FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 October 2015

Introduction

On 6 October 2015, 1321 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 1082 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), with 510 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1321
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (510)
Most reported state/territory
California (146)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 6 October 2015 show 1321 complaints originating from 838 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 146 11.1%
Florida 135 10.2%
Texas 86 6.5%
New York 80 6.1%
Maryland 78 5.9%
Illinois 55 4.2%
Pennsylvania 54 4.1%
Georgia 50 3.8%
North Carolina 47 3.6%
New Jersey 46 3.5%
Other states and territories 544 41.2%

Location highlight

Complaints in California were reported across 101 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 912 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 912 69.0%
Internet 196 14.8%
TV 157 11.9%
Radio 53 4.0%
Emergency 2 0.2%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

912 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 510 55.9%
Robocalls 224 24.6%
Billing 50 5.5%
Availability (including rural call completion) 36 3.9%
Privacy 26 2.9%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 18 2.0%
Equipment 17 1.9%
Junk Faxes 13 1.4%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 11 1.2%
Interference (including signal jammers) 4 0.4%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 3 0.3%

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

196 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 60 30.6%
Availability 37 18.9%
Speed 33 16.8%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 29 14.8%
Privacy 16 8.2%
Interference 13 6.6%
Equipment 8 4.1%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.

TV complaints

157 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 66 42.0%
Indecency 33 21.0%
Availability 20 12.7%
Equipment 19 12.1%
Loud Commercials 10 6.4%
Interference 7 4.5%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 1.3%

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

Radio complaints

53 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Interference 44 83.0%
Pirate Radio 4 7.5%
Indecency 2 3.8%
Billing 1 1.9%
Commercials/Promotions 1 1.9%
Equipment 1 1.9%

Interference and Pirate Radio 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 6 October 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.