FCC Consumer Complaints – 19 August 2015
Introduction
A total of 1250 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday, 19 August 2015, this was lower than the 1333 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 492 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1250
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (492)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (174)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1250 complaints were recorded on 19 August 2015, with reports originating from 846 cities in 52 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 174 | 13.9% |
| Florida | 101 | 8.1% |
| New York | 77 | 6.2% |
| Texas | 76 | 6.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 62 | 5.0% |
| Georgia | 55 | 4.4% |
| Virginia | 54 | 4.3% |
| New Jersey | 52 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 42 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 41 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 510 | 40.8% |
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 933 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 933 | 74.6% |
| Internet | 163 | 13.0% |
| TV | 121 | 9.7% |
| Radio | 28 | 2.2% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
933 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 492 | 52.7% |
| Robocalls | 227 | 24.3% |
| Billing | 86 | 9.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 30 | 3.2% |
| Equipment | 27 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 19 | 2.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 18 | 1.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 17 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 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
163 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 47 | 28.8% |
| Availability | 43 | 26.4% |
| Speed | 23 | 14.1% |
| Privacy | 17 | 10.4% |
| Equipment | 15 | 9.2% |
| Interference | 10 | 6.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 4.9% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
121 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 58 | 47.9% |
| Availability | 25 | 20.7% |
| Equipment | 11 | 9.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 11 | 9.1% |
| Indecency | 10 | 8.3% |
| Interference | 3 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.