FCC Consumer Complaints – 4 December 2015
Introduction
On Friday, 4 December 2015, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1087 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1140 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 50 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
- 1087
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (432)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (142)
Where the complaints came from
On 4 December 2015, the 1087 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 724 cities across 50 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 142 | 13.1% |
| Florida | 90 | 8.3% |
| Texas | 62 | 5.7% |
| New York | 53 | 4.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 52 | 4.8% |
| Tennessee | 40 | 3.7% |
| Washington | 39 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 38 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.4% |
| Massachusetts | 35 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 497 | 45.7% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 93 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 833 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 833 | 76.6% |
| Internet | 160 | 14.7% |
| TV | 71 | 6.5% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.5% |
| Emergency | 5 | 0.5% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
833 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 432 | 51.9% |
| Robocalls | 230 | 27.6% |
| Billing | 66 | 7.9% |
| Privacy | 28 | 3.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 18 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.6% |
| Equipment | 11 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 10 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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
160 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 44 | 27.5% |
| Billing | 37 | 23.1% |
| Privacy | 26 | 16.3% |
| Speed | 19 | 11.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 15 | 9.4% |
| Interference | 11 | 6.9% |
| Equipment | 8 | 5.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Billing and Privacy.
TV complaints
71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 32 | 45.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 11 | 15.5% |
| Indecency | 9 | 12.7% |
| Interference | 8 | 11.3% |
| Availability | 6 | 8.5% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.6% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Loud Commercials were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
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.