FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 December 2014
Introduction
On Tuesday, 16 December 2014, 668 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 532 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 668
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (233)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (80)
Where the complaints came from
The 668 complaints recorded on 16 December 2014 originated from 518 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 | 80 | 12.0% |
| Texas | 46 | 6.9% |
| Florida | 40 | 6.0% |
| North Carolina | 37 | 5.5% |
| New York | 33 | 4.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 31 | 4.6% |
| Colorado | 28 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 27 | 4.0% |
| Ohio | 24 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 20 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 302 | 45.2% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 62 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 547 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 547 | 81.9% |
| Internet | 57 | 8.5% |
| TV | 46 | 6.9% |
| Radio | 14 | 2.1% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
547 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 81.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 233 | 42.6% |
| Robocalls | 143 | 26.1% |
| Billing | 55 | 10.1% |
| Privacy | 42 | 7.7% |
| Equipment | 19 | 3.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 17 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 1.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.2% |
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
57 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 21 | 36.8% |
| Availability | 12 | 21.1% |
| Privacy | 9 | 15.8% |
| Speed | 9 | 15.8% |
| Equipment | 3 | 5.3% |
| Interference | 3 | 5.3% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Privacy.
TV complaints
46 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 17 | 37.0% |
| Equipment | 11 | 23.9% |
| Indecency | 7 | 15.2% |
| Availability | 5 | 10.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 8.7% |
| Interference | 2 | 4.3% |
Billing and Equipment 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.