FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 October 2016
Introduction
On Thursday, 20 October 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1282 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 1280 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Billing recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1282
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Billing (327)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (176)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1282 complaints were recorded on 20 October 2016, with reports originating from 823 cities in 52 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 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 | 176 | 13.7% |
| Florida | 126 | 9.8% |
| Texas | 89 | 6.9% |
| New York | 80 | 6.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 53 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 48 | 3.7% |
| Ohio | 48 | 3.7% |
| Washington | 43 | 3.4% |
| Michigan | 42 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 39 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 534 | 41.7% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 776 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 776 | 60.5% |
| Internet | 358 | 27.9% |
| TV | 126 | 9.8% |
| Radio | 18 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
776 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 60.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing) | 306 | 39.4% |
| Billing | 153 | 19.7% |
| Robocalls | 138 | 17.8% |
| Equipment | 39 | 5.0% |
| Privacy | 35 | 4.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 34 | 4.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 23 | 3.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 17 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 15 | 1.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 9 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Telemarketing (including do not call and spoofing), Billing and Robocalls.
Internet complaints
358 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 27.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 126 | 35.2% |
| Billing | 104 | 29.1% |
| Availability | 55 | 15.4% |
| Speed | 30 | 8.4% |
| Interference | 19 | 5.3% |
| Equipment | 13 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 11 | 3.1% |
Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 70 | 55.6% |
| Availability | 18 | 14.3% |
| Equipment | 15 | 11.9% |
| Interference | 10 | 7.9% |
| Indecency | 7 | 5.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 3.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.8% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.8% |
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.