FCC Consumer Complaints – 23 July 2016

Introduction

A total of 481 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 23 July 2016, this represented a decline from the 1057 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 45 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.

Key statistics

Total complaints
481
States & territories reporting
45
Most common issue
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (138)
Most reported state/territory
California (73)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 23 July 2016 show 481 complaints originating from 368 cities across 45 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 73 15.2%
Florida 49 10.2%
Texas 42 8.7%
Maryland 27 5.6%
Illinois 22 4.6%
New York 19 4.0%
New Jersey 17 3.5%
Ohio 16 3.3%
Virginia 16 3.3%
Washington 16 3.3%
Other states and territories 184 38.3%

Location highlight

California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 52 different cities.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 311 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 311 64.7%
Internet 97 20.2%
TV 52 10.8%
Radio 20 4.2%
Emergency 1 0.2%

Phone complaints

311 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 64.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) 138 44.4%
Robocalls 79 25.4%
Billing 30 9.6%
Privacy 16 5.1%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 14 4.5%
Equipment 11 3.5%
Interference (including signal jammers) 8 2.6%
Availability (including rural call completion) 6 1.9%
Junk Faxes 4 1.3%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 3 1.0%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 2 0.6%

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

97 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 32 33.0%
Availability 18 18.6%
Speed 18 18.6%
Interference 8 8.2%
Equipment 7 7.2%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 7 7.2%
Privacy 7 7.2%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.

TV complaints

52 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 22 42.3%
Availability 14 26.9%
Equipment 5 9.6%
Indecency 5 9.6%
Loud Commercials 4 7.7%
Interference 2 3.8%

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 23 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.