FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 October 2017

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 301 consumer complaints on Sunday, 8 October 2017 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 357 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 48 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls recorded a slightly higher number of complaints than other issues.

Key statistics

Total complaints
301
States & territories reporting
48
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (107)
Most reported state/territory
California (40)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 301 complaints were recorded on 8 October 2017, with reports originating from 223 cities in 48 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 40 13.3%
Texas 27 9.0%
Florida 20 6.6%
Kentucky 16 5.3%
Arizona 14 4.7%
Pennsylvania 14 4.7%
New York 12 4.0%
Ohio 10 3.3%
Georgia 9 3.0%
Washington 9 3.0%
Other states and territories 130 43.2%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 169 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 169 56.1%
TV 68 22.6%
Internet 51 16.9%
Radio 9 3.0%
Emergency 2 0.7%
Request for Dispute Assistance 2 0.7%

Phone complaints

169 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 56.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 107 63.3%
Billing 22 13.0%
Availability (including rural call completion) 13 7.7%
Equipment 9 5.3%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 3.6%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 3 1.8%
Junk Faxes 3 1.8%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 3 1.8%
Privacy 3 1.8%

Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

TV complaints

68 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 22.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 32 47.1%
Availability 13 19.1%
Loud Commercials 10 14.7%
Equipment 6 8.8%
Indecency 5 7.4%
Privacy 2 2.9%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Internet complaints

51 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 21 41.2%
Speed 13 25.5%
Availability 6 11.8%
Interference 4 7.8%
Equipment 3 5.9%
Privacy 3 5.9%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 2.0%

Billing and Speed accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 8 October 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.