FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 January 2016
Introduction
On 8 January 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1055 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1093 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was the most frequently reported issue, with 345 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1055
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (345)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (132)
Where the complaints came from
The 1055 complaints recorded on 8 January 2016 originated from 712 cities across 50 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 132 | 12.5% |
| Florida | 73 | 6.9% |
| Texas | 62 | 5.9% |
| New York | 61 | 5.8% |
| Virginia | 51 | 4.8% |
| Tennessee | 47 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 42 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 39 | 3.7% |
| Maryland | 37 | 3.5% |
| Colorado | 34 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 468 | 44.4% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 747 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 747 | 70.8% |
| Internet | 152 | 14.4% |
| TV | 120 | 11.4% |
| Radio | 32 | 3.0% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
747 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 345 | 46.2% |
| Robocalls | 171 | 22.9% |
| Billing | 78 | 10.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 33 | 4.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 30 | 4.0% |
| Privacy | 24 | 3.2% |
| Equipment | 23 | 3.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 14 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 14 | 1.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
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
152 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 37 | 24.3% |
| Billing | 35 | 23.0% |
| Availability | 27 | 17.8% |
| Speed | 22 | 14.5% |
| Privacy | 16 | 10.5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 5.3% |
| Interference | 7 | 4.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Open Internet/Net Neutrality, Billing and Availability.
TV complaints
120 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 52 | 43.3% |
| Availability | 27 | 22.5% |
| Equipment | 13 | 10.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 10.0% |
| Indecency | 8 | 6.7% |
| Interference | 6 | 5.0% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.7% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
32 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 17 | 53.1% |
| Availability | 6 | 18.8% |
| Indecency | 6 | 18.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 2 | 6.3% |
| Billing | 1 | 3.1% |
Interference and Availability 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.