FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 March 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 481 consumer complaints on 17 March 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 475 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 184 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 481
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (184)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (56)
Where the complaints came from
The 481 complaints recorded on 17 March 2016 were submitted from 378 cities across 50 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 | 56 | 11.6% |
| Texas | 39 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 38 | 7.9% |
| New York | 24 | 5.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 23 | 4.8% |
| Virginia | 20 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 19 | 4.0% |
| Arizona | 16 | 3.3% |
| Tennessee | 16 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 14 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 216 | 44.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 367 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 367 | 76.3% |
| Internet | 70 | 14.6% |
| TV | 36 | 7.5% |
| Radio | 6 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
367 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 184 | 50.1% |
| Robocalls | 68 | 18.5% |
| Billing | 38 | 10.4% |
| Equipment | 18 | 4.9% |
| Privacy | 14 | 3.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 13 | 3.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 2.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 1.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 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
70 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 26 | 37.1% |
| Privacy | 12 | 17.1% |
| Availability | 10 | 14.3% |
| Speed | 7 | 10.0% |
| Equipment | 6 | 8.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 7.1% |
| Interference | 4 | 5.7% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Privacy and Availability.
TV complaints
36 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 16 | 44.4% |
| Availability | 12 | 33.3% |
| Interference | 3 | 8.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.8% |
| Indecency | 1 | 2.8% |
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.