FCC Consumer Complaints – 2 February 2016
Introduction
On Tuesday, 2 February 2016, 1162 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 976 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1162
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (397)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (132)
Where the complaints came from
The 1162 complaints recorded on 2 February 2016 were submitted from 809 cities across 51 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 132 | 11.4% |
| Texas | 89 | 7.7% |
| Florida | 83 | 7.1% |
| New York | 76 | 6.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 61 | 5.2% |
| New Jersey | 52 | 4.5% |
| Washington | 41 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 36 | 3.1% |
| Illinois | 36 | 3.1% |
| Tennessee | 35 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 515 | 44.3% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 859 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 859 | 73.9% |
| Internet | 169 | 14.5% |
| TV | 116 | 10.0% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.4% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
859 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 397 | 46.2% |
| Robocalls | 199 | 23.2% |
| Billing | 127 | 14.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 32 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 30 | 3.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 23 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 19 | 2.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 13 | 1.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
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
169 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 49 | 29.0% |
| Privacy | 30 | 17.8% |
| Availability | 27 | 16.0% |
| Speed | 26 | 15.4% |
| Interference | 18 | 10.7% |
| Equipment | 10 | 5.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 9 | 5.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Privacy and Availability among the most common.
TV complaints
116 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 50 | 43.1% |
| Availability | 31 | 26.7% |
| Equipment | 16 | 13.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 6.9% |
| Indecency | 7 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.7% |
| Interference | 1 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.9% |
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.