FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 December 2016
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 931 consumer complaints on 20 December 2016 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 767 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 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
- 931
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (434)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (111)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 20 December 2016 show 931 complaints originating from 628 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
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 | 111 | 11.9% |
| Texas | 100 | 10.7% |
| Florida | 72 | 7.7% |
| Maryland | 48 | 5.2% |
| New York | 46 | 4.9% |
| Illinois | 40 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 31 | 3.3% |
| Arizona | 28 | 3.0% |
| Georgia | 27 | 2.9% |
| New Jersey | 27 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 401 | 43.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 648 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 648 | 69.6% |
| Internet | 131 | 14.1% |
| TV | 111 | 11.9% |
| Radio | 37 | 4.0% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
648 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 434 | 67.0% |
| Billing | 121 | 18.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 30 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 22 | 3.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 12 | 1.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 6 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.8% |
| 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 Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
131 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 55 | 42.0% |
| Availability | 24 | 18.3% |
| Speed | 15 | 11.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 13 | 9.9% |
| Equipment | 9 | 6.9% |
| Privacy | 8 | 6.1% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.3% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
111 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 55 | 49.5% |
| Availability | 23 | 20.7% |
| Indecency | 16 | 14.4% |
| Equipment | 11 | 9.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 3.6% |
| Interference | 1 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.9% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
37 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 4.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 28 | 75.7% |
| Indecency | 4 | 10.8% |
| Pirate Radio | 4 | 10.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 2.7% |
Interference and Indecency accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 434 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 46.6% 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 | 8 | 1.8% |
| (210) 681-7726 | 5 | 1.2% |
| (888) 727-1127 | 5 | 1.2% |
| (361) 317-3208 | 4 | 0.9% |
| (210) 503-1692 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (419) 446-2767 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (713) 434-9815 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (202) 640-1513 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (213) 266-7128 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (216) 342-2508 | 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.
- (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.