FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 September 2016
Introduction
On Thursday, 1 September 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1124 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1222 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) recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1124
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (367)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (144)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1124 complaints were recorded on 1 September 2016, with reports originating from 750 cities in 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 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 | 144 | 12.8% |
| Florida | 103 | 9.2% |
| Texas | 71 | 6.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 65 | 5.8% |
| New York | 47 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 43 | 3.8% |
| Virginia | 42 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 41 | 3.6% |
| Michigan | 37 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 36 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 491 | 43.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 847 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 847 | 75.4% |
| Internet | 137 | 12.2% |
| TV | 105 | 9.3% |
| Radio | 27 | 2.4% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
847 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 367 | 43.3% |
| Robocalls | 280 | 33.1% |
| Billing | 90 | 10.6% |
| Equipment | 22 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 20 | 2.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 19 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 14 | 1.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
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
137 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 27.7% |
| Availability | 26 | 19.0% |
| Speed | 18 | 13.1% |
| Privacy | 16 | 11.7% |
| Equipment | 15 | 10.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 13 | 9.5% |
| Interference | 11 | 8.0% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
105 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 48.6% |
| Availability | 27 | 25.7% |
| Equipment | 9 | 8.6% |
| Indecency | 7 | 6.7% |
| Interference | 6 | 5.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 2.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.0% |
Billing and Availability 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.