FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 December 2017

Introduction

On 6 December 2017, 1011 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 917 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 581 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1011
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (581)
Most reported state/territory
California (109)

Where the complaints came from

The 1011 complaints recorded on 6 December 2017 were submitted from 684 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 109 10.8%
Florida 93 9.2%
Texas 71 7.0%
New York 58 5.7%
Pennsylvania 52 5.1%
Illinois 39 3.9%
New Jersey 35 3.5%
Colorado 33 3.3%
Arizona 31 3.1%
Ohio 31 3.1%
Other states and territories 450 44.5%

What the complaints were about

A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 788 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 788 77.9%
Internet 103 10.2%
TV 100 9.9%
Radio 14 1.4%
Accessibility 3 0.3%
Emergency 2 0.2%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

788 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 581 73.7%
Billing 79 10.0%
Equipment 32 4.1%
Availability (including rural call completion) 30 3.8%
Privacy 23 2.9%
Junk Faxes 16 2.0%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 13 1.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 7 0.9%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 3 0.4%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 2 0.3%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 0.3%

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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.

Internet complaints

103 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 38 36.9%
Availability 30 29.1%
Speed 13 12.6%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 9 8.7%
Equipment 7 6.8%
Privacy 4 3.9%
Interference 2 1.9%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

TV complaints

100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 50 50.0%
Availability 18 18.0%
Loud Commercials 8 8.0%
Interference 7 7.0%
Equipment 6 6.0%
Indecency 5 5.0%
Privacy 5 5.0%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 1.0%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Unwanted calls

A total of 581 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 57.5% 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
(303) 601-2423 7 1.2%
(516) 203-7003 6 1.0%
(800) 531-5000 4 0.7%
(337) 422-7988 3 0.5%
(702) 475-5562 3 0.5%
(908) 367-4727 3 0.5%
(334) 403-8901 2 0.3%
(337) 385-3041 2 0.3%
(337) 516-0513 2 0.3%
(412) 313-0902 2 0.3%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
  • (303) 601-2423 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 6 December 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.