FCC Consumer Complaints – 13 November 2016
Introduction
A total of 288 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 13 November 2016, this was lower than the 364 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 43 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Billing recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 288
- States & territories reporting
- 43
- Most common issue
- Billing (73)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (38)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 288 complaints were recorded on 13 November 2016, with reports originating from 232 cities in 43 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location 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 | 38 | 13.2% |
| Texas | 23 | 8.0% |
| Florida | 16 | 5.6% |
| New York | 15 | 5.2% |
| Maryland | 14 | 4.9% |
| Ohio | 14 | 4.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 4.2% |
| Arizona | 11 | 3.8% |
| Colorado | 10 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 10 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 124 | 43.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 4 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 116 reports. This was followed by Internet, which accounted for 77 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 116 | 40.3% |
| Internet | 77 | 26.7% |
| TV | 76 | 26.4% |
| Radio | 19 | 6.6% |
Phone complaints
116 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 40.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 61 | 52.6% |
| Billing | 27 | 23.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 11 | 9.5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 6.9% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 1 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.9% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.9% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
77 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 26.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 25 | 32.5% |
| Speed | 14 | 18.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 12 | 15.6% |
| Availability | 8 | 10.4% |
| Equipment | 7 | 9.1% |
| Interference | 6 | 7.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 5.2% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Speed and Open Internet/Net Neutrality among the most common.
TV complaints
76 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 26.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 23 | 30.3% |
| Billing | 21 | 27.6% |
| Availability | 13 | 17.1% |
| Equipment | 7 | 9.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 9.2% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.6% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Indecency, Billing and Availability among the most 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.