FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 February 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1128 consumer complaints on Wednesday, 14 February 2018 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1291 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 51 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 776 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1128
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (776)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (122)
Where the complaints came from
The 1128 complaints recorded on 14 February 2018 were submitted from 767 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 122 | 10.8% |
| Texas | 98 | 8.7% |
| Florida | 69 | 6.1% |
| New York | 62 | 5.5% |
| Ohio | 48 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 3.9% |
| New Jersey | 40 | 3.5% |
| Washington | 38 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 37 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 34 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 536 | 47.5% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 937 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 937 | 83.1% |
| TV | 89 | 7.9% |
| Internet | 83 | 7.4% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
937 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 776 | 82.8% |
| Billing | 63 | 6.7% |
| Privacy | 27 | 2.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 25 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 1.5% |
| Equipment | 10 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Privacy and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
89 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 32 | 36.0% |
| Availability | 16 | 18.0% |
| Indecency | 14 | 15.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 14.6% |
| Interference | 8 | 9.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Indecency.
Internet complaints
83 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 42.2% |
| Availability | 15 | 18.1% |
| Speed | 13 | 15.7% |
| Equipment | 6 | 7.2% |
| Interference | 6 | 7.2% |
| Privacy | 6 | 7.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 2.4% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 776 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 68.8% 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 business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (862) 208-2132 | 6 | 0.8% |
| (206) 207-3469 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (315) 304-6342 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (833) 255-9739 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (877) 961-4414 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (210) 245-5022 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (224) 400-9976 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (254) 657-0980 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (260) 555-0115 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (307) 464-3934 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (862) 208-2132 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
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.