FCC Consumer Complaints – 9 March 2017
Introduction
On 9 March 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1024 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1120 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 554 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1024
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (554)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (122)
Where the complaints came from
On 9 March 2017, the 1024 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 719 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
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 | 11.9% |
| Florida | 101 | 9.9% |
| Texas | 77 | 7.5% |
| New York | 63 | 6.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 51 | 5.0% |
| Illinois | 38 | 3.7% |
| Washington | 35 | 3.4% |
| Arizona | 33 | 3.2% |
| New Jersey | 32 | 3.1% |
| Ohio | 30 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 439 | 42.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 762 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 762 | 74.4% |
| Internet | 134 | 13.1% |
| TV | 100 | 9.8% |
| Radio | 20 | 2.0% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
762 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 554 | 72.7% |
| Billing | 88 | 11.5% |
| Equipment | 33 | 4.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 29 | 3.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 13 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.7% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.3% |
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
134 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 56 | 41.8% |
| Speed | 28 | 20.9% |
| Availability | 21 | 15.7% |
| Equipment | 10 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 4.5% |
| Privacy | 6 | 4.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Speed, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 52 | 52.0% |
| Availability | 24 | 24.0% |
| Equipment | 11 | 11.0% |
| Indecency | 6 | 6.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 554 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 54.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (216) 609-1260 | 5 | 0.9% |
| (669) 248-8550 | 5 | 0.9% |
| (623) 546-9264 | 4 | 0.7% |
| (800) 255-1412 | 4 | 0.7% |
| (330) 466-6116 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (563) 316-6301 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (661) 902-0108 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (925) 627-8894 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (203) 549-6699 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (214) 983-1615 | 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.
- 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.