FCC Consumer Complaints – 24 February 2016
Introduction
On Wednesday, 24 February 2016, 1265 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1292 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1265
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (491)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (148)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 24 February 2016 show 1265 complaints originating from 819 cities across 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 | 148 | 11.7% |
| Florida | 106 | 8.4% |
| Texas | 91 | 7.2% |
| New York | 84 | 6.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 59 | 4.7% |
| Illinois | 57 | 4.5% |
| Georgia | 53 | 4.2% |
| New Jersey | 44 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 42 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 41 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 540 | 42.7% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 97 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1002 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1002 | 79.2% |
| Internet | 133 | 10.5% |
| TV | 110 | 8.7% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 6 | 0.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1002 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 491 | 49.0% |
| Robocalls | 265 | 26.4% |
| Billing | 84 | 8.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 40 | 4.0% |
| Equipment | 31 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 30 | 3.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 26 | 2.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 1.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 11 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
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
133 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 42 | 31.6% |
| Availability | 26 | 19.5% |
| Speed | 20 | 15.0% |
| Privacy | 16 | 12.0% |
| Interference | 13 | 9.8% |
| Equipment | 12 | 9.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 3.0% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
110 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 42 | 38.2% |
| Availability | 18 | 16.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 17 | 15.5% |
| Equipment | 11 | 10.0% |
| Interference | 8 | 7.3% |
| Indecency | 7 | 6.4% |
| Privacy | 6 | 5.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.9% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials among the most common.
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.