FCC Consumer Complaints – 28 August 2016
Introduction
On 28 August 2016, 333 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 561 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 42 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Billing was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 333
- States & territories reporting
- 42
- Most common issue
- Billing (65)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (34)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 333 complaints were recorded on 28 August 2016, with reports originating from 251 cities in 42 states and territories. 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 distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 34 | 10.2% |
| Texas | 31 | 9.3% |
| Florida | 29 | 8.7% |
| New York | 26 | 7.8% |
| Maryland | 21 | 6.3% |
| Georgia | 13 | 3.9% |
| North Carolina | 13 | 3.9% |
| New Jersey | 12 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 12 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | 11 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 131 | 39.3% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 29 different cities.
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 149 complaints. This was followed by Internet, which accounted for 86 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 149 | 44.7% |
| Internet | 86 | 25.8% |
| TV | 68 | 20.4% |
| Radio | 24 | 7.2% |
| Emergency | 5 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
149 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 44.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 57 | 38.3% |
| Robocalls | 35 | 23.5% |
| Billing | 18 | 12.1% |
| Equipment | 11 | 7.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 10 | 6.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 4.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 4.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 1 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 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
86 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 25.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 23 | 26.7% |
| Billing | 19 | 22.1% |
| Speed | 17 | 19.8% |
| Privacy | 16 | 18.6% |
| Interference | 5 | 5.8% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 2.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Speed.
TV complaints
68 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 27 | 39.7% |
| Availability | 10 | 14.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 13.2% |
| Interference | 7 | 10.3% |
| Privacy | 6 | 8.8% |
| Indecency | 5 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Loud Commercials.
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.