FCC Consumer Complaints – October 2017
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 27917 consumer complaints in October 2017 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 24913 complaints the month before. The complaints came from 55 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 16863 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 27917
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (16863)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3212)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 900.5 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1286 complaints on 24 October 2017, with 22 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 22 October 2017, with 254 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In October 2017, the 27917 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 6114 cities across 55 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 115 of the 130 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 | 3212 | 11.5% |
| Florida | 2298 | 8.2% |
| Texas | 1914 | 6.9% |
| New York | 1500 | 5.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 1366 | 4.9% |
| Ohio | 1065 | 3.8% |
| Virginia | 958 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 939 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 921 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 875 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 12799 | 45.8% |
Location highlight
A large share of complaints in District of Columbia originated from Washington, which accounted for most reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded during the month. Phone was the most reported category, with 21764 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 21764 | 78.0% |
| TV | 3332 | 11.9% |
| Internet | 2347 | 8.4% |
| Radio | 386 | 1.4% |
| Emergency | 44 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 32 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 12 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
21764 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 78.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 16863 | 77.5% |
| Billing | 1918 | 8.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 807 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 586 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 506 | 2.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 350 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 292 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 183 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 171 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 45 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 28 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 15 | 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
3332 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1551 | 46.5% |
| Availability | 633 | 19.0% |
| Indecency | 380 | 11.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 332 | 10.0% |
| Equipment | 259 | 7.8% |
| Interference | 105 | 3.2% |
| Privacy | 53 | 1.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 19 | 0.6% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
2347 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 820 | 34.9% |
| Availability | 532 | 22.7% |
| Speed | 420 | 17.9% |
| Equipment | 175 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 168 | 7.2% |
| Privacy | 138 | 5.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 94 | 4.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
386 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 139 | 36.0% |
| Interference | 123 | 31.9% |
| Pirate Radio | 63 | 16.3% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 19 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 18 | 4.7% |
| Billing | 13 | 3.4% |
| Availability | 11 | 2.8% |
Indecency and Interference were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
44 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 16 | 36.4% |
| Phone | 13 | 29.5% |
| Tower | 9 | 20.5% |
| Interference | 6 | 13.6% |
Other and Phone were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
32 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 17 | 53.1% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 13 | 40.6% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 1 | 3.1% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 3.1% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 16863 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 60.4% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (855) 297-5595 | 44 | 0.3% |
| (619) 682-3477 | 39 | 0.2% |
| (800) 787-8565 | 39 | 0.2% |
| (832) 240-5112 | 35 | 0.2% |
| (360) 474-3351 | 27 | 0.2% |
| (814) 204-2156 | 22 | 0.1% |
| (800) 474-6836 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (828) 743-2063 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (530) 279-6648 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (855) 242-0511 | 18 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (855) 297-5595 | 63 | 0.4% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 59 | 0.3% |
| (800) 787-8565 | 33 | 0.2% |
| (832) 240-5112 | 25 | 0.1% |
| (844) 369-3861 | 25 | 0.1% |
| (949) 647-4424 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (619) 682-3477 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (844) 369-3859 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (310) 770-2973 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (303) 747-4606 | 16 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (855) 297-5595 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (855) 297-5595 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.