FCC Consumer Complaints – 12 April 2016
Introduction
On Tuesday, 12 April 2016, 1346 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 1090 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), with 463 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1346
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (463)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (195)
Where the complaints came from
On 12 April 2016, the 1346 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 797 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in Rhode Island, where Little compton accounted for 30 of the 32 complaints recorded in the state.
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 | 195 | 14.5% |
| Florida | 137 | 10.2% |
| Texas | 117 | 8.7% |
| Maryland | 72 | 5.3% |
| New York | 66 | 4.9% |
| Kansas | 55 | 4.1% |
| Georgia | 45 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 44 | 3.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 38 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 531 | 39.5% |
Location highlight
Nearly all complaints reported in Rhode Island originated from Little compton.
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 939 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 939 | 69.8% |
| Internet | 212 | 15.8% |
| TV | 138 | 10.3% |
| Radio | 51 | 3.8% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.1% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
939 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 463 | 49.3% |
| Robocalls | 216 | 23.0% |
| Billing | 103 | 11.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 51 | 5.4% |
| Privacy | 25 | 2.7% |
| Equipment | 21 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 21 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 20 | 2.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 0.5% |
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
212 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 75 | 35.4% |
| Billing | 51 | 24.1% |
| Speed | 29 | 13.7% |
| Privacy | 17 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 15 | 7.1% |
| Interference | 13 | 6.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 12 | 5.7% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Billing and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
138 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 62 | 44.9% |
| Billing | 42 | 30.4% |
| Equipment | 17 | 12.3% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 4.3% |
| Indecency | 5 | 3.6% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
51 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 42 | 82.4% |
| Availability | 3 | 5.9% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 3 | 5.9% |
| Indecency | 2 | 3.9% |
| Pirate Radio | 1 | 2.0% |
Interference 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.