FCC Consumer Complaints – January 2015
Introduction
A total of 23955 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in January 2015, this represented an increase from the 21295 complaints recorded the month before. Reports were received from 54 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was the most frequently reported issue, with 9194 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 23955
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (9194)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3091)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 772.7 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 13 January 2015, when 1327 complaints were recorded, and 18 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 1 January 2015, with 253 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 23955 complaints recorded in January 2015 originated from 5515 cities across 54 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 78 of the 86 complaints recorded in the state.
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 | 3091 | 12.9% |
| Florida | 1676 | 7.0% |
| Texas | 1593 | 6.6% |
| New York | 1395 | 5.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 1087 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 964 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 790 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 771 | 3.2% |
| Ohio | 750 | 3.1% |
| New Jersey | 749 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 11070 | 46.2% |
Location highlights
- Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
- California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 571 different cities.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 17452 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 17452 | 72.9% |
| Internet | 3210 | 13.4% |
| TV | 2713 | 11.3% |
| Radio | 430 | 1.8% |
| Accessibility | 89 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 45 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 16 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
17452 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 72.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 9194 | 52.7% |
| Robocalls | 3370 | 19.3% |
| Billing | 1684 | 9.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 700 | 4.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 520 | 3.0% |
| Equipment | 506 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 500 | 2.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 404 | 2.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 348 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 189 | 1.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 29 | 0.2% |
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
3210 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 13.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 909 | 28.3% |
| Speed | 676 | 21.1% |
| Availability | 613 | 19.1% |
| Privacy | 516 | 16.1% |
| Interference | 313 | 9.8% |
| Equipment | 178 | 5.5% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Speed and Availability among the most common.
TV complaints
2713 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 926 | 34.1% |
| Availability | 575 | 21.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 497 | 18.3% |
| Equipment | 283 | 10.4% |
| Indecency | 272 | 10.0% |
| Interference | 118 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 37 | 1.4% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials among the most common.
Radio complaints
430 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 195 | 45.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 83 | 19.3% |
| Indecency | 81 | 18.8% |
| Equipment | 36 | 8.4% |
| Availability | 20 | 4.7% |
| Billing | 15 | 3.5% |
Interference and Pirate Radio accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
89 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 29 | 32.6% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 28 | 31.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 12 | 13.5% |
| Video Description | 7 | 7.9% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 5 | 5.6% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 4 | 4.5% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 3 | 3.4% |
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
45 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 21 | 46.7% |
| Other | 19 | 42.2% |
| Tower | 5 | 11.1% |
Phone and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.