FCC Consumer Complaints – 22 September 2015
Introduction
A total of 1329 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 22 September 2015, this represented an increase from the 1241 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 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
- 1329
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (444)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (188)
Where the complaints came from
Across 830 cities in 51 states and territories, a total of 1329 complaints were recorded on 22 September 2015. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 | 188 | 14.1% |
| Florida | 106 | 8.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 78 | 5.9% |
| Georgia | 74 | 5.6% |
| New York | 73 | 5.5% |
| Texas | 64 | 4.8% |
| Illinois | 50 | 3.8% |
| Maryland | 48 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 46 | 3.5% |
| Washington | 43 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 552 | 41.5% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 940 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 940 | 70.7% |
| Internet | 218 | 16.4% |
| TV | 121 | 9.1% |
| Radio | 39 | 2.9% |
| Emergency | 6 | 0.5% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
940 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 444 | 47.2% |
| Robocalls | 225 | 23.9% |
| Billing | 98 | 10.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 43 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 33 | 3.5% |
| Privacy | 32 | 3.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 26 | 2.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 1.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 14 | 1.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 0.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 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
218 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 67 | 30.7% |
| Availability | 53 | 24.3% |
| Speed | 25 | 11.5% |
| Privacy | 23 | 10.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 22 | 10.1% |
| Equipment | 16 | 7.3% |
| Interference | 12 | 5.5% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
121 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 50 | 41.3% |
| Availability | 21 | 17.4% |
| Equipment | 20 | 16.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 14 | 11.6% |
| Indecency | 9 | 7.4% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.8% |
Billing represented the largest share of complaints recorded in this category, with lower volumes reported across the remaining issues.
Radio complaints
39 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 2.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 22 | 56.4% |
| Indecency | 6 | 15.4% |
| Availability | 4 | 10.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 4 | 10.3% |
| Billing | 1 | 2.6% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 2.6% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, 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.