FCC Consumer Complaints – March 2015
Introduction
In March 2015, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 26398 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 21712 complaints recorded the previous month. Reports were received from 54 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 10488 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 26398
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (10488)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3296)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 851.5 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 25 March 2015, when 1158 complaints were recorded, and 21 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 267 complaints on 29 March 2015, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 26398 complaints recorded in March 2015 were submitted from 5660 cities across 54 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 96 of the 111 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 | 3296 | 12.5% |
| Texas | 1873 | 7.1% |
| Florida | 1830 | 6.9% |
| New York | 1558 | 5.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 1103 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 1075 | 4.1% |
| Georgia | 916 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 858 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 856 | 3.2% |
| Washington | 839 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 12138 | 46.0% |
Location highlights
- Only two cities were associated with complaints in District of Columbia, Washington and Washington Dc.
- Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 20193 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 20193 | 76.5% |
| Internet | 3066 | 11.6% |
| TV | 2553 | 9.7% |
| Radio | 422 | 1.6% |
| Accessibility | 87 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 70 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 7 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
20193 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 76.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 10488 | 51.9% |
| Robocalls | 4586 | 22.7% |
| Billing | 1763 | 8.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 619 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 587 | 2.9% |
| Equipment | 573 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 505 | 2.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 393 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 385 | 1.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 225 | 1.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 43 | 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
3066 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 918 | 29.9% |
| Privacy | 624 | 20.4% |
| Availability | 548 | 17.9% |
| Speed | 445 | 14.5% |
| Interference | 352 | 11.5% |
| Equipment | 173 | 5.6% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Privacy and Availability among the most common.
TV complaints
2553 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 952 | 37.3% |
| Indecency | 501 | 19.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 371 | 14.5% |
| Availability | 332 | 13.0% |
| Equipment | 219 | 8.6% |
| Interference | 126 | 4.9% |
| Privacy | 50 | 2.0% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Indecency and Loud Commercials among the most common.
Radio complaints
422 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 205 | 48.6% |
| Indecency | 107 | 25.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 48 | 11.4% |
| Equipment | 30 | 7.1% |
| Availability | 18 | 4.3% |
| Billing | 13 | 3.1% |
Interference and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
87 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 35 | 40.2% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 25 | 28.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 16 | 18.4% |
| Video Description | 5 | 5.7% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 2.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 2.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 2 | 2.3% |
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
70 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 33 | 47.1% |
| Other | 32 | 45.7% |
| Tower | 4 | 5.7% |
Phone and Other 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.