FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 March 2016
Introduction
On 15 March 2016, 637 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 473 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 48 states and territories, and California generated the highest number of submissions with 90 complaints. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 637
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (189)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (90)
Where the complaints came from
On 15 March 2016, the 637 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 481 cities across 48 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 90 | 14.1% |
| Florida | 41 | 6.4% |
| New York | 40 | 6.3% |
| Texas | 36 | 5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 31 | 4.9% |
| Georgia | 29 | 4.6% |
| Maryland | 27 | 4.2% |
| Virginia | 24 | 3.8% |
| Washington | 22 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 21 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 267 | 41.9% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 70 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 464 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 464 | 72.8% |
| Internet | 100 | 15.7% |
| TV | 55 | 8.6% |
| Radio | 14 | 2.2% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
464 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 189 | 40.7% |
| Robocalls | 91 | 19.6% |
| Billing | 86 | 18.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 20 | 4.3% |
| Equipment | 17 | 3.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 15 | 3.2% |
| Privacy | 15 | 3.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 2.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 11 | 2.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.2% |
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
100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 32 | 32.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 19 | 19.0% |
| Availability | 18 | 18.0% |
| Speed | 10 | 10.0% |
| Interference | 8 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 7 | 7.0% |
| Privacy | 6 | 6.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Availability.
TV complaints
55 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 26 | 47.3% |
| Availability | 11 | 20.0% |
| Indecency | 5 | 9.1% |
| Interference | 5 | 9.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 9.1% |
| Equipment | 3 | 5.5% |
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.