FCC Consumer Complaints – 4 December 2014
Introduction
On 4 December 2014, 890 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 5097 complaints recorded the day before. Submissions were made from 53 states and territories, with California accounting for the highest number of complaints at 132. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 890
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (255)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (132)
Where the complaints came from
Across 649 cities in 53 states and territories, a total of 890 complaints were recorded on 4 December 2014. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 132 | 14.8% |
| Florida | 56 | 6.3% |
| Georgia | 53 | 6.0% |
| New York | 53 | 6.0% |
| Texas | 50 | 5.6% |
| Michigan | 42 | 4.7% |
| Illinois | 35 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 30 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 27 | 3.0% |
| North Carolina | 25 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 387 | 43.5% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 557 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 557 | 62.6% |
| Internet | 268 | 30.1% |
| TV | 51 | 5.7% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
557 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 62.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 255 | 45.8% |
| Robocalls | 130 | 23.3% |
| Privacy | 53 | 9.5% |
| Billing | 44 | 7.9% |
| Equipment | 21 | 3.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 16 | 2.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 16 | 2.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 11 | 2.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 2.0% |
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
268 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 30.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 131 | 48.9% |
| Availability | 58 | 21.6% |
| Speed | 57 | 21.3% |
| Privacy | 14 | 5.2% |
| Equipment | 8 | 3.0% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
51 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 15 | 29.4% |
| Availability | 12 | 23.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 19.6% |
| Equipment | 8 | 15.7% |
| Indecency | 6 | 11.8% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials.
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.