FCC Consumer Complaints – 9 March 2016
Introduction
A total of 1065 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday, 9 March 2016, complaint volume fell from 1228 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 49 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
- 1065
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (388)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (133)
Where the complaints came from
On 9 March 2016, the 1065 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 709 cities across 49 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 summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 133 | 12.5% |
| Florida | 70 | 6.6% |
| Texas | 65 | 6.1% |
| New York | 56 | 5.3% |
| Virginia | 53 | 5.0% |
| Illinois | 49 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 4.1% |
| Washington | 40 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 39 | 3.7% |
| Michigan | 38 | 3.6% |
| Other states and territories | 473 | 44.4% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 803 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 803 | 75.4% |
| Internet | 136 | 12.8% |
| TV | 102 | 9.6% |
| Radio | 20 | 1.9% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
803 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 388 | 48.3% |
| Robocalls | 219 | 27.3% |
| Billing | 54 | 6.7% |
| Equipment | 29 | 3.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 29 | 3.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 24 | 3.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 20 | 2.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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
136 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 60 | 44.1% |
| Availability | 22 | 16.2% |
| Speed | 19 | 14.0% |
| Privacy | 15 | 11.0% |
| Equipment | 11 | 8.1% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 2.2% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 47 | 46.1% |
| Availability | 19 | 18.6% |
| Privacy | 14 | 13.7% |
| Equipment | 10 | 9.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 4.9% |
| Indecency | 4 | 3.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.0% |
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.