FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 May 2017
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 409 consumer complaints on 20 May 2017 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1041 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 48 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 212 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 409
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (212)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (48)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 20 May 2017 show 409 complaints originating from 325 cities across 48 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location 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 | 48 | 11.7% |
| Texas | 28 | 6.8% |
| Florida | 25 | 6.1% |
| New York | 23 | 5.6% |
| New Jersey | 20 | 4.9% |
| Ohio | 19 | 4.6% |
| Illinois | 18 | 4.4% |
| Georgia | 16 | 3.9% |
| Virginia | 15 | 3.7% |
| Colorado | 14 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 183 | 44.7% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 274 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 274 | 67.0% |
| TV | 67 | 16.4% |
| Internet | 61 | 14.9% |
| Radio | 6 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
274 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 212 | 77.4% |
| Billing | 20 | 7.3% |
| Equipment | 13 | 4.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 11 | 4.0% |
| Privacy | 6 | 2.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 1.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 3 | 1.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.4% |
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 Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
67 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 44.8% |
| Indecency | 13 | 19.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 19.4% |
| Availability | 5 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.5% |
| Equipment | 2 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
61 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 17 | 27.9% |
| Speed | 13 | 21.3% |
| Availability | 10 | 16.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 8 | 13.1% |
| Interference | 5 | 8.2% |
| Privacy | 5 | 8.2% |
| Equipment | 3 | 4.9% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
Unwanted calls
There were 212 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 51.8% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (408) 974-2042 | 5 | 2.4% |
| (800) 347-2683 | 2 | 0.9% |
| (859) 309-5128 | 2 | 0.9% |
| (201) 373-8326 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (201) 401-7726 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (202) 619-9000 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (206) 487-5102 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (206) 925-3521 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (210) 404-7811 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (215) 724-6595 | 1 | 0.5% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (408) 974-2042 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.