FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 August 2016
Introduction
A total of 1067 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 8 August 2016, this was higher than the 332 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1067
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (340)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (124)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 8 August 2016 show 1067 complaints originating from 701 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 | 124 | 11.6% |
| Florida | 89 | 8.3% |
| Texas | 73 | 6.8% |
| New York | 68 | 6.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 60 | 5.6% |
| Georgia | 49 | 4.6% |
| Maryland | 49 | 4.6% |
| Illinois | 45 | 4.2% |
| Virginia | 42 | 3.9% |
| Michigan | 35 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 433 | 40.6% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 736 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 736 | 69.0% |
| Internet | 160 | 15.0% |
| TV | 137 | 12.8% |
| Radio | 28 | 2.6% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
736 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 340 | 46.2% |
| Robocalls | 172 | 23.4% |
| Billing | 97 | 13.2% |
| Equipment | 36 | 4.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 27 | 3.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 20 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 18 | 2.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 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
160 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 57 | 35.6% |
| Availability | 37 | 23.1% |
| Speed | 17 | 10.6% |
| Interference | 15 | 9.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 13 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 11 | 6.9% |
| Privacy | 10 | 6.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
137 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 58 | 42.3% |
| Availability | 31 | 22.6% |
| Equipment | 14 | 10.2% |
| Indecency | 13 | 9.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 5.8% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.4% |
| Privacy | 6 | 4.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.7% |
Billing and Availability 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.