FCC Consumer Complaints – 21 May 2015
Introduction
A total of 996 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 21 May 2015, this represented a decline from the 1077 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 49 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 388 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 996
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (388)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (131)
Where the complaints came from
The 996 complaints recorded on 21 May 2015 originated from 661 cities across 49 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 131 | 13.2% |
| Texas | 75 | 7.5% |
| Florida | 71 | 7.1% |
| New York | 59 | 5.9% |
| New Jersey | 46 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 45 | 4.5% |
| Maryland | 40 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 35 | 3.5% |
| Arizona | 33 | 3.3% |
| Washington | 32 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 424 | 42.6% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 767 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 767 | 77.0% |
| Internet | 122 | 12.2% |
| TV | 76 | 7.6% |
| Radio | 29 | 2.9% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
767 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 388 | 50.6% |
| Robocalls | 176 | 22.9% |
| Billing | 90 | 11.7% |
| Equipment | 24 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 21 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 15 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
122 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 37 | 30.3% |
| Privacy | 36 | 29.5% |
| Availability | 22 | 18.0% |
| Speed | 15 | 12.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 4.9% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.9% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Privacy and Availability among the most common.
TV complaints
76 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 26 | 34.2% |
| Indecency | 14 | 18.4% |
| Availability | 13 | 17.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 7.9% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Indecency and Availability among the most 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.