FCC Consumer Complaints – 21 May 2016
Introduction
On Saturday, 21 May 2016, 453 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1108 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 48 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 453
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (146)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (71)
Where the complaints came from
On 21 May 2016, the 453 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 364 cities across 48 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 | 71 | 15.7% |
| Texas | 39 | 8.6% |
| Florida | 36 | 7.9% |
| Ohio | 23 | 5.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 22 | 4.9% |
| New York | 21 | 4.6% |
| Virginia | 18 | 4.0% |
| Maryland | 17 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 16 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 16 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 174 | 38.4% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 276 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 276 | 60.9% |
| Internet | 107 | 23.6% |
| TV | 54 | 11.9% |
| Radio | 14 | 3.1% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
276 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 60.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 146 | 52.9% |
| Robocalls | 64 | 23.2% |
| Billing | 26 | 9.4% |
| Equipment | 12 | 4.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 10 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 6 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
107 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 23.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 29 | 27.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 27 | 25.2% |
| Availability | 18 | 16.8% |
| Speed | 14 | 13.1% |
| Privacy | 10 | 9.3% |
| Interference | 5 | 4.7% |
| Equipment | 4 | 3.7% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Availability.
TV complaints
54 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 19 | 35.2% |
| Availability | 16 | 29.6% |
| Indecency | 8 | 14.8% |
| Equipment | 3 | 5.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 2 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 2 | 3.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.