FCC Consumer Complaints – 19 January 2017
Introduction
On 19 January 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 996 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1050 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 48 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 532 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 996
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (532)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (114)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 996 complaints were recorded on 19 January 2017, with reports originating from 631 cities in 48 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 114 | 11.4% |
| Texas | 82 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 75 | 7.5% |
| New York | 64 | 6.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 52 | 5.2% |
| Illinois | 45 | 4.5% |
| Maryland | 43 | 4.3% |
| Michigan | 38 | 3.8% |
| Tennessee | 37 | 3.7% |
| Colorado | 28 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 418 | 42.0% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 730 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 730 | 73.3% |
| Internet | 132 | 13.3% |
| TV | 102 | 10.2% |
| Radio | 26 | 2.6% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
730 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 532 | 72.9% |
| Billing | 82 | 11.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 26 | 3.6% |
| Equipment | 23 | 3.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 14 | 1.9% |
| Privacy | 14 | 1.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 11 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
132 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 58 | 43.9% |
| Availability | 22 | 16.7% |
| Speed | 18 | 13.6% |
| Equipment | 11 | 8.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 10 | 7.6% |
| Privacy | 8 | 6.1% |
| Interference | 5 | 3.8% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 54 | 52.9% |
| Availability | 19 | 18.6% |
| Equipment | 19 | 18.6% |
| Indecency | 6 | 5.9% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.9% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 532 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 53.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (972) 370-5238 | 5 | 0.9% |
| (315) 368-4025 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (704) 822-6569 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (800) 255-1412 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (207) 213-1137 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (208) 369-2085 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (281) 484-1265 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (281) 598-3238 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (318) 643-5287 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (323) 310-0630 | 2 | 0.4% |
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.
- (972) 370-5238 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.