FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 August 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1256 consumer complaints on 17 August 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1295 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1256
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (411)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (171)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 17 August 2016 show 1256 complaints originating from 794 cities across 52 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 | 171 | 13.6% |
| Texas | 106 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 95 | 7.6% |
| New York | 79 | 6.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 68 | 5.4% |
| Maryland | 47 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 45 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 45 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 38 | 3.0% |
| Ohio | 37 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 525 | 41.8% |
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 920 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 920 | 73.2% |
| Internet | 192 | 15.3% |
| TV | 111 | 8.8% |
| Radio | 31 | 2.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
920 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 411 | 44.7% |
| Robocalls | 278 | 30.2% |
| Billing | 87 | 9.5% |
| Privacy | 43 | 4.7% |
| Equipment | 33 | 3.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 17 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 15 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 13 | 1.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.8% |
| 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
192 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 53 | 27.6% |
| Availability | 49 | 25.5% |
| Interference | 26 | 13.5% |
| Privacy | 22 | 11.5% |
| Speed | 22 | 11.5% |
| Equipment | 11 | 5.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 9 | 4.7% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Interference among the most common.
TV complaints
111 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 54 | 48.6% |
| Availability | 25 | 22.5% |
| Indecency | 10 | 9.0% |
| Equipment | 8 | 7.2% |
| Interference | 6 | 5.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 5.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.9% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
31 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 2.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 27 | 87.1% |
| Indecency | 2 | 6.5% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 3.2% |
| Equipment | 1 | 3.2% |
Interference and Indecency 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.