FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 January 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 448 consumer complaints on Saturday, 20 January 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1082 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 43 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 223 complaints.
This date falls within a government shutdown period from 20 January 2018 to 22 January 2018. Complaint volumes during this period may be lower than usual.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 448
- States & territories reporting
- 43
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (223)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (49)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 20 January 2018 show 448 complaints originating from 328 cities across 43 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 49 | 10.9% |
| Texas | 33 | 7.4% |
| Florida | 31 | 6.9% |
| Oregon | 29 | 6.5% |
| New York | 27 | 6.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 24 | 5.4% |
| Illinois | 19 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 17 | 3.8% |
| Colorado | 16 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 16 | 3.6% |
| Other states and territories | 186 | 41.5% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 323 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 323 | 72.1% |
| TV | 58 | 12.9% |
| Internet | 54 | 12.1% |
| Radio | 12 | 2.7% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
323 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 223 | 69.0% |
| Billing | 35 | 10.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 32 | 9.9% |
| Equipment | 10 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 1.9% |
| Privacy | 6 | 1.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 5 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 0.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 1 | 0.3% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Interference (including signal jammers) and Equipment.
TV complaints
58 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 27 | 46.6% |
| Availability | 10 | 17.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 15.5% |
| Equipment | 5 | 8.6% |
| Indecency | 3 | 5.2% |
| Interference | 3 | 5.2% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
54 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 20 | 37.0% |
| Availability | 14 | 25.9% |
| Speed | 10 | 18.5% |
| Privacy | 5 | 9.3% |
| Interference | 3 | 5.6% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.9% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 223 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 49.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (970) 930-3093 | 8 | 3.6% |
| (410) 417-5770 | 4 | 1.8% |
| (305) 490-6521 | 3 | 1.3% |
| (513) 795-8158 | 2 | 0.9% |
| (817) 618-7399 | 2 | 0.9% |
| (844) 597-4111 | 2 | 0.9% |
| (888) 661-9040 | 2 | 0.9% |
| (201) 301-0307 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (202) 361-3146 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (203) 251-6618 | 1 | 0.4% |
Key patterns
- Live Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (970) 930-3093 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.