FCC Consumer Complaints – 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 343950 consumer complaints in 2016 relating to telecommunications services. Reports were received from 56 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 343950
- Months with complaint data
- 12
- Months with complaints
- 12
- Days with complaint data
- 366
- Days with complaints
- 366
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (83831)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (44983)
Monthly complaint activity
Across the year, the FCC recorded an average of 28662.5 complaints per month. The highest monthly total was 39529 complaints in May 2016, while 5 months recorded more complaints than the yearly monthly average.
Each bar represents one month of the year. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 343950 complaints were recorded in 2016, with reports originating from 16905 cities in 56 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 1576 of the 1723 complaints recorded in the state.
The yearly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 44983 | 13.1% |
| Florida | 28227 | 8.2% |
| Texas | 25982 | 7.6% |
| New York | 18554 | 5.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 14847 | 4.3% |
| Maryland | 13770 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 13043 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 12543 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 10876 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 10540 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 150111 | 43.6% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the year fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 218459 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 218459 | 63.5% |
| Internet | 77614 | 22.6% |
| TV | 37037 | 10.8% |
| Radio | 9297 | 2.7% |
| Emergency | 793 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 624 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 126 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
218459 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 63.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 83831 | 38.4% |
| Robocalls | 45982 | 21.0% |
| Billing | 27966 | 12.8% |
| Unwanted Calls | 20147 | 9.2% |
| Equipment | 8623 | 3.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 8246 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 6704 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5786 | 2.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 4972 | 2.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3007 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1868 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 810 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 395 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 60 | 0.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), Robocalls and Billing.
Internet complaints
77614 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 22.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 25496 | 32.8% |
| Billing | 19448 | 25.1% |
| Availability | 12440 | 16.0% |
| Speed | 8404 | 10.8% |
| Privacy | 4573 | 5.9% |
| Interference | 4005 | 5.2% |
| Equipment | 3239 | 4.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Open Internet/Net Neutrality, Billing and Availability.
TV complaints
37037 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 10.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 16244 | 43.9% |
| Availability | 7600 | 20.5% |
| Equipment | 3844 | 10.4% |
| Indecency | 3322 | 9.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 2996 | 8.1% |
| Interference | 2017 | 5.4% |
| Privacy | 689 | 1.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 316 | 0.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
9297 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 2.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 6593 | 70.9% |
| Indecency | 966 | 10.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 563 | 6.1% |
| Availability | 383 | 4.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 312 | 3.4% |
| Equipment | 288 | 3.1% |
| Billing | 187 | 2.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
793 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 317 | 40.0% |
| Phone | 209 | 26.4% |
| Interference | 205 | 25.9% |
| Tower | 61 | 7.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
624 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 279 | 44.7% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 198 | 31.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 90 | 14.4% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 16 | 2.6% |
| Video Description | 15 | 2.4% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 10 | 1.6% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 3 | 0.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Request for Dispute Assistance complaints
126 complaints were recorded in this category during the year, representing 0.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|
Unwanted calls
A total of 20147 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 5.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (850) 692-8796 | 84 | 0.4% |
| (855) 653-4481 | 81 | 0.4% |
| (888) 727-1127 | 76 | 0.4% |
| (844) 308-6815 | 46 | 0.2% |
| (855) 328-6700 | 36 | 0.2% |
| (804) 318-4761 | 32 | 0.2% |
| (858) 900-3090 | 28 | 0.1% |
| (877) 637-7343 | 28 | 0.1% |
| (320) 582-9749 | 25 | 0.1% |
| (978) 893-5017 | 21 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (844) 308-6816 | 67 | 0.3% |
| (855) 904-7781 | 26 | 0.1% |
| (850) 692-8796 | 25 | 0.1% |
| (888) 307-0680 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (435) 255-7561 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (888) 201-6452 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (844) 308-6815 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (949) 201-2330 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (800) 610-8993 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (660) 530-0029 | 10 | 0.0% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (844) 308-6816 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (850) 692-8796 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.