FCC Consumer Complaints – September 2017
Introduction
In September 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 24913 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 34536 complaints the month before. Reports were received from 54 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 14424 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 24913
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (14424)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3009)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 830.4 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 19 September 2017, when 1263 complaints were recorded, and 19 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 257 complaints on 10 September 2017, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 24913 complaints were recorded in September 2017, with reports originating from 5661 cities in 54 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 108 of the 118 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 | 3009 | 12.1% |
| Florida | 1904 | 7.6% |
| Texas | 1690 | 6.8% |
| New York | 1405 | 5.6% |
| Ohio | 1044 | 4.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 1023 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 956 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 888 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 831 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 821 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 11322 | 45.4% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
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 18946 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18946 | 76.0% |
| TV | 2925 | 11.7% |
| Internet | 2622 | 10.5% |
| Radio | 322 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 43 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 40 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 15 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
18946 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 76.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 14424 | 76.1% |
| Billing | 1764 | 9.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 717 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 592 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 420 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 321 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 284 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 199 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 157 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 32 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 22 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 14 | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
2925 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1308 | 44.7% |
| Availability | 637 | 21.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 380 | 13.0% |
| Equipment | 247 | 8.4% |
| Indecency | 192 | 6.6% |
| Interference | 86 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 65 | 2.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 10 | 0.3% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
2622 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 839 | 32.0% |
| Availability | 695 | 26.5% |
| Speed | 454 | 17.3% |
| Equipment | 199 | 7.6% |
| Interference | 189 | 7.2% |
| Privacy | 131 | 5.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 115 | 4.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
322 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 108 | 33.5% |
| Indecency | 88 | 27.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 55 | 17.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 27 | 8.4% |
| Availability | 18 | 5.6% |
| Billing | 13 | 4.0% |
| Equipment | 13 | 4.0% |
Interference and Indecency accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
43 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 13 | 30.2% |
| Other | 12 | 27.9% |
| Interference | 10 | 23.3% |
| Tower | 8 | 18.6% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Phone, Other and Interference.
Accessibility complaints
40 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 27 | 67.5% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 7 | 17.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 4 | 10.0% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 14424 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 57.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 217-3824 | 49 | 0.3% |
| (800) 787-8565 | 36 | 0.2% |
| (844) 369-3859 | 35 | 0.2% |
| (866) 446-2173 | 31 | 0.2% |
| (530) 279-6648 | 30 | 0.2% |
| (425) 553-2185 | 22 | 0.2% |
| (470) 689-1197 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (202) 957-9898 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (607) 289-3811 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (800) 871-3984 | 17 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 65 | 0.5% |
| (833) 217-3824 | 56 | 0.4% |
| (844) 369-3859 | 45 | 0.3% |
| (866) 446-2173 | 25 | 0.2% |
| (310) 803-9561 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (607) 289-3811 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (425) 412-2612 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (530) 279-6648 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (800) 787-8565 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (470) 689-1197 | 16 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (833) 217-3824 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.