FCC Consumer Complaints – 11 July 2017

Introduction

On 11 July 2017, 1224 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 1050 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 718 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1224
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (718)
Most reported state/territory
California (131)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 1224 complaints were recorded on 11 July 2017, with reports originating from 789 cities in 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.

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 10.7%
Texas 108 8.8%
Florida 87 7.1%
New York 85 6.9%
Arizona 48 3.9%
Pennsylvania 44 3.6%
Ohio 41 3.3%
Virginia 41 3.3%
New Jersey 40 3.3%
North Carolina 35 2.9%
Other states and territories 557 45.5%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 943 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 943 77.0%
TV 130 10.6%
Internet 122 10.0%
Radio 21 1.7%
Accessibility 6 0.5%
Emergency 1 0.1%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

943 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 718 76.1%
Billing 110 11.7%
Equipment 32 3.4%
Availability (including rural call completion) 29 3.1%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 15 1.6%
Privacy 12 1.3%
Junk Faxes 11 1.2%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 6 0.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 4 0.4%
Rural Call Completion 3 0.3%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 2 0.2%
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).

TV complaints

130 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 66 50.8%
Availability 23 17.7%
Equipment 20 15.4%
Indecency 7 5.4%
Interference 6 4.6%
Loud Commercials 5 3.8%
Privacy 3 2.3%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Internet complaints

122 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 37 30.3%
Availability 29 23.8%
Speed 19 15.6%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 16 13.1%
Equipment 8 6.6%
Interference 7 5.7%
Privacy 6 4.9%

The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.

Unwanted calls

A total of 718 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 58.7% 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
(855) 661-8139 5 0.7%
(555) 555-5555 3 0.4%
(844) 719-6057 3 0.4%
(201) 300-4527 2 0.3%
(239) 230-1406 2 0.3%
(323) 419-3091 2 0.3%
(440) 638-5694 2 0.3%
(631) 239-8731 2 0.3%
(646) 809-9687 2 0.3%
(662) 295-6946 2 0.3%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (855) 661-8139 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
  • Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 11 July 2017.

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.