FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 April 2017
Introduction
A total of 1475 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 26 April 2017, this was lower than the 1969 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 751 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1475
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (751)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (173)
Where the complaints came from
The 1475 complaints recorded on 26 April 2017 originated from 926 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. 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 | 173 | 11.7% |
| Florida | 132 | 8.9% |
| New York | 99 | 6.7% |
| Texas | 97 | 6.6% |
| Ohio | 62 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 55 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 54 | 3.7% |
| Washington | 47 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 45 | 3.1% |
| Georgia | 43 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 664 | 45.0% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 115 different cities.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 959 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 959 | 65.0% |
| Internet | 384 | 26.0% |
| TV | 106 | 7.2% |
| Radio | 22 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
959 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 65.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 751 | 78.3% |
| Billing | 73 | 7.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 37 | 3.9% |
| Equipment | 25 | 2.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 21 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 20 | 2.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
384 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 26.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 255 | 66.4% |
| Billing | 47 | 12.2% |
| Availability | 26 | 6.8% |
| Speed | 26 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 13 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 9 | 2.3% |
| Interference | 8 | 2.1% |
Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
106 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 63 | 59.4% |
| Availability | 16 | 15.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 9.4% |
| Equipment | 8 | 7.5% |
| Indecency | 6 | 5.7% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.9% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
751 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 50.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (434) 205-3966 | 6 | 0.8% |
| (609) 232-8953 | 5 | 0.7% |
| (270) 594-5781 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (407) 410-8772 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (800) 293-7917 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (866) 278-1213 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (209) 286-3663 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (310) 494-2469 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (385) 243-6851 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (408) 606-5775 | 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.
- (434) 205-3966 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.