FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 May 2017

Introduction

On Sunday, 7 May 2017, 627 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1393 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 43 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Indecency was the most frequently reported issue, with 354 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
627
States & territories reporting
43
Most common issue
Indecency (354)
Most reported state/territory
California (82)

Where the complaints came from

On 7 May 2017, the 627 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 481 cities across 43 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 82 13.1%
Florida 58 9.3%
Arizona 37 5.9%
Texas 37 5.9%
New York 35 5.6%
Ohio 29 4.6%
Pennsylvania 25 4.0%
Georgia 23 3.7%
Illinois 20 3.2%
Maryland 17 2.7%
Other states and territories 264 42.1%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. TV was the most reported category, with 403 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
TV 403 64.3%
Phone 163 26.0%
Internet 43 6.9%
Radio 15 2.4%
Emergency 2 0.3%
Accessibility 1 0.2%

TV complaints

403 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 64.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Indecency 348 86.4%
Billing 21 5.2%
Availability 14 3.5%
Loud Commercials 7 1.7%
Equipment 5 1.2%
Interference 5 1.2%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 3 0.7%

Indecency and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Phone complaints

163 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 26.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 116 71.2%
Billing 20 12.3%
Availability (including rural call completion) 10 6.1%
Equipment 6 3.7%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 3 1.8%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 2 1.2%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 1.2%
Privacy 2 1.2%
Interference (including signal jammers) 1 0.6%
Junk Faxes 1 0.6%

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

43 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 14 32.6%
Speed 11 25.6%
Billing 9 20.9%
Equipment 3 7.0%
Interference 3 7.0%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 4.7%
Privacy 1 2.3%

The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Speed and Billing.

Unwanted calls

A total of 116 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 18.5% 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
(866) 665-4386 6 5.2%
(206) 892-0433 4 3.4%
(480) 562-2044 2 1.7%
(757) 588-2361 2 1.7%
(201) 879-2016 1 0.9%
(202) 798-7290 1 0.9%
(208) 442-5204 1 0.9%
(213) 289-0358 1 0.9%
(216) 239-4435 1 0.9%
(231) 538-4508 1 0.9%

Key patterns

  • Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (866) 665-4386 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 7 May 2017.

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.