FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 September 2016
Introduction
On Saturday, 17 September 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 667 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1331 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Billing was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 667
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Billing (229)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (76)
Where the complaints came from
The 667 complaints recorded on 17 September 2016 originated from 506 cities across 49 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 | 76 | 11.4% |
| Texas | 46 | 6.9% |
| Ohio | 44 | 6.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 6.0% |
| New York | 36 | 5.4% |
| Florida | 33 | 4.9% |
| North Carolina | 29 | 4.3% |
| New Jersey | 28 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 27 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 26 | 3.9% |
| Other states and territories | 282 | 42.3% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 52 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 460 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 460 | 69.0% |
| Internet | 117 | 17.5% |
| TV | 71 | 10.6% |
| Radio | 17 | 2.5% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
460 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 155 | 33.7% |
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 128 | 27.8% |
| Robocalls | 84 | 18.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 23 | 5.0% |
| Equipment | 19 | 4.1% |
| Privacy | 17 | 3.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 14 | 3.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 2.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 0.4% |
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
117 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 45 | 38.5% |
| Availability | 20 | 17.1% |
| Speed | 20 | 17.1% |
| Interference | 13 | 11.1% |
| Privacy | 9 | 7.7% |
| Equipment | 5 | 4.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 4.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 29 | 40.8% |
| Availability | 15 | 21.1% |
| Equipment | 11 | 15.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 9.9% |
| Indecency | 5 | 7.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.2% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.