FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 November 2016
Introduction
On Thursday, 3 November 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1049 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1085 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 48 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1049
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (463)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (130)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1049 complaints were recorded on 3 November 2016, with reports originating from 710 cities in 48 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 130 | 12.4% |
| Texas | 94 | 9.0% |
| Florida | 90 | 8.6% |
| New York | 60 | 5.7% |
| Maryland | 51 | 4.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 50 | 4.8% |
| Georgia | 41 | 3.9% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 37 | 3.5% |
| Michigan | 33 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 425 | 40.5% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 709 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 709 | 67.6% |
| Internet | 183 | 17.4% |
| TV | 103 | 9.8% |
| Radio | 49 | 4.7% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
709 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 463 | 65.3% |
| Billing | 111 | 15.7% |
| Equipment | 39 | 5.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 29 | 4.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 18 | 2.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 18 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 14 | 2.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.6% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
183 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 76 | 41.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 40 | 21.9% |
| Availability | 28 | 15.3% |
| Speed | 15 | 8.2% |
| Equipment | 11 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 8 | 4.4% |
| Interference | 5 | 2.7% |
Billing and Open Internet/Net Neutrality accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
103 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 55 | 53.4% |
| Availability | 15 | 14.6% |
| Equipment | 15 | 14.6% |
| Indecency | 8 | 7.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 4.9% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.9% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
49 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 35 | 71.4% |
| Indecency | 4 | 8.2% |
| Pirate Radio | 3 | 6.1% |
| Availability | 2 | 4.1% |
| Billing | 2 | 4.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 2 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.0% |
Interference and Indecency accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 463 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 44.1% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (855) 653-4481 | 5 | 1.1% |
| (210) 273-0543 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (239) 784-2640 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (412) 465-1132 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (512) 773-9793 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (561) 703-8373 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (678) 871-0877 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (855) 328-6700 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (888) 727-1127 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (202) 864-2977 | 2 | 0.4% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (855) 653-4481 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.