FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 January 2018
Introduction
On Friday, 26 January 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1090 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1216 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 51 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 702 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1090
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (702)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (142)
Where the complaints came from
The 1090 complaints recorded on 26 January 2018 were submitted from 710 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large 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 | 142 | 13.0% |
| Texas | 91 | 8.3% |
| Florida | 80 | 7.3% |
| New York | 49 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 46 | 4.2% |
| Oregon | 41 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 39 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 36 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 36 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 490 | 45.0% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 89 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 881 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 881 | 80.8% |
| TV | 94 | 8.6% |
| Internet | 93 | 8.5% |
| Radio | 19 | 1.7% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
881 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 80.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 702 | 79.7% |
| Billing | 61 | 6.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 26 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 18 | 2.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 17 | 1.9% |
| Equipment | 17 | 1.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 17 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 16 | 1.8% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 0.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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, Interference (including signal jammers) and Privacy among the most common.
TV complaints
94 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 45 | 47.9% |
| Availability | 17 | 18.1% |
| Equipment | 12 | 12.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 10.6% |
| Indecency | 8 | 8.5% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
93 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 37 | 39.8% |
| Speed | 21 | 22.6% |
| Availability | 18 | 19.4% |
| Interference | 7 | 7.5% |
| Privacy | 6 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.3% |
Billing and Speed were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
702 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 64.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (440) 569-4052 | 5 | 0.7% |
| (206) 457-0576 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (508) 858-0944 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (425) 412-2539 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (732) 258-2737 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (845) 999-7487 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (202) 241-1694 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (203) 983-5994 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (210) 658-3529 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (239) 201-4634 | 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.
- (440) 569-4052 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.