FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 September 2016
Introduction
On Wednesday, 7 September 2016, 1347 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 998 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1347
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (425)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (173)
Where the complaints came from
On 7 September 2016, the 1347 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 838 cities across 49 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large 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 | 173 | 12.8% |
| Texas | 121 | 9.0% |
| Florida | 116 | 8.6% |
| Maryland | 68 | 5.0% |
| Georgia | 57 | 4.2% |
| New York | 57 | 4.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 52 | 3.9% |
| Illinois | 50 | 3.7% |
| Massachusetts | 39 | 2.9% |
| Michigan | 39 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 570 | 42.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 967 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 967 | 71.8% |
| Internet | 187 | 13.9% |
| TV | 149 | 11.1% |
| Radio | 43 | 3.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
967 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 71.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 425 | 44.0% |
| Robocalls | 275 | 28.4% |
| Billing | 117 | 12.1% |
| Equipment | 35 | 3.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 27 | 2.8% |
| Privacy | 26 | 2.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 21 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 14 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 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
187 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 53 | 28.3% |
| Billing | 52 | 27.8% |
| Speed | 30 | 16.0% |
| Privacy | 19 | 10.2% |
| Interference | 14 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 11 | 5.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 4.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Billing and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
149 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 72 | 48.3% |
| Availability | 30 | 20.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 15 | 10.1% |
| Equipment | 12 | 8.1% |
| Interference | 9 | 6.0% |
| Indecency | 8 | 5.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.7% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
43 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 34 | 79.1% |
| Indecency | 3 | 7.0% |
| Availability | 2 | 4.7% |
| Billing | 2 | 4.7% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 2.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 1 | 2.3% |
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.