FCC Consumer Complaints – 2 February 2017
Introduction
A total of 1088 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday, 2 February 2017, this represented an increase from the 1073 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 53 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 615 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1088
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (615)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (113)
Where the complaints came from
Across 745 cities in 53 states and territories, a total of 1088 complaints were recorded on 2 February 2017. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
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 | 113 | 10.4% |
| Texas | 76 | 7.0% |
| Florida | 71 | 6.5% |
| New York | 62 | 5.7% |
| Illinois | 49 | 4.5% |
| Indiana | 48 | 4.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 46 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 41 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 40 | 3.7% |
| Michigan | 38 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 502 | 46.1% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 85 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 812 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 812 | 74.6% |
| Internet | 137 | 12.6% |
| TV | 96 | 8.8% |
| Radio | 41 | 3.8% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
812 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 615 | 75.7% |
| Billing | 87 | 10.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 22 | 2.7% |
| Equipment | 20 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 20 | 2.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers).
Internet complaints
137 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 59 | 43.1% |
| Availability | 22 | 16.1% |
| Speed | 17 | 12.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 15 | 10.9% |
| Interference | 11 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 8 | 5.8% |
| Privacy | 5 | 3.6% |
Billing represented the largest share of complaints recorded in this category, with lower volumes reported across the remaining issues.
TV complaints
96 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 53.1% |
| Availability | 21 | 21.9% |
| Equipment | 9 | 9.4% |
| Indecency | 5 | 5.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 5.2% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.1% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
41 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 21 | 51.2% |
| Indecency | 11 | 26.8% |
| Availability | 3 | 7.3% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 3 | 7.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 2 | 4.9% |
| Billing | 1 | 2.4% |
Interference and Indecency accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 615 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 56.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (253) 588-8137 | 7 | 1.1% |
| (317) 491-6397 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (762) 441-2010 | 4 | 0.7% |
| (239) 580-6025 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (305) 985-5505 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (321) 985-9092 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (404) 698-4810 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (424) 395-0627 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (480) 439-1215 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (516) 203-4639 | 3 | 0.5% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (253) 588-8137 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.