FCC Consumer Complaints – 22 February 2016
Introduction
On Monday, 22 February 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 975 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 309 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 975
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (315)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (98)
Where the complaints came from
The 975 complaints recorded on 22 February 2016 originated from 688 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 98 | 10.1% |
| Florida | 70 | 7.2% |
| New York | 68 | 7.0% |
| Texas | 60 | 6.2% |
| Georgia | 41 | 4.2% |
| Virginia | 40 | 4.1% |
| Michigan | 35 | 3.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 34 | 3.5% |
| Tennessee | 34 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 33 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 460 | 47.2% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 697 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 697 | 71.5% |
| Internet | 172 | 17.6% |
| TV | 75 | 7.7% |
| Radio | 22 | 2.3% |
| Accessibility | 6 | 0.6% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
697 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 71.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 315 | 45.2% |
| Robocalls | 187 | 26.8% |
| Billing | 63 | 9.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 30 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 24 | 3.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 23 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 20 | 2.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 20 | 2.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 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
172 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 68 | 39.5% |
| Availability | 34 | 19.8% |
| Speed | 26 | 15.1% |
| Privacy | 16 | 9.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 12 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 9 | 5.2% |
| Interference | 7 | 4.1% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
75 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 36 | 48.0% |
| Availability | 14 | 18.7% |
| Indecency | 10 | 13.3% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 6.7% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.3% |
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.