FCC Consumer Complaints – 11 September 2016
Introduction
On 11 September 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 591 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 927 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 48 states and territories, with Ohio reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Billing, accounting for 294 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 591
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Billing (294)
- Most reported state/territory
- Ohio (56)
Where the complaints came from
Across 482 cities in 48 states and territories, a total of 591 complaints were recorded on 11 September 2016. The complaints were widely dispersed, with no single state or territory representing a notable proportion of the total. 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 56 | 9.5% |
| California | 48 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 44 | 7.4% |
| Texas | 36 | 6.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 35 | 5.9% |
| Virginia | 31 | 5.2% |
| Michigan | 30 | 5.1% |
| Illinois | 27 | 4.6% |
| New York | 24 | 4.1% |
| Georgia | 23 | 3.9% |
| Other states and territories | 237 | 40.1% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 414 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 414 | 70.1% |
| Internet | 100 | 16.9% |
| TV | 64 | 10.8% |
| Radio | 12 | 2.0% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
414 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 235 | 56.8% |
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 50 | 12.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 38 | 9.2% |
| Robocalls | 34 | 8.2% |
| Equipment | 17 | 4.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 10 | 2.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 9 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 9 | 2.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5 | 1.2% |
Billing and Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 35.0% |
| Speed | 25 | 25.0% |
| Availability | 17 | 17.0% |
| Privacy | 9 | 9.0% |
| Equipment | 5 | 5.0% |
| Interference | 5 | 5.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 4.0% |
Billing and Speed accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
64 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 24 | 37.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 18.8% |
| Availability | 10 | 15.6% |
| Indecency | 7 | 10.9% |
| Interference | 5 | 7.8% |
| Equipment | 4 | 6.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.6% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Loud Commercials and Availability.
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.