FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 May 2016
Introduction
On Saturday, 14 May 2016, 435 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1261 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 46 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 435
- States & territories reporting
- 46
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (118)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (76)
Where the complaints came from
Across 325 cities in 46 states and territories, a total of 435 complaints were recorded on 14 May 2016. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 76 | 17.5% |
| Florida | 48 | 11.0% |
| Texas | 39 | 9.0% |
| North Carolina | 18 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 16 | 3.7% |
| Maryland | 16 | 3.7% |
| New York | 15 | 3.4% |
| Arizona | 13 | 3.0% |
| Washington | 13 | 3.0% |
| Georgia | 12 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 169 | 38.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 247 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 247 | 56.8% |
| Internet | 113 | 26.0% |
| TV | 63 | 14.5% |
| Radio | 11 | 2.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
247 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 56.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 118 | 47.8% |
| Robocalls | 55 | 22.3% |
| Billing | 27 | 10.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 14 | 5.7% |
| Privacy | 9 | 3.6% |
| Equipment | 8 | 3.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 2.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 4 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.4% |
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
113 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 26.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 30 | 26.5% |
| Billing | 27 | 23.9% |
| Availability | 24 | 21.2% |
| Speed | 16 | 14.2% |
| Interference | 10 | 8.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.5% |
| Equipment | 2 | 1.8% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Open Internet/Net Neutrality, Billing and Availability.
TV complaints
63 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 25 | 39.7% |
| Availability | 14 | 22.2% |
| Equipment | 8 | 12.7% |
| Indecency | 7 | 11.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 11.1% |
| Privacy | 2 | 3.2% |
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.