FCC Consumer Complaints – 30 March 2017
Introduction
On Thursday, 30 March 2017, 1324 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 1501 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California recording the largest share of reports at 183 complaints. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 882 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1324
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (882)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (183)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1324 complaints were recorded on 30 March 2017, with reports originating from 890 cities in 50 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 | 183 | 13.8% |
| Florida | 89 | 6.7% |
| Texas | 82 | 6.2% |
| New York | 75 | 5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 65 | 4.9% |
| Maryland | 55 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 50 | 3.8% |
| Michigan | 46 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | 46 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 43 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 588 | 44.4% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 1066 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1066 | 80.5% |
| Internet | 126 | 9.5% |
| TV | 101 | 7.6% |
| Radio | 29 | 2.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1066 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 80.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 882 | 82.7% |
| Billing | 78 | 7.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 30 | 2.8% |
| Equipment | 18 | 1.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.6% |
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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 30.2% |
| Availability | 24 | 19.0% |
| Speed | 22 | 17.5% |
| Privacy | 18 | 14.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 10 | 7.9% |
| Interference | 9 | 7.1% |
| Equipment | 5 | 4.0% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
101 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 55 | 54.5% |
| Availability | 23 | 22.8% |
| Equipment | 9 | 8.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 6.9% |
| Indecency | 5 | 5.0% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.0% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 882 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 66.6% 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 business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (844) 819-8486 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (203) 989-9621 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (203) 989-9647 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (360) 968-7256 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (407) 598-0635 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (561) 250-8068 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (862) 231-2552 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (888) 778-5736 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (202) 455-0408 | 1 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (844) 819-8486 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
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.