FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 March 2016
Introduction
A total of 909 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Monday, 7 March 2016, complaint volume increased from 270 complaints the previous day. Complaints were reported across 49 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of 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
- 909
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (302)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (121)
Where the complaints came from
The 909 complaints recorded on 7 March 2016 originated from 642 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 121 | 13.3% |
| Texas | 67 | 7.4% |
| Florida | 59 | 6.5% |
| New York | 46 | 5.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 4.4% |
| Virginia | 40 | 4.4% |
| Georgia | 35 | 3.9% |
| Kentucky | 32 | 3.5% |
| Michigan | 32 | 3.5% |
| Washington | 26 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 409 | 45.0% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 87 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 685 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 685 | 75.4% |
| Internet | 106 | 11.7% |
| TV | 94 | 10.3% |
| Radio | 19 | 2.1% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
685 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 302 | 44.1% |
| Robocalls | 182 | 26.6% |
| Billing | 75 | 10.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 29 | 4.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 24 | 3.5% |
| Equipment | 23 | 3.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 19 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 17 | 2.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 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
106 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 28.3% |
| Availability | 24 | 22.6% |
| Speed | 23 | 21.7% |
| Privacy | 9 | 8.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 7 | 6.6% |
| Equipment | 5 | 4.7% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
94 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 40 | 42.6% |
| Availability | 15 | 16.0% |
| Equipment | 14 | 14.9% |
| Indecency | 9 | 9.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 9.6% |
| Interference | 6 | 6.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing was the most commonly reported issue in this category, while other issues occurred 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.