FCC Consumer Complaints – 31 March 2016
Introduction
On 31 March 2016, 1156 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1188 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), with 474 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1156
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (474)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (138)
Where the complaints came from
Across 763 cities in 52 states and territories, a total of 1156 complaints were recorded on 31 March 2016. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 138 | 11.9% |
| Texas | 92 | 8.0% |
| Florida | 82 | 7.1% |
| New York | 69 | 6.0% |
| Georgia | 48 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 47 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 43 | 3.7% |
| Maryland | 38 | 3.3% |
| Michigan | 37 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 33 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 528 | 45.7% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 91 different cities.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 903 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 903 | 78.1% |
| Internet | 156 | 13.5% |
| TV | 81 | 7.0% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 5 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
903 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 78.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 474 | 52.5% |
| Robocalls | 231 | 25.6% |
| Billing | 59 | 6.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 34 | 3.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 26 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 24 | 2.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 20 | 2.2% |
| Equipment | 18 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 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
156 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 59 | 37.8% |
| Speed | 29 | 18.6% |
| Availability | 28 | 17.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 15 | 9.6% |
| Interference | 11 | 7.1% |
| Privacy | 10 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 4 | 2.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
81 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 29 | 35.8% |
| Availability | 19 | 23.5% |
| Equipment | 15 | 18.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 11.1% |
| Indecency | 5 | 6.2% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.9% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Equipment.
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.