FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 July 2016

Introduction

A total of 1237 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday, 14 July 2016, complaint volume increased from 1185 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than 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
1237
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (376)
Most reported state/territory
California (153)

Where the complaints came from

On 14 July 2016, the 1237 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 851 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in Connecticut, where New Britain accounted for 19 of the 30 complaints recorded in the state.

The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 153 12.4%
Florida 98 7.9%
Texas 98 7.9%
Illinois 64 5.2%
New York 57 4.6%
Pennsylvania 57 4.6%
Georgia 48 3.9%
Michigan 42 3.4%
Ohio 41 3.3%
Maryland 37 3.0%
Other states and territories 538 43.5%

Location highlight

New Britain accounted for the majority of complaints recorded in Connecticut.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 892 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 892 72.1%
Internet 208 16.8%
TV 110 8.9%
Radio 18 1.5%
Emergency 6 0.5%
Accessibility 3 0.2%

Phone complaints

892 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 376 42.2%
Robocalls 295 33.1%
Billing 78 8.7%
Equipment 37 4.1%
Availability (including rural call completion) 35 3.9%
Privacy 23 2.6%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 15 1.7%
Junk Faxes 14 1.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 10 1.1%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 7 0.8%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 0.1%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.1%

Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Internet complaints

208 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 54 26.0%
Billing 45 21.6%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 45 21.6%
Speed 36 17.3%
Equipment 10 4.8%
Interference 10 4.8%
Privacy 8 3.8%

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

TV complaints

110 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 54 49.1%
Availability 17 15.5%
Equipment 13 11.8%
Indecency 10 9.1%
Loud Commercials 10 9.1%
Interference 5 4.5%
Privacy 1 0.9%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

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