FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 November 2015
Introduction
A total of 1263 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday, 18 November 2015, this represented a decline from the 1276 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 48 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 504 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1263
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (504)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (151)
Where the complaints came from
The 1263 complaints recorded on 18 November 2015 were submitted from 803 cities across 48 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
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 | 151 | 12.0% |
| Florida | 110 | 8.7% |
| Texas | 90 | 7.1% |
| New York | 81 | 6.4% |
| Georgia | 56 | 4.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 52 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 48 | 3.8% |
| Maryland | 48 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 41 | 3.2% |
| Washington | 40 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 539 | 42.7% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 977 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 977 | 77.4% |
| Internet | 164 | 13.0% |
| TV | 84 | 6.7% |
| Radio | 32 | 2.5% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
977 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 504 | 51.6% |
| Robocalls | 233 | 23.8% |
| Billing | 75 | 7.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 37 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 29 | 3.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 25 | 2.6% |
| Equipment | 25 | 2.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 24 | 2.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 14 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
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
164 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 31.1% |
| Availability | 30 | 18.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 30 | 18.3% |
| Privacy | 23 | 14.0% |
| Speed | 14 | 8.5% |
| Equipment | 11 | 6.7% |
| Interference | 5 | 3.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Open Internet/Net Neutrality.
TV complaints
84 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 42 | 50.0% |
| Equipment | 12 | 14.3% |
| Availability | 8 | 9.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 9.5% |
| Indecency | 7 | 8.3% |
| Interference | 5 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.4% |
Billing and Equipment accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
32 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 2.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 25 | 78.1% |
| Pirate Radio | 3 | 9.4% |
| Equipment | 2 | 6.3% |
| Availability | 1 | 3.1% |
| Billing | 1 | 3.1% |
Interference and Pirate Radio 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.