FCC Consumer Complaints – July 2017
Introduction
A total of 27993 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in July 2017, this was lower than the 28811 complaints recorded the previous month. The complaints came from 56 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 16367 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 27993
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (16367)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3330)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 903 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1377 complaints on 25 July 2017, while 19 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 23 July 2017, with 228 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 27993 complaints recorded in July 2017 were submitted from 6154 cities across 56 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 106 of the 128 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3330 | 11.9% |
| Florida | 2253 | 8.0% |
| Texas | 2008 | 7.2% |
| New York | 1634 | 5.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 1143 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | 1083 | 3.9% |
| Illinois | 965 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 961 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 950 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 916 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 12681 | 45.3% |
Location highlights
- A large share of complaints in District of Columbia originated from Washington, which accounted for most reports within the state.
- Complaints in California were reported across 615 cities, the widest spread observed during the month.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 21046 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 21046 | 75.2% |
| TV | 3595 | 12.8% |
| Internet | 2881 | 10.3% |
| Radio | 365 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 53 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 40 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 13 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
21046 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 75.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 16367 | 77.8% |
| Billing | 1917 | 9.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 769 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 645 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 347 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 322 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 233 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 168 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 168 | 0.8% |
| Rural Call Completion | 46 | 0.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 45 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 18 | 0.1% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
3595 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 12.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1395 | 38.8% |
| Indecency | 786 | 21.9% |
| Availability | 477 | 13.3% |
| Equipment | 266 | 7.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 232 | 6.5% |
| Interference | 200 | 5.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 156 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 83 | 2.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
2881 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 907 | 31.5% |
| Availability | 557 | 19.3% |
| Speed | 545 | 18.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 327 | 11.4% |
| Equipment | 216 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 175 | 6.1% |
| Privacy | 154 | 5.3% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
365 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 133 | 36.4% |
| Indecency | 88 | 24.1% |
| Pirate Radio | 68 | 18.6% |
| Availability | 25 | 6.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 23 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 18 | 4.9% |
| Billing | 10 | 2.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
53 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 25 | 47.2% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 12 | 22.6% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 7 | 13.2% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 3.8% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 1.9% |
| Video Description | 1 | 1.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
40 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 14 | 35.0% |
| Phone | 13 | 32.5% |
| Tower | 7 | 17.5% |
| Interference | 6 | 15.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 16367 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 58.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (425) 943-9144 | 33 | 0.2% |
| (424) 257-8175 | 25 | 0.2% |
| (720) 328-6303 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (402) 338-9582 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (888) 223-2916 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (610) 628-4163 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (800) 808-0801 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (240) 815-9026 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (615) 722-0075 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (213) 289-0358 | 13 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 63 | 0.4% |
| (425) 943-9144 | 25 | 0.2% |
| (646) 809-9687 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (888) 431-2901 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (855) 632-8334 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (844) 369-0787 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (888) 223-2916 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (888) 380-0825 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (855) 294-1101 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (424) 257-8175 | 15 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (425) 943-9144 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.