FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 January 2016
Introduction
On Tuesday, 26 January 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1134 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 865 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 51 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
- 1134
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (403)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (145)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 26 January 2016 show 1134 complaints originating from 743 cities across 51 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 145 | 12.8% |
| Florida | 82 | 7.2% |
| Texas | 79 | 7.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 67 | 5.9% |
| New York | 60 | 5.3% |
| Illinois | 43 | 3.8% |
| Virginia | 41 | 3.6% |
| Arizona | 38 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 35 | 3.1% |
| New Jersey | 33 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 511 | 45.1% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 95 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 822 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 822 | 72.5% |
| Internet | 166 | 14.6% |
| TV | 121 | 10.7% |
| Radio | 18 | 1.6% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
822 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 403 | 49.0% |
| Robocalls | 228 | 27.7% |
| Billing | 76 | 9.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 32 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 21 | 2.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 16 | 1.9% |
| Equipment | 14 | 1.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.6% |
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
166 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 55 | 33.1% |
| Availability | 28 | 16.9% |
| Speed | 25 | 15.1% |
| Privacy | 22 | 13.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 18 | 10.8% |
| Equipment | 10 | 6.0% |
| Interference | 8 | 4.8% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
121 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 50 | 41.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 25 | 20.7% |
| Availability | 21 | 17.4% |
| Indecency | 10 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 8 | 6.6% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Loud Commercials, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.