FCC Consumer Complaints – 31 July 2016
Introduction
On 31 July 2016, 296 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 529 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 43 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Billing recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 296
- States & territories reporting
- 43
- Most common issue
- Billing (64)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (32)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 296 complaints were recorded on 31 July 2016, with reports originating from 237 cities in 43 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 32 | 10.8% |
| Maryland | 29 | 9.8% |
| Florida | 25 | 8.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 6.1% |
| New York | 17 | 5.7% |
| Texas | 17 | 5.7% |
| Ohio | 12 | 4.1% |
| Michigan | 11 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 11 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 9 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 115 | 38.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 127 complaints. This was followed by Internet, which accounted for 80 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 127 | 42.9% |
| Internet | 80 | 27.0% |
| TV | 52 | 17.6% |
| Radio | 35 | 11.8% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.7% |
Phone complaints
127 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 42.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 49 | 38.6% |
| Billing | 24 | 18.9% |
| Robocalls | 19 | 15.0% |
| Equipment | 11 | 8.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 10 | 7.9% |
| Privacy | 5 | 3.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 2.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 3 | 2.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.8% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), Billing and Robocalls.
Internet complaints
80 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 27.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 21 | 26.3% |
| Availability | 20 | 25.0% |
| Speed | 14 | 17.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 9 | 11.3% |
| Privacy | 7 | 8.8% |
| Interference | 6 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.8% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
52 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 19 | 36.5% |
| Availability | 13 | 25.0% |
| Equipment | 8 | 15.4% |
| Indecency | 7 | 13.5% |
| Interference | 3 | 5.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 2 | 3.8% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
35 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 32 | 91.4% |
| Indecency | 2 | 5.7% |
| Availability | 1 | 2.9% |
Interference and Indecency 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.