FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 July 2016
Introduction
A total of 1101 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 20 July 2016, this represented a decline from the 1204 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 50 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
- 1101
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (367)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (133)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1101 complaints were recorded on 20 July 2016, with reports originating from 769 cities in 50 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 | 133 | 12.1% |
| Florida | 103 | 9.4% |
| Texas | 78 | 7.1% |
| New York | 61 | 5.5% |
| Georgia | 52 | 4.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 49 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 45 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | 41 | 3.7% |
| Maryland | 40 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 38 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 461 | 41.9% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 797 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 797 | 72.4% |
| Internet | 173 | 15.7% |
| TV | 104 | 9.4% |
| Radio | 23 | 2.1% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
797 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 367 | 46.0% |
| Robocalls | 226 | 28.4% |
| Billing | 70 | 8.8% |
| Equipment | 34 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 27 | 3.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 2.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 21 | 2.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 13 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
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
173 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 65 | 37.6% |
| Availability | 26 | 15.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 21 | 12.1% |
| Equipment | 19 | 11.0% |
| Interference | 15 | 8.7% |
| Speed | 15 | 8.7% |
| Privacy | 12 | 6.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Open Internet/Net Neutrality.
TV complaints
104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 46 | 44.2% |
| Availability | 25 | 24.0% |
| Equipment | 15 | 14.4% |
| Interference | 8 | 7.7% |
| Indecency | 6 | 5.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 1.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 1 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.0% |
Billing and Availability 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.