FCC Consumer Complaints – 12 July 2016
Introduction
On Tuesday, 12 July 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1181 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 933 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 53 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1181
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (382)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (123)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 12 July 2016 show 1181 complaints originating from 773 cities across 53 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 distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 123 | 10.4% |
| Florida | 116 | 9.8% |
| Texas | 101 | 8.6% |
| New York | 79 | 6.7% |
| Georgia | 61 | 5.2% |
| Maryland | 60 | 5.1% |
| Illinois | 54 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 38 | 3.2% |
| Ohio | 37 | 3.1% |
| Michigan | 35 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 473 | 40.1% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 852 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 852 | 72.1% |
| Internet | 150 | 12.7% |
| TV | 129 | 10.9% |
| Radio | 44 | 3.7% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
852 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 382 | 44.8% |
| Robocalls | 208 | 24.4% |
| Billing | 106 | 12.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 46 | 5.4% |
| Equipment | 31 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 25 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 0.7% |
| 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
150 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 44 | 29.3% |
| Availability | 34 | 22.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 20 | 13.3% |
| Privacy | 18 | 12.0% |
| Equipment | 13 | 8.7% |
| Speed | 13 | 8.7% |
| Interference | 8 | 5.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Open Internet/Net Neutrality.
TV complaints
129 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 63 | 48.8% |
| Availability | 23 | 17.8% |
| Equipment | 17 | 13.2% |
| Interference | 10 | 7.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 5.4% |
| Indecency | 5 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.1% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
44 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 30 | 68.2% |
| Indecency | 5 | 11.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 3 | 6.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 2 | 4.5% |
| Billing | 1 | 2.3% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.3% |
Interference and Indecency 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.