FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 March 2015
Introduction
On 17 March 2015, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1125 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 1028 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 453 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1125
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (453)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (139)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 17 March 2015 show 1125 complaints originating from 719 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 139 | 12.4% |
| Texas | 90 | 8.0% |
| Florida | 81 | 7.2% |
| New York | 73 | 6.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 48 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 46 | 4.1% |
| Georgia | 41 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 38 | 3.4% |
| Washington | 37 | 3.3% |
| Massachusetts | 34 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 496 | 44.1% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 885 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 885 | 78.7% |
| Internet | 129 | 11.5% |
| TV | 91 | 8.1% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
885 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 78.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 453 | 51.2% |
| Robocalls | 219 | 24.7% |
| Billing | 81 | 9.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 33 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 27 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 23 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 17 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 11 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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
129 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 41 | 31.8% |
| Privacy | 28 | 21.7% |
| Availability | 27 | 20.9% |
| Speed | 17 | 13.2% |
| Equipment | 8 | 6.2% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.4% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Privacy and Availability.
TV complaints
91 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 39 | 42.9% |
| Indecency | 17 | 18.7% |
| Availability | 15 | 16.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 11.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.4% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.3% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.3% |
Billing and Indecency 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.