FCC Consumer Complaints – 4 February 2016
Introduction
On Thursday, 4 February 2016, 1176 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1207 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 52 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
- 1176
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (417)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (137)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1176 complaints were recorded on 4 February 2016, with reports originating from 752 cities in 52 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 137 | 11.6% |
| Florida | 95 | 8.1% |
| Texas | 91 | 7.7% |
| New York | 84 | 7.1% |
| Illinois | 53 | 4.5% |
| Georgia | 48 | 4.1% |
| Maryland | 46 | 3.9% |
| Oregon | 36 | 3.1% |
| New Jersey | 35 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 35 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 515 | 43.8% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 866 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 866 | 73.6% |
| Internet | 177 | 15.1% |
| TV | 115 | 9.8% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.1% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
866 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 417 | 48.2% |
| Robocalls | 228 | 26.3% |
| Billing | 93 | 10.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 31 | 3.6% |
| Equipment | 22 | 2.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 21 | 2.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 20 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 20 | 2.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 0.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 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
177 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 48 | 27.1% |
| Availability | 36 | 20.3% |
| Speed | 35 | 19.8% |
| Privacy | 25 | 14.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 15 | 8.5% |
| Interference | 12 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 6 | 3.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
115 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 49 | 42.6% |
| Availability | 28 | 24.3% |
| Equipment | 14 | 12.2% |
| Indecency | 9 | 7.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 7.8% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.5% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.7% |
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.