FCC Consumer Complaints – December 2014
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 21295 consumer complaints in December 2014 relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 7355 complaints recorded the previous month. Submissions were made from 54 states and territories, with California accounting for the highest number of complaints at 3015. Billing was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 21295
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Billing (5154)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3015)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 686.9 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 5097 complaints on 3 December 2014, while 10 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 25 December 2014, with 122 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 21295 complaints were recorded in December 2014, with reports originating from 4978 cities in 54 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 84 of the 91 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3015 | 14.2% |
| Texas | 1416 | 6.6% |
| Florida | 1360 | 6.4% |
| New York | 1140 | 5.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 860 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 845 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 835 | 3.9% |
| Virginia | 705 | 3.3% |
| Washington | 682 | 3.2% |
| New Jersey | 634 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 9789 | 46.0% |
Location highlights
- Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
- Complaints in California were reported across 553 cities, the widest spread observed during the month.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 12528 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 12528 | 58.8% |
| Internet | 6399 | 30.0% |
| TV | 1932 | 9.1% |
| Radio | 329 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 62 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 35 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 10 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
12528 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 58.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 4993 | 39.9% |
| Robocalls | 3130 | 25.0% |
| Billing | 1378 | 11.0% |
| Privacy | 946 | 7.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 565 | 4.5% |
| Equipment | 541 | 4.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 385 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 268 | 2.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 173 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 108 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 32 | 0.3% |
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
6399 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 30.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 3173 | 49.6% |
| Availability | 1540 | 24.1% |
| Speed | 1156 | 18.1% |
| Privacy | 315 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 124 | 1.9% |
| Interference | 91 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
1932 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 587 | 30.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 420 | 21.7% |
| Indecency | 338 | 17.5% |
| Availability | 320 | 16.6% |
| Equipment | 179 | 9.3% |
| Interference | 72 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 14 | 0.7% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Loud Commercials and Indecency among the most common.
Radio complaints
329 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 90 | 27.4% |
| Availability | 58 | 17.6% |
| Interference | 57 | 17.3% |
| Equipment | 54 | 16.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 47 | 14.3% |
| Billing | 16 | 4.9% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Indecency, Availability and Interference among the most common.
Accessibility complaints
62 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 25 | 40.3% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 20 | 32.3% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 7 | 11.3% |
| Video Description | 7 | 11.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 1.6% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 1.6% |
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
35 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 24 | 68.6% |
| Phone | 7 | 20.0% |
| Tower | 4 | 11.4% |
Other and Phone were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less 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.