FCC Consumer Complaints – 12 May 2016
Introduction
On Thursday, 12 May 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1190 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1352 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), accounting for 382 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1190
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (382)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (180)
Where the complaints came from
The 1190 complaints recorded on 12 May 2016 originated from 772 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
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 | 180 | 15.1% |
| Florida | 137 | 11.5% |
| Texas | 99 | 8.3% |
| New York | 66 | 5.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 54 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 46 | 3.9% |
| New Jersey | 44 | 3.7% |
| Maryland | 42 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 41 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 33 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 448 | 37.6% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 786 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 786 | 66.1% |
| Internet | 259 | 21.8% |
| TV | 115 | 9.7% |
| Radio | 23 | 1.9% |
| Emergency | 5 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
786 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 66.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 382 | 48.6% |
| Robocalls | 179 | 22.8% |
| Billing | 64 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 46 | 5.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 40 | 5.1% |
| Privacy | 22 | 2.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 18 | 2.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 2.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 10 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 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
259 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 95 | 36.7% |
| Availability | 59 | 22.8% |
| Billing | 46 | 17.8% |
| Speed | 18 | 6.9% |
| Equipment | 15 | 5.8% |
| Interference | 13 | 5.0% |
| Privacy | 13 | 5.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Open Internet/Net Neutrality, Availability and Billing.
TV complaints
115 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 47 | 40.9% |
| Availability | 25 | 21.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 16 | 13.9% |
| Equipment | 14 | 12.2% |
| Interference | 5 | 4.3% |
| Indecency | 4 | 3.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.7% |
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.