FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 May 2017
Introduction
On 15 May 2017, 1020 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 242 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 630 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1020
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (630)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (109)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 15 May 2017 show 1020 complaints originating from 704 cities across 52 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. 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 | 109 | 10.7% |
| Texas | 92 | 9.0% |
| Florida | 83 | 8.1% |
| New York | 55 | 5.4% |
| Ohio | 47 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 37 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 35 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 34 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 34 | 3.3% |
| North Carolina | 32 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 462 | 45.3% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 70 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 779 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 779 | 76.4% |
| TV | 125 | 12.3% |
| Internet | 98 | 9.6% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.5% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
779 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 630 | 80.9% |
| Billing | 60 | 7.7% |
| Equipment | 25 | 3.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 16 | 2.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 15 | 1.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 9 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 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, Equipment and Junk Faxes.
TV complaints
125 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 67 | 53.6% |
| Indecency | 20 | 16.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 10.4% |
| Availability | 12 | 9.6% |
| Equipment | 7 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 5 | 4.0% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
98 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 27 | 27.6% |
| Availability | 23 | 23.5% |
| Speed | 20 | 20.4% |
| Interference | 13 | 13.3% |
| Equipment | 7 | 7.1% |
| Privacy | 6 | 6.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 2.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Unwanted calls
A total of 630 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 61.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (541) 683-1073 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (703) 684-9690 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (314) 207-5217 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (419) 216-9516 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (440) 230-8275 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (484) 553-7772 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (612) 512-1566 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (719) 270-2380 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (206) 483-0047 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (213) 266-7128 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (541) 683-1073 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.