If it feels like dealing with your phone company, internet provider, or favorite subscription service has become a full-time job, you’re not imagining it.
Pine, an AI-powered consumer agent, just recently released its 2025 Consumer Friction Index, and the results confirm what millions of Americans already feel every month when the bill hits: the companies people rely on most are also the ones causing the most frustration.
According to Pine’s data, the brands customers most frequently ask Pine to contact on their behalf are Xfinity, AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum, and T-Mobile. That’s not a coincidence. These are companies that charge recurring monthly fees, frequently raise prices, and make it harder than it should be to fix problems, negotiate bills, or cancel service.
A majority of Pine’s requests target bill negotiations, and the company reports an average savings of roughly $400 per user when it successfully negotiates lower bills, along with a ~93% success rate. Pine’s findings come as many telecom giants like Comcast (Xfinity) and Charter (Spectrum) have been shedding hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
“Pine’s data shows that interacting with America’s top businesses has become complex for the average consumer to handle alone. Most people simply don’t have hours to spend resolving a complex bill or a refund,” said Pine CEO Stanley Wei. “The good news is that now people are finding exciting new ways to lower their bills, seek compensation, and cancel unwanted subscriptions to save money and eliminate hassles.”
The top spots on the Pine Consumer Friction Index are as follows:
- Xfinity
- AT&T
- Verizon
- Spectrum
- T-Mobile
- Chase
- Amazon
- Netflix
- GEICO
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- Progressive
Customer Dissatisfaction Grows As Prices Rise
Pine’s study found that nearly 83% of Pine interactions involving Xfinity were about negotiating costs. Verizon wasn’t far behind, with roughly three out of four requests focused on bill reductions.
That frustration boiled over last week when Verizon suffered a widespread network outage, leaving customers without service and answers. Verizon later announced a $20 credit for affected residential customers, but there was a catch. The credit isn’t automatic. Customers have to request it through the myVerizon app. When people lose service and then have to jump through hoops just to get a small credit, it reinforces exactly the kind of “consumer friction” Pine is tracking.
As consumer behaviors continue to shift, traditional cable and internet companies are losing customers fast. In 2024 alone, more than one million Americans ditched cable-based TV and internet services, accelerating what many now call “Cord Cutting 2.0.” But people aren’t just switching because streaming exists, they’re leaving because:
- Bills keep rising without clear explanations
- Promotional pricing quietly expires
- Customer service feels designed to wear you down
Pine’s data confirms that consumers aren’t just unhappy, they’re actively trying to escape bad service and bad pricing. But that frustration isn’t just towards telecom giants as Pine’s research shows even Big Tech isn’t immune.
Amazon landed in the seventh spot among the companies users most often ask Pine to deal with. That’s especially notable as Amazon works through a massive FTC settlement tied to Prime subscriptions, with some customers now receiving refunds after years of complaints about unclear sign-ups and cancellation issues. Pine’s data found that more than half of its Amazon prompts were from customers seeking compensation for returns, missing refunds, and incorrect items, among other things.
“With 67% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, people are increasingly sensitive to recurring charges such as broadband, cable TV, and mobile phone charges,” said Wei. “But navigating complex bill structures to ensure you aren’t overpaying is no easy task. That helps explain why a fourth of all Pine prompts from March through mid-November involved lowering bills. Pine has a 93% success rate in negotiating better fees on behalf of consumers.”
Pine’s index is a snapshot of the larger trend of consumers tired of wasting time and money on inadequate service and hidden fees. Consumers are pushing back, whether through AI tools, lawsuits, or simply canceling outright. And in 2026, companies that don’t fix these frustrations may continue to lose customers faster than ever.
If you’re dissatisfied or tired of overpaying for subscriptions and bills, give Pine a try and see if it can recover the money you deserve.
Credit: Pine