FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 December 2016
Introduction
On Saturday, 3 December 2016, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 448 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 792 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 46 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 448
- States & territories reporting
- 46
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (154)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (59)
Where the complaints came from
Across 333 cities in 46 states and territories, a total of 448 complaints were recorded on 3 December 2016. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 59 | 13.2% |
| Maryland | 46 | 10.3% |
| Florida | 31 | 6.9% |
| New York | 23 | 5.1% |
| Texas | 22 | 4.9% |
| Georgia | 20 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 20 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 16 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 14 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 181 | 40.4% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 239 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 239 | 53.3% |
| Internet | 102 | 22.8% |
| TV | 73 | 16.3% |
| Radio | 32 | 7.1% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
239 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 53.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 154 | 64.4% |
| Billing | 35 | 14.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 12 | 5.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 4.2% |
| Equipment | 8 | 3.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 2.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 4 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.4% |
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 Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) among the most common.
Internet complaints
102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 42 | 41.2% |
| Speed | 22 | 21.6% |
| Availability | 11 | 10.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 11 | 10.8% |
| Interference | 8 | 7.8% |
| Equipment | 4 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.9% |
Billing and Speed were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
73 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 39 | 53.4% |
| Availability | 11 | 15.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 11.0% |
| Indecency | 6 | 8.2% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.8% |
| Privacy | 3 | 4.1% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
32 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 28 | 87.5% |
| Pirate Radio | 2 | 6.3% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 3.1% |
| Indecency | 1 | 3.1% |
Interference and Pirate Radio were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 154 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 34.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (844) 308-6815 | 5 | 3.2% |
| (619) 584-0093 | 3 | 1.9% |
| (310) 585-9047 | 2 | 1.3% |
| (973) 553-0450 | 2 | 1.3% |
| (980) 949-6535 | 2 | 1.3% |
| (201) 882-4794 | 1 | 0.6% |
| (207) 512-4436 | 1 | 0.6% |
| (210) 899-0034 | 1 | 0.6% |
| (214) 903-4450 | 1 | 0.6% |
| (218) 784-5381 | 1 | 0.6% |
Key patterns
- Live Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (844) 308-6815 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.