FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 July 2016
Introduction
A total of 1021 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 15 July 2016, this represented a decline from the 1237 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 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
- 1021
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (343)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (123)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1021 complaints were recorded on 15 July 2016, with reports originating from 674 cities in 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
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 | 123 | 12.0% |
| Texas | 103 | 10.1% |
| Florida | 85 | 8.3% |
| Maryland | 66 | 6.5% |
| Illinois | 54 | 5.3% |
| New York | 50 | 4.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 42 | 4.1% |
| Virginia | 38 | 3.7% |
| Michigan | 31 | 3.0% |
| New Jersey | 29 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 398 | 39.0% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 4 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 729 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 729 | 71.4% |
| Internet | 191 | 18.7% |
| TV | 71 | 7.0% |
| Radio | 30 | 2.9% |
Phone complaints
729 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 71.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 343 | 47.1% |
| Robocalls | 194 | 26.6% |
| Billing | 60 | 8.2% |
| Equipment | 48 | 6.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 27 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 19 | 2.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 1.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.5% |
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
191 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 26.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 37 | 19.4% |
| Availability | 36 | 18.8% |
| Privacy | 27 | 14.1% |
| Speed | 17 | 8.9% |
| Equipment | 13 | 6.8% |
| Interference | 10 | 5.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Availability.
TV complaints
71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 24 | 33.8% |
| Availability | 15 | 21.1% |
| Interference | 7 | 9.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 9.9% |
| Privacy | 7 | 9.9% |
| Equipment | 6 | 8.5% |
| Indecency | 5 | 7.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Interference.
Radio complaints
30 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 2.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 26 | 86.7% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 2 | 6.7% |
| Indecency | 1 | 3.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 1 | 3.3% |
Interference and Commercials/Promotions 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.