FCC Consumer Complaints – 4 August 2016
Introduction
On 4 August 2016, 1187 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1235 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1187
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (396)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (152)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 4 August 2016 show 1187 complaints originating from 786 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 | 152 | 12.8% |
| Florida | 91 | 7.7% |
| Texas | 80 | 6.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 63 | 5.3% |
| New York | 62 | 5.2% |
| Illinois | 58 | 4.9% |
| Georgia | 51 | 4.3% |
| Ohio | 51 | 4.3% |
| Maryland | 49 | 4.1% |
| Colorado | 32 | 2.7% |
| Other states and territories | 497 | 41.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 820 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 820 | 69.1% |
| Internet | 200 | 16.8% |
| TV | 138 | 11.6% |
| Radio | 25 | 2.1% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
820 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 396 | 48.3% |
| Robocalls | 212 | 25.9% |
| Billing | 73 | 8.9% |
| Equipment | 38 | 4.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 32 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 21 | 2.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 19 | 2.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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
200 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 62 | 31.0% |
| Availability | 51 | 25.5% |
| Speed | 38 | 19.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 19 | 9.5% |
| Privacy | 13 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 10 | 5.0% |
| Interference | 7 | 3.5% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
138 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 52 | 37.7% |
| Indecency | 23 | 16.7% |
| Availability | 19 | 13.8% |
| Interference | 14 | 10.1% |
| Equipment | 13 | 9.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 9.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.4% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Indecency and Availability among the most 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.