FCC Consumer Complaints – 25 August 2015
Introduction
On Tuesday, 25 August 2015, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1363 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 1154 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 51 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 538 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1363
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (538)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (153)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1363 complaints were recorded on 25 August 2015, with reports originating from 854 cities in 51 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 153 | 11.2% |
| Florida | 114 | 8.4% |
| Texas | 111 | 8.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 63 | 4.6% |
| New York | 62 | 4.5% |
| Maryland | 57 | 4.2% |
| Georgia | 56 | 4.1% |
| Virginia | 48 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 47 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 45 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 604 | 44.3% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 1000 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1000 | 73.4% |
| Internet | 187 | 13.7% |
| TV | 126 | 9.2% |
| Radio | 38 | 2.8% |
| Emergency | 9 | 0.7% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1000 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 538 | 53.8% |
| Robocalls | 215 | 21.5% |
| Billing | 78 | 7.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 38 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 33 | 3.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 28 | 2.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 26 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 23 | 2.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
187 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 57 | 30.5% |
| Availability | 43 | 23.0% |
| Speed | 25 | 13.4% |
| Privacy | 19 | 10.2% |
| Equipment | 17 | 9.1% |
| Interference | 15 | 8.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 11 | 5.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 55 | 43.7% |
| Availability | 31 | 24.6% |
| Equipment | 16 | 12.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 6.3% |
| Indecency | 7 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.8% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.4% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
38 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 2.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 26 | 68.4% |
| Indecency | 5 | 13.2% |
| Availability | 2 | 5.3% |
| Billing | 2 | 5.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 2 | 5.3% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 2.6% |
Interference and Indecency accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.