FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 July 2017

Introduction

On 18 July 2017, 1217 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 1019 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 704 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1217
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (704)
Most reported state/territory
California (162)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 18 July 2017 show 1217 complaints originating from 819 cities across 50 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 162 13.3%
Florida 105 8.6%
Texas 104 8.5%
New York 71 5.8%
Pennsylvania 47 3.9%
Virginia 46 3.8%
Illinois 44 3.6%
North Carolina 38 3.1%
New Jersey 38 3.1%
Ohio 34 2.8%
Other states and territories 523 43.0%

What the complaints were about

A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 937 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 937 77.0%
Internet 142 11.7%
TV 117 9.6%
Radio 17 1.4%
Request for Dispute Assistance 2 0.2%
Accessibility 1 0.1%
Emergency 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

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

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 704 75.1%
Billing 95 10.1%
Availability (including rural call completion) 44 4.7%
Equipment 29 3.1%
Junk Faxes 23 2.5%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 17 1.8%
Privacy 11 1.2%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 7 0.7%
Interference (including signal jammers) 5 0.5%
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

142 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 50 35.2%
Speed 27 19.0%
Availability 26 18.3%
Equipment 12 8.5%
Privacy 11 7.7%
Interference 9 6.3%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 7 4.9%

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

TV complaints

117 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 68 58.1%
Availability 22 18.8%
Equipment 13 11.1%
Loud Commercials 7 6.0%
Interference 4 3.4%
Indecency 3 2.6%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 18 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.