FCC Consumer Complaints – May 2015
Introduction
A total of 22543 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in May 2015, this represented a decline from the 26444 complaints recorded the month before. The complaints came from 55 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), with 8919 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 22543
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (8919)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3020)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 727.2 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1077 complaints on 20 May 2015, while 20 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 207 complaints on 24 May 2015, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In May 2015, the 22543 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 5156 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 98 of the 104 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3020 | 13.4% |
| Florida | 1719 | 7.6% |
| Texas | 1577 | 7.0% |
| New York | 1252 | 5.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 927 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 897 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 862 | 3.8% |
| New Jersey | 737 | 3.3% |
| Maryland | 708 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 682 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 10110 | 44.8% |
Location highlights
- Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
- Complaints in California were reported across 539 cities, the widest spread observed during the month.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 17504 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 17504 | 77.6% |
| Internet | 2429 | 10.8% |
| TV | 2029 | 9.0% |
| Radio | 473 | 2.1% |
| Accessibility | 55 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 43 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 10 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
17504 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 77.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 8919 | 51.0% |
| Robocalls | 3860 | 22.1% |
| Billing | 1665 | 9.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 596 | 3.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 548 | 3.1% |
| Equipment | 535 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 495 | 2.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 327 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 310 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 193 | 1.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 31 | 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
2429 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 741 | 30.5% |
| Privacy | 501 | 20.6% |
| Availability | 466 | 19.2% |
| Speed | 340 | 14.0% |
| Interference | 237 | 9.8% |
| Equipment | 144 | 5.9% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Privacy and Availability.
TV complaints
2029 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 786 | 38.7% |
| Availability | 324 | 16.0% |
| Indecency | 296 | 14.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 250 | 12.3% |
| Equipment | 211 | 10.4% |
| Interference | 114 | 5.6% |
| Privacy | 29 | 1.4% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Indecency.
Radio complaints
473 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 287 | 60.7% |
| Indecency | 91 | 19.2% |
| Pirate Radio | 31 | 6.6% |
| Availability | 26 | 5.5% |
| Equipment | 18 | 3.8% |
| Billing | 15 | 3.2% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 5 | 1.1% |
Interference and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
55 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 25 | 45.5% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 15 | 27.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 7 | 12.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 4 | 7.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 3 | 5.5% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 1.8% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
43 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 29 | 67.4% |
| Phone | 8 | 18.6% |
| Interference | 3 | 7.0% |
| Tower | 3 | 7.0% |
Other and Phone 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.