FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 January 2017
Introduction
On Wednesday, 18 January 2017, 1050 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 940 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 47 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Unwanted Calls were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1050
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (464)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (122)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 18 January 2017 show 1050 complaints originating from 719 cities across 47 states and territories. 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 | 122 | 11.6% |
| Florida | 88 | 8.4% |
| New York | 74 | 7.0% |
| Texas | 72 | 6.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 53 | 5.0% |
| Washington | 51 | 4.9% |
| Michigan | 47 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 43 | 4.1% |
| New Jersey | 42 | 4.0% |
| Maryland | 39 | 3.7% |
| Other states and territories | 418 | 39.8% |
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 721 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 721 | 68.7% |
| Internet | 174 | 16.6% |
| TV | 118 | 11.2% |
| Radio | 34 | 3.2% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
721 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 68.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 464 | 64.4% |
| Billing | 146 | 20.2% |
| Equipment | 30 | 4.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 21 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 19 | 2.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
174 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 77 | 44.3% |
| Availability | 31 | 17.8% |
| Speed | 29 | 16.7% |
| Privacy | 18 | 10.3% |
| Equipment | 7 | 4.0% |
| Interference | 6 | 3.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 3.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
118 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 82 | 69.5% |
| Availability | 25 | 21.2% |
| Equipment | 7 | 5.9% |
| Indecency | 2 | 1.7% |
| Interference | 1 | 0.8% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
34 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 19 | 55.9% |
| Indecency | 6 | 17.6% |
| Pirate Radio | 6 | 17.6% |
| Availability | 2 | 5.9% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 2.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 464 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 44.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 255-1412 | 7 | 1.5% |
| (203) 484-8101 | 4 | 0.9% |
| (240) 447-4572 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (253) 759-9964 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (315) 368-4025 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (410) 220-0436 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (516) 453-6886 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (602) 249-3006 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (708) 523-7713 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (925) 778-9433 | 3 | 0.6% |
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.
- (800) 255-1412 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.