FCC Consumer Complaints – 12 March 2017
Introduction
On Sunday, 12 March 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 265 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 471 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 39 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints relating to Billing were marginally higher than for other issue types.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 265
- States & territories reporting
- 39
- Most common issue
- Billing (73)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (31)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 265 complaints were recorded on 12 March 2017, with reports originating from 212 cities in 39 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 31 | 11.7% |
| Maryland | 25 | 9.4% |
| Florida | 20 | 7.5% |
| New York | 19 | 7.2% |
| Texas | 19 | 7.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 6.0% |
| Illinois | 11 | 4.2% |
| Virginia | 9 | 3.4% |
| Massachusetts | 8 | 3.0% |
| North Carolina | 8 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 99 | 37.4% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 118 complaints. This was followed by TV, which accounted for 67 complaints.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 118 | 44.5% |
| TV | 67 | 25.3% |
| Internet | 60 | 22.6% |
| Radio | 17 | 6.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.8% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
118 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 44.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 70 | 59.3% |
| Billing | 20 | 16.9% |
| Equipment | 7 | 5.9% |
| Privacy | 7 | 5.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 6 | 5.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 4 | 3.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 2.5% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.8% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Privacy.
TV complaints
67 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 25.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 33 | 49.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 15 | 22.4% |
| Availability | 10 | 14.9% |
| Equipment | 5 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.5% |
| Indecency | 1 | 1.5% |
Billing and Loud Commercials were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
60 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 20 | 33.3% |
| Speed | 13 | 21.7% |
| Availability | 10 | 16.7% |
| Privacy | 9 | 15.0% |
| Interference | 5 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 3 | 5.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
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.