FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 April 2017
Introduction
On 5 April 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1245 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1346 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 51 states and territories, and California generated the highest number of submissions with 175 complaints. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 777 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1245
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (777)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (175)
Where the complaints came from
Across 804 cities in 51 states and territories, a total of 1245 complaints were recorded on 5 April 2017. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large 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 | 175 | 14.1% |
| Florida | 86 | 6.9% |
| Texas | 81 | 6.5% |
| New York | 65 | 5.2% |
| Maryland | 54 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 53 | 4.3% |
| New Jersey | 50 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 43 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 38 | 3.1% |
| Michigan | 37 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 559 | 44.9% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 95 different cities.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 964 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 964 | 77.4% |
| Internet | 120 | 9.6% |
| TV | 119 | 9.6% |
| Radio | 39 | 3.1% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
964 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 777 | 80.6% |
| Billing | 79 | 8.2% |
| Equipment | 27 | 2.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 20 | 2.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 20 | 2.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 13 | 1.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Privacy | 6 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
120 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 46 | 38.3% |
| Availability | 28 | 23.3% |
| Speed | 17 | 14.2% |
| Interference | 9 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 6.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 5.0% |
| Privacy | 5 | 4.2% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
119 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 63 | 52.9% |
| Availability | 28 | 23.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 7.6% |
| Indecency | 7 | 5.9% |
| Equipment | 6 | 5.0% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.7% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
39 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 32 | 82.1% |
| Indecency | 4 | 10.3% |
| Availability | 1 | 2.6% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.6% |
| Pirate Radio | 1 | 2.6% |
Interference and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 777 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 62.4% 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 caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (302) 219-9678 | 10 | 1.3% |
| (804) 298-1773 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (650) 245-5120 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (800) 255-1412 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (866) 874-1505 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (202) 754-0000 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (323) 910-7140 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (484) 891-1781 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (530) 535-7277 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (803) 454-8456 | 3 | 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.
- (302) 219-9678 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.