FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 July 2016
Introduction
A total of 478 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Saturday, 16 July 2016, this represented a decline from the 1021 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 43 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 478
- States & territories reporting
- 43
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (135)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (69)
Where the complaints came from
Across 349 cities in 43 states and territories, a total of 478 complaints were recorded on 16 July 2016. 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 | 69 | 14.4% |
| Florida | 47 | 9.8% |
| Texas | 42 | 8.8% |
| New York | 26 | 5.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 17 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | 15 | 3.1% |
| Maryland | 15 | 3.1% |
| Tennessee | 15 | 3.1% |
| Indiana | 14 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 198 | 41.4% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 289 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 289 | 60.5% |
| Internet | 105 | 22.0% |
| TV | 72 | 15.1% |
| Radio | 8 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
289 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 60.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 135 | 46.7% |
| Robocalls | 72 | 24.9% |
| Billing | 28 | 9.7% |
| Equipment | 17 | 5.9% |
| Privacy | 14 | 4.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 11 | 3.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.3% |
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
105 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 27 | 25.7% |
| Availability | 20 | 19.0% |
| Privacy | 20 | 19.0% |
| Speed | 14 | 13.3% |
| Interference | 10 | 9.5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 7.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 5.7% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Privacy.
TV complaints
72 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 27 | 37.5% |
| Availability | 13 | 18.1% |
| Interference | 10 | 13.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 13.9% |
| Indecency | 6 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Interference.
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.