FCC Consumer Complaints – November 2014
Introduction
A total of 7355 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in November 2014, complaint volume increased from 212 complaints the previous month. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 7355
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (2515)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (965)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 245.2 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 379 complaints on 6 November 2014, while 17 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 88 complaints on 16 November 2014, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 7355 complaints recorded in November 2014 originated from 2953 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 965 | 13.1% |
| Florida | 582 | 7.9% |
| Texas | 488 | 6.6% |
| New York | 418 | 5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 298 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 259 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 246 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 240 | 3.3% |
| Colorado | 234 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 228 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 3394 | 46.1% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 351 cities, the widest spread observed during the month.
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded during the month. Phone was the most reported category, with 5480 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 5480 | 74.5% |
| TV | 1002 | 13.6% |
| Internet | 729 | 9.9% |
| Radio | 100 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 28 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 15 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
5480 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 74.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 2515 | 45.9% |
| Robocalls | 1351 | 24.7% |
| Billing | 606 | 11.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 366 | 6.7% |
| Equipment | 327 | 6.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 168 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 109 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 32 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 6 | 0.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
1002 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 13.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 245 | 24.5% |
| Availability | 239 | 23.9% |
| Billing | 236 | 23.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 164 | 16.4% |
| Equipment | 118 | 11.8% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Indecency, Availability and Billing among the most common.
Internet complaints
729 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 255 | 35.0% |
| Billing | 221 | 30.3% |
| Speed | 181 | 24.8% |
| Equipment | 71 | 9.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
100 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 26 | 26.0% |
| Equipment | 23 | 23.0% |
| Pirate Radio | 22 | 22.0% |
| Availability | 20 | 20.0% |
| Billing | 9 | 9.0% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Indecency, Equipment and Pirate Radio among the most common.
The information presented on this page is based on consumer complaint data submitted to regulatory authorities. References to telephone numbers reflect reports made by consumers and do not confirm ownership, authenticity, or that the number was genuinely associated with the call. Caller ID information may be inaccurate or subject to spoofing.
Complaint categories, dates and complainant locations are based on the source records and may contain incomplete, approximate or user-entered information. Location details refer to the complainant’s reported location, not the location of the caller or telephone number. This content is provided for informational purposes only.