FCC Consumer Complaints – 27 July 2016
Introduction
On 27 July 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1116 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1219 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 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
- 1116
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (393)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (131)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 27 July 2016 show 1116 complaints originating from 738 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. 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 | 131 | 11.7% |
| Texas | 103 | 9.2% |
| Florida | 98 | 8.8% |
| New York | 61 | 5.5% |
| Georgia | 52 | 4.7% |
| Maryland | 48 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 45 | 4.0% |
| Ohio | 43 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 36 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 459 | 41.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 810 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 810 | 72.6% |
| Internet | 179 | 16.0% |
| TV | 102 | 9.1% |
| Radio | 20 | 1.8% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
810 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 393 | 48.5% |
| Robocalls | 214 | 26.4% |
| Billing | 82 | 10.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 26 | 3.2% |
| Equipment | 26 | 3.2% |
| Privacy | 18 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 1.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 13 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 7 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
179 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 57 | 31.8% |
| Availability | 47 | 26.3% |
| Speed | 25 | 14.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 19 | 10.6% |
| Interference | 13 | 7.3% |
| Privacy | 10 | 5.6% |
| Equipment | 8 | 4.5% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 56 | 54.9% |
| Availability | 17 | 16.7% |
| Indecency | 12 | 11.8% |
| Equipment | 8 | 7.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 4.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 2.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.