FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 March 2016
Introduction
A total of 1049 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 1 March 2016, complaint volume fell from 1065 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 51 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
- 1049
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (383)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (142)
Where the complaints came from
On 1 March 2016, the 1049 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 686 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 142 | 13.5% |
| Texas | 85 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 66 | 6.3% |
| New York | 64 | 6.1% |
| Arizona | 41 | 3.9% |
| Illinois | 39 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 38 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 37 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 35 | 3.3% |
| Tennessee | 34 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 467 | 44.5% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 784 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 784 | 74.7% |
| Internet | 132 | 12.6% |
| TV | 104 | 9.9% |
| Radio | 24 | 2.3% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
784 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 383 | 48.9% |
| Robocalls | 217 | 27.7% |
| Billing | 82 | 10.5% |
| Equipment | 22 | 2.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 17 | 2.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 16 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 16 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 14 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 11 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 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
132 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 38.6% |
| Speed | 19 | 14.4% |
| Availability | 17 | 12.9% |
| Privacy | 15 | 11.4% |
| Interference | 11 | 8.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 10 | 7.6% |
| Equipment | 9 | 6.8% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 55 | 52.9% |
| Availability | 20 | 19.2% |
| Equipment | 9 | 8.7% |
| Indecency | 9 | 8.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 6.7% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.9% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.0% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less 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.