FCC Consumer Complaints – 31 December 2015
Introduction
On 31 December 2015, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 702 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1156 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 46 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 702
- States & territories reporting
- 46
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (174)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (94)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 702 complaints were recorded on 31 December 2015, with reports originating from 514 cities in 46 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 94 | 13.4% |
| Florida | 68 | 9.7% |
| New York | 53 | 7.5% |
| Georgia | 42 | 6.0% |
| Texas | 32 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 30 | 4.3% |
| Tennessee | 28 | 4.0% |
| Maryland | 24 | 3.4% |
| Washington | 22 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 21 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 287 | 40.9% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 428 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 428 | 61.0% |
| Internet | 190 | 27.1% |
| TV | 71 | 10.1% |
| Radio | 10 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
428 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 61.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 174 | 40.7% |
| Robocalls | 94 | 22.0% |
| Billing | 67 | 15.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 23 | 5.4% |
| Equipment | 22 | 5.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 22 | 5.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 13 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 7 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.2% |
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
190 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 27.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 59 | 31.1% |
| Speed | 44 | 23.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 33 | 17.4% |
| Availability | 23 | 12.1% |
| Privacy | 14 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 9 | 4.7% |
| Interference | 8 | 4.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Speed and Open Internet/Net Neutrality.
TV complaints
71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 32 | 45.1% |
| Availability | 14 | 19.7% |
| Indecency | 8 | 11.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 11.3% |
| Equipment | 5 | 7.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 2.8% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability 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.