FCC Consumer Complaints – 28 November 2015

Introduction

A total of 477 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Saturday, 28 November 2015, this represented a decline from the 539 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 45 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.

Key statistics

Total complaints
477
States & territories reporting
45
Most common issue
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (157)
Most reported state/territory
California (62)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 477 complaints were recorded on 28 November 2015, with reports originating from 351 cities in 45 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in Maryland, where Frederick accounted for 18 of the 30 complaints recorded in the state.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 62 13.0%
Florida 34 7.1%
Maryland 30 6.3%
Texas 29 6.1%
New York 27 5.7%
Colorado 24 5.0%
Ohio 21 4.4%
Georgia 19 4.0%
Pennsylvania 17 3.6%
Michigan 16 3.4%
Other states and territories 197 41.3%

Location highlight

Complaints in Maryland were heavily concentrated in Frederick, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 312 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 312 65.4%
Internet 74 15.5%
TV 62 13.0%
Radio 28 5.9%
Accessibility 1 0.2%

Phone complaints

312 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 65.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 157 50.3%
Robocalls 88 28.2%
Billing 27 8.7%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 11 3.5%
Availability (including rural call completion) 8 2.6%
Privacy 7 2.2%
Equipment 5 1.6%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 4 1.3%
Interference (including signal jammers) 2 0.6%
Junk Faxes 2 0.6%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 0.3%

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

74 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 24 32.4%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 15 20.3%
Speed 13 17.6%
Availability 9 12.2%
Privacy 8 10.8%
Interference 3 4.1%
Equipment 2 2.7%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Speed among the most common.

TV complaints

62 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 22 35.5%
Loud Commercials 14 22.6%
Availability 8 12.9%
Indecency 8 12.9%
Equipment 7 11.3%
Interference 3 4.8%

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

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 28 November 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.