FCC Consumer Complaints – 21 March 2017
Introduction
A total of 1075 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 21 March 2017, this represented an increase from the 964 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 584 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1075
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (584)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (141)
Where the complaints came from
On 21 March 2017, the 1075 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 739 cities across 51 states and territories. 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 distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 141 | 13.1% |
| Florida | 89 | 8.3% |
| Texas | 67 | 6.2% |
| New York | 56 | 5.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 50 | 4.7% |
| Ohio | 45 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 43 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 40 | 3.7% |
| Michigan | 40 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 38 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 464 | 43.2% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 100 different cities.
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 782 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 782 | 72.7% |
| Internet | 137 | 12.7% |
| TV | 126 | 11.7% |
| Radio | 25 | 2.3% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
782 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 584 | 74.7% |
| Billing | 93 | 11.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 26 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 24 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 19 | 2.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
137 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 43 | 31.4% |
| Availability | 34 | 24.8% |
| Speed | 20 | 14.6% |
| Privacy | 12 | 8.8% |
| Equipment | 11 | 8.0% |
| Interference | 9 | 6.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 5.8% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 75 | 59.5% |
| Availability | 24 | 19.0% |
| Equipment | 11 | 8.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 5.6% |
| Indecency | 6 | 4.8% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.8% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 584 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 54.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 599-2002 | 6 | 1.0% |
| (804) 298-1773 | 5 | 0.9% |
| (303) 307-8101 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (347) 535-5209 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (704) 918-9502 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (202) 445-5333 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (202) 558-2010 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (202) 650-6149 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (203) 983-5988 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (206) 209-1664 | 2 | 0.3% |
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.
- (800) 599-2002 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.