FCC Consumer Complaints – 21 July 2015

Introduction

On Tuesday, 21 July 2015, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1268 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 1159 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 50 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 500 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1268
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (500)
Most reported state/territory
California (159)

Where the complaints came from

Across 809 cities in 50 states and territories, a total of 1268 complaints were recorded on 21 July 2015. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 159 12.5%
Florida 105 8.3%
Texas 91 7.2%
New York 72 5.7%
Georgia 65 5.1%
Pennsylvania 50 3.9%
Tennessee 47 3.7%
Illinois 42 3.3%
North Carolina 40 3.2%
Maryland 38 3.0%
Other states and territories 555 43.8%

Location highlight

California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 107 different cities.

What the complaints were about

A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 936 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 936 73.8%
Internet 174 13.7%
TV 120 9.5%
Radio 27 2.1%
Emergency 9 0.7%
Request for Dispute Assistance 2 0.2%

Phone complaints

936 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 500 53.4%
Robocalls 210 22.4%
Billing 78 8.3%
Availability (including rural call completion) 36 3.8%
Equipment 32 3.4%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 23 2.5%
Privacy 18 1.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 10 1.1%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 9 1.0%
Junk Faxes 9 1.0%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 8 0.9%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.1%

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

174 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 60 34.5%
Availability 32 18.4%
Speed 25 14.4%
Equipment 16 9.2%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 16 9.2%
Privacy 16 9.2%
Interference 9 5.2%

Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.

TV complaints

120 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 41 34.2%
Loud Commercials 39 32.5%
Availability 15 12.5%
Equipment 9 7.5%
Indecency 9 7.5%
Interference 4 3.3%
Privacy 2 1.7%

Billing and Loud Commercials were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 21 July 2015.

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.