FCC Consumer Complaints – 28 May 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 434 consumer complaints on Saturday, 28 May 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 975 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 42 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
- 434
- States & territories reporting
- 42
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (132)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (63)
Where the complaints came from
The 434 complaints recorded on 28 May 2016 were submitted from 331 cities across 42 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 63 | 14.5% |
| Florida | 36 | 8.3% |
| Texas | 36 | 8.3% |
| Washington | 25 | 5.8% |
| Maryland | 22 | 5.1% |
| Georgia | 19 | 4.4% |
| Michigan | 18 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 15 | 3.5% |
| New York | 15 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 14 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 171 | 39.4% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 286 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 286 | 65.9% |
| Internet | 84 | 19.4% |
| TV | 51 | 11.8% |
| Radio | 10 | 2.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
286 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 65.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 132 | 46.2% |
| Robocalls | 71 | 24.8% |
| Billing | 32 | 11.2% |
| Privacy | 14 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 13 | 4.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 10 | 3.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 2.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.3% |
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
84 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 21 | 25.0% |
| Billing | 18 | 21.4% |
| Availability | 14 | 16.7% |
| Speed | 10 | 11.9% |
| Interference | 9 | 10.7% |
| Privacy | 9 | 10.7% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.6% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Open Internet/Net Neutrality, Billing and Availability among the most common.
TV complaints
51 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 19 | 37.3% |
| Indecency | 11 | 21.6% |
| Availability | 7 | 13.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 9.8% |
| Equipment | 3 | 5.9% |
| Interference | 3 | 5.9% |
| Privacy | 2 | 3.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 2.0% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Indecency and Availability among the most 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.