FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 May 2017
Introduction
On Tuesday, 16 May 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1268 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 1020 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 732 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1268
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (732)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (160)
Where the complaints came from
The 1268 complaints recorded on 16 May 2017 were submitted from 839 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large 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 | 160 | 12.6% |
| Florida | 105 | 8.3% |
| New York | 90 | 7.1% |
| Texas | 73 | 5.8% |
| Illinois | 63 | 5.0% |
| North Carolina | 55 | 4.3% |
| Ohio | 47 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 45 | 3.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 42 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 529 | 41.7% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 958 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 958 | 75.6% |
| TV | 176 | 13.9% |
| Internet | 114 | 9.0% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
958 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 732 | 76.4% |
| Billing | 111 | 11.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 28 | 2.9% |
| Equipment | 27 | 2.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 16 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 13 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
TV complaints
176 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 70 | 39.8% |
| Indecency | 62 | 35.2% |
| Availability | 14 | 8.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 8 | 4.5% |
| Privacy | 5 | 2.8% |
| Interference | 4 | 2.3% |
Billing and Indecency accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
114 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 37 | 32.5% |
| Availability | 32 | 28.1% |
| Speed | 17 | 14.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 10 | 8.8% |
| Interference | 8 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 6 | 5.3% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.5% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.