FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 February 2016

Introduction

On 6 February 2016, 516 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1082 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 47 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.

Key statistics

Total complaints
516
States & territories reporting
47
Most common issue
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (140)
Most reported state/territory
California (59)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 516 complaints were recorded on 6 February 2016, with reports originating from 407 cities in 47 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 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 59 11.4%
Florida 51 9.9%
New York 38 7.4%
Texas 29 5.6%
Pennsylvania 28 5.4%
Ohio 25 4.8%
Illinois 23 4.5%
Georgia 20 3.9%
Maryland 18 3.5%
North Carolina 17 3.3%
Other states and territories 208 40.3%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 4 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 317 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 317 61.4%
Internet 104 20.2%
TV 83 16.1%
Radio 12 2.3%

Phone complaints

317 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 61.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 140 44.2%
Robocalls 97 30.6%
Billing 32 10.1%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 15 4.7%
Privacy 8 2.5%
Availability (including rural call completion) 7 2.2%
Interference (including signal jammers) 5 1.6%
Equipment 4 1.3%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 3 0.9%
Junk Faxes 3 0.9%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 0.6%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.3%

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

104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 37 35.6%
Availability 15 14.4%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 14 13.5%
Privacy 11 10.6%
Interference 10 9.6%
Speed 10 9.6%
Equipment 7 6.7%

The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Open Internet/Net Neutrality.

TV complaints

83 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 36 43.4%
Availability 15 18.1%
Loud Commercials 15 18.1%
Equipment 7 8.4%
Indecency 5 6.0%
Interference 3 3.6%
Privacy 2 2.4%

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 6 February 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.