FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 October 2017
Introduction
On Thursday, 26 October 2017, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1120 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1182 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 776 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1120
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (776)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (145)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1120 complaints were recorded on 26 October 2017, with reports originating from 789 cities in 52 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 145 | 12.9% |
| Florida | 85 | 7.6% |
| Texas | 69 | 6.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 57 | 5.1% |
| New York | 52 | 4.6% |
| Ohio | 48 | 4.3% |
| Colorado | 44 | 3.9% |
| Virginia | 42 | 3.8% |
| Illinois | 38 | 3.4% |
| Michigan | 35 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 502 | 44.8% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 94 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 939 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 939 | 83.8% |
| TV | 84 | 7.5% |
| Internet | 80 | 7.1% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
939 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 776 | 82.6% |
| Billing | 63 | 6.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 27 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 22 | 2.3% |
| Equipment | 15 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 11 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Privacy.
TV complaints
84 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 41 | 48.8% |
| Availability | 14 | 16.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 14.3% |
| Equipment | 8 | 9.5% |
| Indecency | 6 | 7.1% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.2% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
80 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 37.5% |
| Availability | 17 | 21.3% |
| Speed | 13 | 16.3% |
| Equipment | 12 | 15.0% |
| Interference | 4 | 5.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Unwanted calls
A total of 776 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 69.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (855) 297-5595 | 10 | 1.3% |
| (425) 369-7276 | 6 | 0.8% |
| (202) 524-3505 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (304) 951-9504 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (409) 203-2497 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (607) 319-8426 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (805) 566-0765 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (215) 383-3671 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (323) 202-2974 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (360) 227-2028 | 2 | 0.3% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (855) 297-5595 | 15 | 1.9% |
| (425) 369-7276 | 7 | 0.9% |
| (409) 203-2497 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (949) 647-4424 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (202) 524-3505 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (304) 951-9504 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (408) 458-7788 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (855) 776-6916 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (202) 329-0667 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (855) 297-5595 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (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.