FCC Consumer Complaints – June 2015
Introduction
In June 2015, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 29751 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 22543 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 10443 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 29751
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (10443)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3698)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 991.7 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 2047 complaints on 25 June 2015, while 18 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 7 June 2015, with 242 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded in June 2015 show 29751 complaints originating from 6079 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 138 of the 145 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3698 | 12.4% |
| Florida | 2286 | 7.7% |
| Texas | 2056 | 6.9% |
| New York | 1697 | 5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 1324 | 4.5% |
| Georgia | 1266 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 1099 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 989 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 948 | 3.2% |
| Maryland | 935 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 13372 | 44.9% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 21270 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 21270 | 71.5% |
| Internet | 5149 | 17.3% |
| TV | 2653 | 8.9% |
| Radio | 547 | 1.8% |
| Emergency | 62 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 54 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 16 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
21270 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 71.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 10443 | 49.1% |
| Robocalls | 4355 | 20.5% |
| Billing | 2313 | 10.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 875 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 665 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 616 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 538 | 2.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 431 | 2.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 372 | 1.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 314 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 269 | 1.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 52 | 0.2% |
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
5149 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 17.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1461 | 28.4% |
| Speed | 1172 | 22.8% |
| Availability | 835 | 16.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 635 | 12.3% |
| Privacy | 459 | 8.9% |
| Interference | 332 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 247 | 4.8% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
2653 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1065 | 40.1% |
| Availability | 436 | 16.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 325 | 12.3% |
| Indecency | 304 | 11.5% |
| Equipment | 287 | 10.8% |
| Interference | 148 | 5.6% |
| Privacy | 60 | 2.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 19 | 0.7% |
Billing was the most commonly reported issue in this category, while other issues occurred less frequently.
Radio complaints
547 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 304 | 55.6% |
| Indecency | 113 | 20.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 46 | 8.4% |
| Availability | 29 | 5.3% |
| Equipment | 21 | 3.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 19 | 3.5% |
| Billing | 12 | 2.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
62 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 26 | 41.9% |
| Interference | 20 | 32.3% |
| Phone | 13 | 21.0% |
| Tower | 3 | 4.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
54 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 19 | 35.2% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 11 | 20.4% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 8 | 14.8% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 7 | 13.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 3 | 5.6% |
| Video Description | 2 | 3.7% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 1.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Closed Captioning on TV, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones.
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.