FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 March 2017
Introduction
A total of 964 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 20 March 2017, this represented an increase from the 290 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 516 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 964
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (516)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (108)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 20 March 2017 show 964 complaints originating from 642 cities across 52 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 | 108 | 11.2% |
| Florida | 77 | 8.0% |
| Texas | 57 | 5.9% |
| New York | 51 | 5.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 49 | 5.1% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.8% |
| New Jersey | 37 | 3.8% |
| Washington | 34 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 32 | 3.3% |
| Kentucky | 31 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 450 | 46.7% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 701 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 701 | 72.7% |
| TV | 128 | 13.3% |
| Internet | 124 | 12.9% |
| Radio | 9 | 0.9% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
701 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 516 | 73.6% |
| Billing | 83 | 11.8% |
| Equipment | 30 | 4.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 17 | 2.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 16 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 1.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 1.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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 Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
128 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 56 | 43.8% |
| Availability | 30 | 23.4% |
| Equipment | 17 | 13.3% |
| Indecency | 9 | 7.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 5.5% |
| Interference | 5 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
124 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 49 | 39.5% |
| Availability | 27 | 21.8% |
| Speed | 21 | 16.9% |
| Equipment | 10 | 8.1% |
| Interference | 8 | 6.5% |
| Privacy | 6 | 4.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 2.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
516 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 53.5% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 282-9193 | 5 | 1.0% |
| (202) 750-5883 | 4 | 0.8% |
| (810) 245-7056 | 4 | 0.8% |
| (209) 674-7036 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (667) 930-0346 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (804) 298-1773 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (202) 558-2010 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (209) 269-3056 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (215) 867-5239 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (254) 698-9684 | 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.
- (315) 282-9193 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.