FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 August 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 285 consumer complaints on Sunday, 14 August 2016 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 459 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 42 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
- 285
- States & territories reporting
- 42
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (50)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (38)
Where the complaints came from
Across 232 cities in 42 states and territories, a total of 285 complaints were recorded on 14 August 2016. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 38 | 13.3% |
| Florida | 27 | 9.5% |
| New York | 23 | 8.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 6.3% |
| Texas | 17 | 6.0% |
| Washington | 15 | 5.3% |
| Arizona | 14 | 4.9% |
| Kentucky | 10 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 9 | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 8 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 106 | 37.2% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 137 complaints. This was followed by Internet, which accounted for 73 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 137 | 48.1% |
| Internet | 73 | 25.6% |
| TV | 64 | 22.5% |
| Radio | 10 | 3.5% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
137 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 48.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 50 | 36.5% |
| Robocalls | 34 | 24.8% |
| Billing | 13 | 9.5% |
| Equipment | 13 | 9.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 5.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 6 | 4.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 5 | 3.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.7% |
Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) and Robocalls accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
73 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 25.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 17 | 23.3% |
| Speed | 12 | 16.4% |
| Availability | 11 | 15.1% |
| Interference | 11 | 15.1% |
| Privacy | 10 | 13.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 11.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.5% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
64 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 20 | 31.3% |
| Billing | 11 | 17.2% |
| Indecency | 11 | 17.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 14.1% |
| Equipment | 8 | 12.5% |
| Interference | 4 | 6.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.6% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Indecency.
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.