FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 September 2016
Introduction
A total of 416 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Saturday, 3 September 2016, complaint volume fell from 986 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 46 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
- 416
- States & territories reporting
- 46
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (109)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (60)
Where the complaints came from
The 416 complaints recorded on 3 September 2016 were submitted from 277 cities across 46 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant 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 | 60 | 14.4% |
| Florida | 50 | 12.0% |
| Texas | 27 | 6.5% |
| Maryland | 23 | 5.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | 4.8% |
| Maine | 19 | 4.6% |
| Washington | 14 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 12 | 2.9% |
| Virginia | 12 | 2.9% |
| North Carolina | 11 | 2.6% |
| Other states and territories | 168 | 40.4% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 254 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 254 | 61.1% |
| Internet | 68 | 16.3% |
| TV | 62 | 14.9% |
| Radio | 28 | 6.7% |
| Emergency | 4 | 1.0% |
Phone complaints
254 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 61.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 109 | 42.9% |
| Robocalls | 83 | 32.7% |
| Billing | 22 | 8.7% |
| Equipment | 13 | 5.1% |
| Privacy | 8 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 5 | 2.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5 | 2.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.4% |
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
68 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 23 | 33.8% |
| Speed | 14 | 20.6% |
| Availability | 10 | 14.7% |
| Interference | 8 | 11.8% |
| Privacy | 7 | 10.3% |
| Equipment | 5 | 7.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.5% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
62 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 19 | 30.6% |
| Availability | 15 | 24.2% |
| Indecency | 9 | 14.5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 12.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 9.7% |
| Interference | 4 | 6.5% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Indecency.
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.