FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 August 2016
Introduction
On 16 August 2016, 1295 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 975 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 53 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
- 1295
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (374)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (151)
Where the complaints came from
Across 830 cities in 53 states and territories, a total of 1295 complaints were recorded on 16 August 2016. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large 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 | 151 | 11.7% |
| Texas | 105 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 103 | 8.0% |
| New York | 89 | 6.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 65 | 5.0% |
| Maryland | 61 | 4.7% |
| Virginia | 53 | 4.1% |
| Georgia | 48 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 38 | 2.9% |
| Arizona | 37 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 544 | 42.0% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 914 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 914 | 70.6% |
| Internet | 165 | 12.7% |
| TV | 157 | 12.1% |
| Radio | 54 | 4.2% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
914 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 374 | 40.9% |
| Robocalls | 287 | 31.4% |
| Billing | 107 | 11.7% |
| Privacy | 30 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 26 | 2.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 26 | 2.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 25 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 19 | 2.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 12 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
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
165 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 66 | 40.0% |
| Availability | 45 | 27.3% |
| Speed | 16 | 9.7% |
| Equipment | 12 | 7.3% |
| Privacy | 10 | 6.1% |
| Interference | 9 | 5.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 7 | 4.2% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
157 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 71 | 45.2% |
| Availability | 38 | 24.2% |
| Equipment | 15 | 9.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 8.3% |
| Indecency | 8 | 5.1% |
| Interference | 6 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 2.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 1.3% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
54 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 36 | 66.7% |
| Indecency | 7 | 13.0% |
| Availability | 4 | 7.4% |
| Billing | 2 | 3.7% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 2 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 2 | 3.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 1 | 1.9% |
Interference and Indecency accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.