FCC Consumer Complaints – 21 March 2015
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 475 consumer complaints on 21 March 2015 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1088 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 46 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 178 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 475
- States & territories reporting
- 46
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (178)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (51)
Where the complaints came from
Across 374 cities in 46 states and territories, a total of 475 complaints were recorded on 21 March 2015. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 51 | 10.7% |
| Florida | 41 | 8.6% |
| New York | 28 | 5.9% |
| Texas | 24 | 5.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 22 | 4.6% |
| Georgia | 21 | 4.4% |
| Washington | 21 | 4.4% |
| Illinois | 18 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 18 | 3.8% |
| Massachusetts | 17 | 3.6% |
| Other states and territories | 212 | 44.6% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 43 different cities.
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 319 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 319 | 67.2% |
| TV | 74 | 15.6% |
| Internet | 72 | 15.2% |
| Radio | 9 | 1.9% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
319 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 178 | 55.8% |
| Robocalls | 65 | 20.4% |
| Billing | 23 | 7.2% |
| Privacy | 12 | 3.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 10 | 3.1% |
| Equipment | 8 | 2.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 2.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 2.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.3% |
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
74 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 25 | 33.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 19 | 25.7% |
| Availability | 13 | 17.6% |
| Indecency | 8 | 10.8% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.8% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.7% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Loud Commercials and Availability.
Internet complaints
72 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy | 21 | 29.2% |
| Billing | 19 | 26.4% |
| Speed | 11 | 15.3% |
| Availability | 10 | 13.9% |
| Interference | 6 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.9% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Privacy, Billing and Speed.
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.