FCC Consumer Complaints – 27 February 2017
Introduction
On Monday, 27 February 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 959 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 301 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 51 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints relating to Unwanted Calls were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 959
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (422)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (110)
Where the complaints came from
On 27 February 2017, the 959 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 661 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 110 | 11.5% |
| Florida | 73 | 7.6% |
| Texas | 70 | 7.3% |
| New York | 55 | 5.7% |
| Maryland | 48 | 5.0% |
| Georgia | 42 | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 38 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 34 | 3.5% |
| Connecticut | 33 | 3.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 32 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 421 | 43.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 649 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 649 | 67.7% |
| Internet | 159 | 16.6% |
| TV | 117 | 12.2% |
| Radio | 30 | 3.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
649 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 422 | 65.0% |
| Billing | 97 | 14.9% |
| Equipment | 42 | 6.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 28 | 4.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 23 | 3.5% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 10 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 1.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 0.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.3% |
| 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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
159 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 59 | 37.1% |
| Availability | 36 | 22.6% |
| Speed | 24 | 15.1% |
| Equipment | 12 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 11 | 6.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 10 | 6.3% |
| Privacy | 7 | 4.4% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
117 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 65 | 55.6% |
| Availability | 23 | 19.7% |
| Equipment | 10 | 8.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 7.7% |
| Indecency | 7 | 6.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 2.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
30 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 26 | 86.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 3 | 10.0% |
| Indecency | 1 | 3.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Pirate Radio, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 422 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 44% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (215) 845-9018 | 5 | 1.2% |
| (312) 697-1493 | 5 | 1.2% |
| (520) 325-2150 | 4 | 0.9% |
| (716) 926-4334 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (205) 605-7617 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (228) 333-6305 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (240) 447-4572 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (260) 676-7021 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (319) 675-9878 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (330) 868-5318 | 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.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.