FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 October 2017
Introduction
On 15 October 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 319 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 442 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 45 states and territories, with Florida recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 116 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 319
- States & territories reporting
- 45
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (116)
- Most reported state/territory
- Florida (32)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 15 October 2017 show 319 complaints originating from 242 cities across 45 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 32 | 10.0% |
| California | 27 | 8.5% |
| New York | 22 | 6.9% |
| Kentucky | 19 | 6.0% |
| Texas | 18 | 5.6% |
| Illinois | 14 | 4.4% |
| Colorado | 13 | 4.1% |
| Georgia | 13 | 4.1% |
| Michigan | 13 | 4.1% |
| Maryland | 12 | 3.8% |
| Other states and territories | 136 | 42.6% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 196 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 196 | 61.4% |
| TV | 79 | 24.8% |
| Internet | 34 | 10.7% |
| Radio | 9 | 2.8% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
196 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 61.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 116 | 59.2% |
| Billing | 23 | 11.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 19 | 9.7% |
| Equipment | 10 | 5.1% |
| Privacy | 9 | 4.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 2.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 2.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 4 | 2.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.5% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.5% |
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
79 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 24.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 23 | 29.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 19 | 24.1% |
| Equipment | 15 | 19.0% |
| Availability | 12 | 15.2% |
| Indecency | 8 | 10.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.3% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Loud Commercials and Equipment.
Internet complaints
34 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 12 | 35.3% |
| Availability | 9 | 26.5% |
| Speed | 8 | 23.5% |
| Interference | 2 | 5.9% |
| Privacy | 2 | 5.9% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.9% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
116 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 36.4% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 787-8565 | 5 | 4.3% |
| (858) 505-1237 | 3 | 2.6% |
| (202) 559-6614 | 2 | 1.7% |
| (614) 412-6812 | 2 | 1.7% |
| (857) 208-7316 | 2 | 1.7% |
| (876) 816-2007 | 2 | 1.7% |
| (202) 570-7143 | 1 | 0.9% |
| (207) 213-1868 | 1 | 0.9% |
| (210) 520-6400 | 1 | 0.9% |
| (239) 494-3123 | 1 | 0.9% |
Key patterns
- Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (800) 787-8565 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.