FCC Consumer Complaints – November 2017
Introduction
In November 2017, 24338 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 27917 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 14707 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 24338
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (14707)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2879)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 811.3 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1184 complaints on 8 November 2017, while 20 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 19 November 2017, with 241 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 November 2017, the 24338 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 5672 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 117 of the 131 complaints recorded.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2879 | 11.8% |
| Florida | 1833 | 7.5% |
| Texas | 1716 | 7.1% |
| New York | 1398 | 5.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 1070 | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 941 | 3.9% |
| Georgia | 789 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 771 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 757 | 3.1% |
| North Carolina | 739 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 11250 | 46.2% |
Location highlight
Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 18817 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18817 | 77.3% |
| Internet | 2631 | 10.8% |
| TV | 2463 | 10.1% |
| Radio | 341 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 40 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 38 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 8 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
18817 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 77.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 14707 | 78.2% |
| Billing | 1656 | 8.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 616 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 515 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 369 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 336 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 241 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 157 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 154 | 0.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 37 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 21 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 7 | 0.0% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
2631 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 735 | 27.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 552 | 21.0% |
| Availability | 499 | 19.0% |
| Speed | 396 | 15.1% |
| Interference | 164 | 6.2% |
| Equipment | 158 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 127 | 4.8% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Open Internet/Net Neutrality and Availability among the most common.
TV complaints
2463 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1200 | 48.7% |
| Availability | 463 | 18.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 262 | 10.6% |
| Equipment | 233 | 9.5% |
| Indecency | 172 | 7.0% |
| Interference | 78 | 3.2% |
| Privacy | 41 | 1.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 14 | 0.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
341 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 132 | 38.7% |
| Indecency | 87 | 25.5% |
| Pirate Radio | 67 | 19.6% |
| Availability | 18 | 5.3% |
| Equipment | 16 | 4.7% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 12 | 3.5% |
| Billing | 9 | 2.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Indecency, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
40 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 19 | 47.5% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 13 | 32.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 4 | 10.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 2.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
38 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 17 | 44.7% |
| Phone | 8 | 21.1% |
| Tower | 8 | 21.1% |
| Interference | 5 | 13.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Phone, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 14707 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (360) 474-3351 | 72 | 0.5% |
| (855) 303-5660 | 29 | 0.2% |
| (828) 743-2063 | 26 | 0.2% |
| (516) 203-7003 | 24 | 0.2% |
| (800) 787-8565 | 23 | 0.2% |
| (855) 303-5749 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (860) 910-6763 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (425) 372-5310 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (815) 267-6990 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (855) 297-5597 | 14 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 52 | 0.4% |
| (855) 303-5660 | 49 | 0.3% |
| (855) 210-6764 | 37 | 0.3% |
| (516) 203-7003 | 24 | 0.2% |
| (855) 297-5597 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (855) 303-5749 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (828) 743-2063 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (855) 210-7047 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (949) 647-4424 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (425) 372-5310 | 14 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (360) 474-3351 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.