FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 October 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1278 consumer complaints on Tuesday, 18 October 2016 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 1146 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Billing were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1278
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Billing (360)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (161)
Where the complaints came from
On 18 October 2016, the 1278 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 816 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 161 | 12.6% |
| Florida | 101 | 7.9% |
| Texas | 101 | 7.9% |
| New York | 81 | 6.3% |
| Maryland | 67 | 5.2% |
| Ohio | 55 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 49 | 3.8% |
| Illinois | 46 | 3.6% |
| Washington | 41 | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 38 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 538 | 42.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 853 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 853 | 66.7% |
| Internet | 232 | 18.2% |
| TV | 146 | 11.4% |
| Radio | 45 | 3.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
853 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 66.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 322 | 37.7% |
| Billing | 198 | 23.2% |
| Robocalls | 151 | 17.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 40 | 4.7% |
| Equipment | 38 | 4.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 26 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 26 | 3.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 22 | 2.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 1.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.1% |
| 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 Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
232 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 84 | 36.2% |
| Availability | 38 | 16.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 37 | 15.9% |
| Speed | 23 | 9.9% |
| Interference | 22 | 9.5% |
| Privacy | 18 | 7.8% |
| Equipment | 10 | 4.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Open Internet/Net Neutrality.
TV complaints
146 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 78 | 53.4% |
| Availability | 18 | 12.3% |
| Equipment | 15 | 10.3% |
| Indecency | 14 | 9.6% |
| Interference | 9 | 6.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 5.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.7% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
45 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 43 | 95.6% |
| Indecency | 2 | 4.4% |
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.