FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 June 2016

Introduction

On Tuesday, 14 June 2016, 1254 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 936 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1254
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (372)
Most reported state/territory
California (164)

Where the complaints came from

Across 842 cities in 51 states and territories, a total of 1254 complaints were recorded on 14 June 2016. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 164 13.1%
Texas 104 8.3%
New York 99 7.9%
Florida 76 6.1%
Maryland 66 5.3%
Pennsylvania 56 4.5%
Illinois 46 3.7%
New Jersey 44 3.5%
Georgia 40 3.2%
Washington 38 3.0%
Other states and territories 517 41.2%

Location highlight

California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 114 different cities.

What the complaints were about

A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 812 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 812 64.8%
Internet 265 21.1%
TV 132 10.5%
Radio 40 3.2%
Emergency 3 0.2%
Accessibility 2 0.2%

Phone complaints

812 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 64.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 372 45.8%
Robocalls 186 22.9%
Billing 97 11.9%
Junk Faxes 31 3.8%
Availability (including rural call completion) 29 3.6%
Equipment 27 3.3%
Privacy 24 3.0%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 15 1.8%
Interference (including signal jammers) 13 1.6%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 11 1.4%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 4 0.5%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 3 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

265 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 87 32.8%
Speed 57 21.5%
Billing 55 20.8%
Availability 33 12.5%
Privacy 15 5.7%
Equipment 11 4.2%
Interference 7 2.6%

Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Open Internet/Net Neutrality, Speed and Billing.

TV complaints

132 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 53 40.2%
Availability 42 31.8%
Equipment 16 12.1%
Indecency 10 7.6%
Interference 9 6.8%
Loud Commercials 2 1.5%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Radio complaints

40 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Interference 29 72.5%
Indecency 4 10.0%
Billing 3 7.5%
Availability 2 5.0%
Equipment 1 2.5%
Pirate Radio 1 2.5%

Interference and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 14 June 2016.

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.