FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 September 2015
Introduction
On 17 September 2015, 1432 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 1258 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1432
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (512)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (184)
Where the complaints came from
On 17 September 2015, the 1432 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 905 cities across 52 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 | 184 | 12.8% |
| Florida | 116 | 8.1% |
| Texas | 98 | 6.8% |
| Maryland | 79 | 5.5% |
| New York | 72 | 5.0% |
| Georgia | 71 | 5.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 61 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 47 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 45 | 3.1% |
| Ohio | 45 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 605 | 42.2% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 1013 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1013 | 70.7% |
| Internet | 213 | 14.9% |
| TV | 132 | 9.2% |
| Radio | 68 | 4.7% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 3 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.1% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1013 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 512 | 50.5% |
| Robocalls | 190 | 18.8% |
| Billing | 148 | 14.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 46 | 4.5% |
| Equipment | 33 | 3.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 27 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 27 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
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
213 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 58 | 27.2% |
| Availability | 45 | 21.1% |
| Speed | 31 | 14.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 29 | 13.6% |
| Privacy | 22 | 10.3% |
| Equipment | 16 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 11 | 5.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
132 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 53 | 40.2% |
| Availability | 23 | 17.4% |
| Equipment | 17 | 12.9% |
| Indecency | 17 | 12.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 14 | 10.6% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.8% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.8% |
Billing represented the largest share of complaints recorded in this category, with lower volumes reported across the remaining issues.
Radio complaints
68 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 52 | 76.5% |
| Indecency | 8 | 11.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 3 | 4.4% |
| Availability | 2 | 2.9% |
| Pirate Radio | 2 | 2.9% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.5% |
Interference and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less 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.