FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 February 2016
Introduction
On Wednesday, 3 February 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1207 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 1162 complaints the previous day. Complaints were reported across 50 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), with 458 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1207
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (458)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (128)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 3 February 2016 show 1207 complaints originating from 779 cities across 50 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 128 | 10.6% |
| Florida | 111 | 9.2% |
| New York | 85 | 7.0% |
| Texas | 71 | 5.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 58 | 4.8% |
| Georgia | 46 | 3.8% |
| New Jersey | 42 | 3.5% |
| Arizona | 39 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 38 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 38 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 551 | 45.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 918 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 918 | 76.1% |
| Internet | 170 | 14.1% |
| TV | 94 | 7.8% |
| Radio | 19 | 1.6% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
918 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 458 | 49.9% |
| Robocalls | 219 | 23.9% |
| Billing | 69 | 7.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 41 | 4.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 39 | 4.2% |
| Privacy | 28 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 25 | 2.7% |
| Equipment | 14 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 12 | 1.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 0.4% |
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
170 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 30.0% |
| Speed | 36 | 21.2% |
| Availability | 28 | 16.5% |
| Privacy | 18 | 10.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 15 | 8.8% |
| Interference | 13 | 7.6% |
| Equipment | 9 | 5.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Speed and Availability among the most common.
TV complaints
94 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 42 | 44.7% |
| Availability | 25 | 26.6% |
| Equipment | 14 | 14.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 5.3% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.3% |
| Indecency | 2 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.1% |
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.