FCC Consumer Complaints – 23 August 2016
Introduction
On Tuesday, 23 August 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1375 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 1081 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints relating to Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1375
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (400)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (188)
Where the complaints came from
The 1375 complaints recorded on 23 August 2016 were submitted from 875 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. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 188 | 13.7% |
| Florida | 101 | 7.3% |
| Texas | 93 | 6.8% |
| Maryland | 89 | 6.5% |
| New York | 70 | 5.1% |
| Georgia | 56 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 50 | 3.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 50 | 3.6% |
| Michigan | 44 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 43 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 587 | 42.7% |
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 980 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 980 | 71.3% |
| Internet | 194 | 14.1% |
| TV | 135 | 9.8% |
| Radio | 62 | 4.5% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
980 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 71.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 400 | 40.8% |
| Robocalls | 292 | 29.8% |
| Billing | 121 | 12.3% |
| Equipment | 45 | 4.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 35 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 31 | 3.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 21 | 2.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
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
194 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 66 | 34.0% |
| Availability | 40 | 20.6% |
| Speed | 28 | 14.4% |
| Interference | 17 | 8.8% |
| Privacy | 17 | 8.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 16 | 8.2% |
| Equipment | 10 | 5.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
135 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 61 | 45.2% |
| Availability | 30 | 22.2% |
| Equipment | 15 | 11.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 11 | 8.1% |
| Indecency | 9 | 6.7% |
| Interference | 6 | 4.4% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.7% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
62 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 50 | 80.6% |
| Indecency | 7 | 11.3% |
| Availability | 2 | 3.2% |
| Pirate Radio | 2 | 3.2% |
| Billing | 1 | 1.6% |
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.