FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 November 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 938 consumer complaints on Tuesday, 8 November 2016 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 965 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 938
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (402)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (131)
Where the complaints came from
The 938 complaints recorded on 8 November 2016 originated from 634 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. 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 | 131 | 14.0% |
| Texas | 80 | 8.5% |
| Florida | 71 | 7.6% |
| New York | 44 | 4.7% |
| Maryland | 39 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.9% |
| Missouri | 36 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 35 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 31 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 30 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 398 | 42.4% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 88 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 639 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 639 | 68.1% |
| Internet | 145 | 15.5% |
| TV | 119 | 12.7% |
| Radio | 29 | 3.1% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
639 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 68.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 402 | 62.9% |
| Billing | 110 | 17.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 33 | 5.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 29 | 4.5% |
| Equipment | 20 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.6% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 1.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.2% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Junk Faxes among the most common.
Internet complaints
145 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 35.2% |
| Availability | 35 | 24.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 23 | 15.9% |
| Speed | 18 | 12.4% |
| Privacy | 9 | 6.2% |
| Equipment | 6 | 4.1% |
| Interference | 3 | 2.1% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Open Internet/Net Neutrality among the most common.
TV complaints
119 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 65 | 54.6% |
| Availability | 15 | 12.6% |
| Equipment | 14 | 11.8% |
| Indecency | 11 | 9.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 7.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.7% |
| Interference | 1 | 0.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.