FCC Consumer Complaints – November 2015
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 29357 consumer complaints in November 2015 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 31942 complaints the month before. Complaints were reported across 56 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 29357
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (9163)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3327)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 978.6 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 2071 complaints on 4 November 2015, with 16 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 15 November 2015, with 320 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In November 2015, the 29357 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 5797 cities across 56 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 112 of the 128 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3327 | 11.3% |
| Florida | 2642 | 9.0% |
| Texas | 1750 | 6.0% |
| New York | 1489 | 5.1% |
| Georgia | 1414 | 4.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 1318 | 4.5% |
| Maryland | 1187 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 1108 | 3.8% |
| Tennessee | 1032 | 3.5% |
| Washington | 967 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 13074 | 44.5% |
Location highlights
- Washington accounted for the majority of complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
- Complaints in California were reported across 575 cities, the widest spread observed during the month.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 18193 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18193 | 62.0% |
| Internet | 7748 | 26.4% |
| TV | 2465 | 8.4% |
| Radio | 809 | 2.8% |
| Emergency | 86 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 48 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 8 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
18193 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 62.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 9163 | 50.4% |
| Robocalls | 4322 | 23.8% |
| Billing | 1715 | 9.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 595 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 536 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 508 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 467 | 2.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 347 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 278 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 132 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 98 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 30 | 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
7748 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 26.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 2473 | 31.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2256 | 29.1% |
| Availability | 1248 | 16.1% |
| Speed | 686 | 8.9% |
| Privacy | 499 | 6.4% |
| Interference | 375 | 4.8% |
| Equipment | 211 | 2.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Open Internet/Net Neutrality, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
2465 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 980 | 39.8% |
| Availability | 392 | 15.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 353 | 14.3% |
| Indecency | 283 | 11.5% |
| Equipment | 269 | 10.9% |
| Interference | 129 | 5.2% |
| Privacy | 38 | 1.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 20 | 0.8% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials.
Radio complaints
809 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 2.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 559 | 69.1% |
| Availability | 76 | 9.4% |
| Indecency | 58 | 7.2% |
| Pirate Radio | 49 | 6.1% |
| Equipment | 30 | 3.7% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 22 | 2.7% |
| Billing | 14 | 1.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
86 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 49 | 57.0% |
| Phone | 18 | 20.9% |
| Tower | 11 | 12.8% |
| Interference | 8 | 9.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
48 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 26 | 54.2% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 12 | 25.0% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 3 | 6.3% |
| Video Description | 2 | 4.2% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 2.1% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 2.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), 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.