FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 April 2017
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1200 consumer complaints on Thursday, 6 April 2017 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1245 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 51 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 747 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1200
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (747)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (140)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 6 April 2017 show 1200 complaints originating from 807 cities across 51 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 | 140 | 11.7% |
| Texas | 78 | 6.5% |
| Florida | 75 | 6.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 72 | 6.0% |
| New York | 69 | 5.8% |
| New Jersey | 55 | 4.6% |
| Illinois | 53 | 4.4% |
| Maryland | 47 | 3.9% |
| Georgia | 45 | 3.8% |
| Michigan | 45 | 3.8% |
| Other states and territories | 521 | 43.4% |
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 955 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 955 | 79.6% |
| Internet | 117 | 9.8% |
| TV | 106 | 8.8% |
| Radio | 20 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
955 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 747 | 78.2% |
| Billing | 84 | 8.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 25 | 2.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 24 | 2.5% |
| Equipment | 21 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 21 | 2.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 12 | 1.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 4 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Junk Faxes.
Internet complaints
117 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 41 | 35.0% |
| Availability | 24 | 20.5% |
| Speed | 20 | 17.1% |
| Equipment | 15 | 12.8% |
| Interference | 9 | 7.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 3 | 2.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
106 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 64 | 60.4% |
| Availability | 18 | 17.0% |
| Equipment | 12 | 11.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 4.7% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.8% |
| Indecency | 3 | 2.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
747 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 62.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (317) 491-6397 | 8 | 1.1% |
| (601) 228-8601 | 7 | 0.9% |
| (854) 777-1126 | 6 | 0.8% |
| (800) 255-1412 | 5 | 0.7% |
| (912) 303-5455 | 5 | 0.7% |
| (414) 238-0242 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (323) 843-5765 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (419) 756-1364 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (602) 883-2747 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (610) 628-4164 | 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.
- (317) 491-6397 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.