FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 September 2017

Introduction

On Sunday, 17 September 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 288 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 417 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 42 states and territories, with Florida recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 96 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
288
States & territories reporting
42
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (96)
Most reported state/territory
Florida (42)

Where the complaints came from

The 288 complaints recorded on 17 September 2017 were submitted from 228 cities across 42 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

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
Florida 42 14.6%
California 35 12.2%
Texas 27 9.4%
Georgia 16 5.6%
Pennsylvania 16 5.6%
New York 15 5.2%
Ohio 12 4.2%
New Jersey 11 3.8%
Michigan 9 3.1%
Washington 9 3.1%
Other states and territories 96 33.3%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 155 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 155 53.8%
TV 67 23.3%
Internet 57 19.8%
Radio 7 2.4%
Accessibility 2 0.7%

Phone complaints

155 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 53.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 96 61.9%
Billing 15 9.7%
Equipment 14 9.0%
Availability (including rural call completion) 12 7.7%
Privacy 8 5.2%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 6 3.9%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 1.3%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 1 0.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 1 0.6%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).

TV complaints

67 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 23.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Loud Commercials 20 29.9%
Availability 16 23.9%
Billing 15 22.4%
Indecency 7 10.4%
Equipment 4 6.0%
Interference 4 6.0%
Privacy 1 1.5%

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

Internet complaints

57 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 19 33.3%
Speed 15 26.3%
Billing 13 22.8%
Privacy 5 8.8%
Equipment 2 3.5%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 3.5%
Interference 1 1.8%

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

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 17 September 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.