FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 February 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 976 consumer complaints on Monday, 1 February 2016 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 343 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with Florida recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 334 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 976
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (334)
- Most reported state/territory
- Florida (103)
Where the complaints came from
The 976 complaints recorded on 1 February 2016 were submitted from 656 cities across 52 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 103 | 10.6% |
| California | 97 | 9.9% |
| Texas | 62 | 6.4% |
| Georgia | 53 | 5.4% |
| New York | 53 | 5.4% |
| New Jersey | 46 | 4.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 41 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 36 | 3.7% |
| Maryland | 34 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 29 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 419 | 42.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 699 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 699 | 71.6% |
| Internet | 157 | 16.1% |
| TV | 101 | 10.3% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.1% |
| Accessibility | 7 | 0.7% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
699 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 71.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 334 | 47.8% |
| Robocalls | 158 | 22.6% |
| Billing | 76 | 10.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 34 | 4.9% |
| Privacy | 23 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 20 | 2.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 18 | 2.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 16 | 2.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 16 | 2.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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
157 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 32.5% |
| Availability | 29 | 18.5% |
| Speed | 28 | 17.8% |
| Privacy | 20 | 12.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 18 | 11.5% |
| Equipment | 6 | 3.8% |
| Interference | 5 | 3.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
101 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 40 | 39.6% |
| Availability | 24 | 23.8% |
| Equipment | 14 | 13.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 7.9% |
| Interference | 6 | 5.9% |
| Indecency | 5 | 5.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.0% |
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.