FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 July 2017
Introduction
On 5 July 2017, 1139 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 427 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 643 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1139
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (643)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (131)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1139 complaints were recorded on 5 July 2017, with reports originating from 789 cities in 49 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 | 131 | 11.5% |
| Florida | 103 | 9.0% |
| Texas | 102 | 9.0% |
| New York | 69 | 6.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 58 | 5.1% |
| Georgia | 40 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 40 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 38 | 3.3% |
| Michigan | 36 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 34 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 483 | 42.4% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 819 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 819 | 71.9% |
| TV | 167 | 14.7% |
| Internet | 133 | 11.7% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
819 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 71.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 643 | 78.5% |
| Billing | 90 | 11.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 28 | 3.4% |
| Equipment | 15 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 1.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
167 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 55 | 32.9% |
| Indecency | 41 | 24.6% |
| Availability | 27 | 16.2% |
| Privacy | 14 | 8.4% |
| Equipment | 10 | 6.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 9 | 5.4% |
| Interference | 8 | 4.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 1.8% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Indecency and Availability.
Internet complaints
133 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 60 | 45.1% |
| Availability | 30 | 22.6% |
| Speed | 14 | 10.5% |
| Equipment | 11 | 8.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 9 | 6.8% |
| Privacy | 6 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 3 | 2.3% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 643 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 56.5% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (888) 223-2916 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (206) 538-5415 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (561) 510-8497 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (678) 820-8947 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (201) 300-4273 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (215) 863-9942 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (312) 470-7619 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (312) 470-8081 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (321) 465-7462 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (330) 954-6956 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (888) 223-2916 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
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.