FCC Consumer Complaints – 28 January 2016

Introduction

On 28 January 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1272 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 1154 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 48 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
1272
States & territories reporting
48
Most common issue
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (445)
Most reported state/territory
California (144)

Where the complaints came from

The 1272 complaints recorded on 28 January 2016 originated from 844 cities across 48 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 table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 144 11.3%
Florida 103 8.1%
Texas 100 7.9%
Pennsylvania 71 5.6%
Georgia 59 4.6%
New York 58 4.6%
New Jersey 49 3.9%
Ohio 46 3.6%
Virginia 39 3.1%
Colorado 38 3.0%
Other states and territories 554 43.6%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 924 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 924 72.6%
Internet 212 16.7%
TV 111 8.7%
Radio 23 1.8%
Accessibility 1 0.1%
Emergency 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

924 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 445 48.2%
Robocalls 252 27.3%
Billing 94 10.2%
Availability (including rural call completion) 27 2.9%
Privacy 27 2.9%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 23 2.5%
Equipment 22 2.4%
Junk Faxes 18 1.9%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 8 0.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 3 0.3%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 3 0.3%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 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

212 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 69 32.5%
Availability 38 17.9%
Speed 37 17.5%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 23 10.8%
Privacy 19 9.0%
Interference 14 6.6%
Equipment 12 5.7%

The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.

TV complaints

111 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 48 43.2%
Availability 21 18.9%
Equipment 13 11.7%
Loud Commercials 11 9.9%
Interference 9 8.1%
Indecency 7 6.3%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 0.9%
Privacy 1 0.9%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 28 January 2016.

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.