano, Mike (May 11, 2018). "Verizon funds new 'Visible' app-based provider offering $40/month unlimited". Fierce Wireless.
  3. ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (2020-03-11). "Verizon launches Yahoo Mobile phone service". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  4. ^ Rahman, Mishaal (2021-06-18). "Yahoo Mobile is shutting down and telling people to switch to Visible". XDA. Retrieved 2024-07-01.
  5. ^ "Verizon's Visible names Angie Klein as CEO". Fierce Wireless. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  6. ^ Furnas, Dawn (2022-11-16). "Verizon launches new organization to encompass value brands". NJBIZ. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  7. ^ "Verizon gives Visible and Total Wireless a new name". Wirefly. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Edwards, Luke; updated, Alex Whitelock last (2022-03-01). "Visible wireless plans guide: coverage, price, and everything you need to know". TechRadar. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  9. ^ Marek, Sue (2019-03-21). "Verizon's Visible is trying to build a brand in a crowded prepaid market | Fierce Network". www.fierce-network.com. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  10. ^ "Verizon's Visible scores with free massage stunt". Marketing Dive. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  11. ^ May 18, Lindsay Stein; Information, 2020 The. "Verizon-owned company Visible wants to help consumers 'trim the bad' in first TV spot". www.campaignlive.com. Retrieved 2024-07-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ a b "Visible Service, LLC | Complaints | Better Business Bureau® Profile". www.bbb.org. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
  13. ^ a b "Visible Service, LLC | Reviews | Better Business Bureau® Profile". www.bbb.org. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
  14. ^ a b c "Visible Service, LLC | Better Business Bureau® Profile". www.bbb.org. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
  15. ^ a b "Visible | It's Phone Service. In An App". www.visible.com. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
  16. ^ "Visible is rated "Bad" with 1.4 / 5 on Trustpilot". Trustpilot. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
  17. ^ Hardesty, Linda (2022-09-20). "Visible acknowledges customer service problems". Fierce Wireless. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
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