FCC Consumer Complaints – 30 November 2016
Introduction
On Wednesday, 30 November 2016, 977 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 993 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 977
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (431)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (101)
Where the complaints came from
On 30 November 2016, the 977 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 690 cities across 49 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 | 101 | 10.3% |
| Florida | 96 | 9.8% |
| New York | 71 | 7.3% |
| Texas | 70 | 7.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 48 | 4.9% |
| Virginia | 42 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 41 | 4.2% |
| Georgia | 37 | 3.8% |
| New Jersey | 37 | 3.8% |
| Maryland | 36 | 3.7% |
| Other states and territories | 397 | 40.6% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 651 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 651 | 66.6% |
| Internet | 181 | 18.5% |
| TV | 113 | 11.6% |
| Radio | 26 | 2.7% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
651 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 66.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 431 | 66.2% |
| Billing | 101 | 15.5% |
| Equipment | 34 | 5.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 30 | 4.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 15 | 2.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 14 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.3% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided 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
181 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 62 | 34.3% |
| Availability | 42 | 23.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 25 | 13.8% |
| Speed | 20 | 11.0% |
| Interference | 13 | 7.2% |
| Equipment | 10 | 5.5% |
| Privacy | 9 | 5.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Open Internet/Net Neutrality.
TV complaints
113 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 66 | 58.4% |
| Availability | 16 | 14.2% |
| Equipment | 13 | 11.5% |
| Indecency | 8 | 7.1% |
| Interference | 5 | 4.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 4.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 431 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 44.1% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (914) 567-1278 | 5 | 1.2% |
| (520) 625-0370 | 4 | 0.9% |
| (585) 542-2922 | 4 | 0.9% |
| (855) 653-4481 | 4 | 0.9% |
| (469) 214-8171 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (727) 683-6151 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (973) 435-1950 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (980) 939-1571 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (202) 844-1684 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (248) 618-3710 | 2 | 0.5% |
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.
- (914) 567-1278 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.