FCC Consumer Complaints – 30 September 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1077 consumer complaints on 30 September 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1135 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1077
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) (368)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (135)
Where the complaints came from
The 1077 complaints recorded on 30 September 2016 originated from 732 cities across 50 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 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 | 135 | 12.5% |
| Florida | 81 | 7.5% |
| Texas | 60 | 5.6% |
| New York | 53 | 4.9% |
| Illinois | 46 | 4.3% |
| New Jersey | 41 | 3.8% |
| Virginia | 40 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 39 | 3.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 39 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 38 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 504 | 46.8% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 803 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 803 | 74.6% |
| Internet | 142 | 13.2% |
| TV | 111 | 10.3% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
803 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 368 | 45.8% |
| Robocalls | 193 | 24.0% |
| Billing | 88 | 11.0% |
| Equipment | 45 | 5.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 25 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 25 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 2.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 13 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
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
142 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 48 | 33.8% |
| Availability | 30 | 21.1% |
| Speed | 25 | 17.6% |
| Interference | 16 | 11.3% |
| Privacy | 14 | 9.9% |
| Equipment | 5 | 3.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 2.8% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
111 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 53 | 47.7% |
| Availability | 13 | 11.7% |
| Equipment | 12 | 10.8% |
| Interference | 10 | 9.0% |
| Indecency | 9 | 8.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 7.2% |
| Privacy | 5 | 4.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.9% |
Billing represented the largest share of complaints recorded in this category, with lower volumes reported across the remaining issues.
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.