FCC Consumer Complaints – February 2017
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 24401 consumer complaints in February 2017 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 24930 complaints the previous month. The complaints came from 55 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 12115 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 24401
- Days with complaint data
- 28
- Days with complaints
- 28
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (12115)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3105)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 871.5 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1292 complaints on 7 February 2017, with 19 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 301 complaints on 26 February 2017, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 24401 complaints recorded in February 2017 were submitted from 5557 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 127 of the 158 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3105 | 12.7% |
| Florida | 1812 | 7.4% |
| Texas | 1645 | 6.7% |
| New York | 1476 | 6.0% |
| Maryland | 1058 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 1031 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 909 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 869 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 754 | 3.1% |
| Michigan | 749 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 10935 | 44.8% |
Location highlight
Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 16787 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 16787 | 68.8% |
| Internet | 3675 | 15.1% |
| TV | 2756 | 11.3% |
| Radio | 1068 | 4.4% |
| Emergency | 57 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 46 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 12 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
16787 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 68.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 12115 | 72.2% |
| Billing | 2088 | 12.4% |
| Equipment | 593 | 3.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 556 | 3.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 409 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 343 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 238 | 1.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 234 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 117 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 43 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 23 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 23 | 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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
3675 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 15.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1280 | 34.8% |
| Availability | 713 | 19.4% |
| Speed | 587 | 16.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 406 | 11.0% |
| Interference | 257 | 7.0% |
| Privacy | 217 | 5.9% |
| Equipment | 215 | 5.9% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
2756 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1493 | 54.2% |
| Availability | 423 | 15.3% |
| Indecency | 250 | 9.1% |
| Equipment | 239 | 8.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 225 | 8.2% |
| Interference | 82 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 31 | 1.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 13 | 0.5% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
1068 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 4.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 543 | 50.8% |
| Pirate Radio | 259 | 24.3% |
| Indecency | 189 | 17.7% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 27 | 2.5% |
| Availability | 24 | 2.2% |
| Equipment | 16 | 1.5% |
| Billing | 10 | 0.9% |
Interference and Pirate Radio accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
57 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 17 | 29.8% |
| Interference | 15 | 26.3% |
| Tower | 14 | 24.6% |
| Phone | 11 | 19.3% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Other, Interference and Tower among the most common.
Accessibility complaints
46 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 16 | 34.8% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 12 | 26.1% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 6 | 13.0% |
| Video Description | 4 | 8.7% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 3 | 6.5% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 4.3% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 2.2% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 12115 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 49.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (317) 491-6397 | 98 | 0.8% |
| (800) 255-1412 | 49 | 0.4% |
| (516) 231-0987 | 33 | 0.3% |
| (305) 985-5505 | 23 | 0.2% |
| (844) 308-6820 | 20 | 0.2% |
| (858) 900-3090 | 20 | 0.2% |
| (212) 777-7345 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (215) 845-9018 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (202) 750-5883 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (347) 474-3298 | 15 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 360-0998 | 22 | 0.2% |
| (317) 491-6397 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (800) 613-8986 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (650) 300-5860 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (800) 311-5978 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (855) 532-1444 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (866) 978-8070 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (714) 277-4024 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 255-1412 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 642-2818 | 7 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (800) 360-0998 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (317) 491-6397 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.