FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 August 2016
Introduction
On 6 August 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 448 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1124 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 45 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
- 448
- States & territories reporting
- 45
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (102)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (64)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 448 complaints were recorded on 6 August 2016, with reports originating from 348 cities in 45 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. 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 | 64 | 14.3% |
| Florida | 36 | 8.0% |
| Texas | 27 | 6.0% |
| Georgia | 22 | 4.9% |
| Illinois | 19 | 4.2% |
| New York | 18 | 4.0% |
| Tennessee | 14 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 14 | 3.1% |
| Maryland | 13 | 2.9% |
| New Jersey | 12 | 2.7% |
| Other states and territories | 209 | 46.7% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 44 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 250 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 250 | 55.8% |
| TV | 97 | 21.7% |
| Internet | 88 | 19.6% |
| Radio | 10 | 2.2% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.4% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
250 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 55.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 102 | 40.8% |
| Robocalls | 58 | 23.2% |
| Equipment | 24 | 9.6% |
| Billing | 22 | 8.8% |
| Privacy | 12 | 4.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 11 | 4.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 3.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.4% |
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
97 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 21.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 36 | 37.1% |
| Availability | 22 | 22.7% |
| Indecency | 17 | 17.5% |
| Equipment | 11 | 11.3% |
| Interference | 7 | 7.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Indecency.
Internet complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 19 | 21.6% |
| Availability | 18 | 20.5% |
| Billing | 14 | 15.9% |
| Privacy | 12 | 13.6% |
| Interference | 9 | 10.2% |
| Equipment | 8 | 9.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 9.1% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Speed, Availability and Billing.
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.