FCC Consumer Complaints – 13 March 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1491 consumer complaints on 13 March 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 1037 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 53 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 1074 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1491
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (1074)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (164)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 13 March 2018 show 1491 complaints originating from 965 cities across 53 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 | 164 | 11.0% |
| New York | 110 | 7.4% |
| Florida | 105 | 7.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 91 | 6.1% |
| Texas | 91 | 6.1% |
| Ohio | 68 | 4.6% |
| Illinois | 66 | 4.4% |
| New Jersey | 56 | 3.8% |
| Washington | 51 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 49 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 637 | 42.7% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 103 different cities.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1259 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1259 | 84.4% |
| TV | 108 | 7.2% |
| Internet | 100 | 6.7% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1259 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 84.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 1074 | 85.3% |
| Billing | 83 | 6.6% |
| Equipment | 25 | 2.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 19 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 0.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 0.2% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
108 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 57 | 52.8% |
| Availability | 20 | 18.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 16 | 14.8% |
| Equipment | 6 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 5 | 4.6% |
| Indecency | 4 | 3.7% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 49 | 49.0% |
| Availability | 24 | 24.0% |
| Speed | 14 | 14.0% |
| Interference | 6 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.0% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 1074 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 72% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (854) 999-4407 | 150 | 14.0% |
| (216) 223-5072 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (407) 627-1213 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (443) 840-6711 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (636) 591-1310 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (732) 204-8033 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (854) 999-4487 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (914) 364-9793 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (978) 630-1073 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (202) 866-7291 | 2 | 0.2% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (854) 999-4407 | 94 | 8.8% |
| (914) 364-9793 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (407) 627-1213 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (732) 204-8033 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (800) 864-8601 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (216) 223-5072 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (224) 258-1693 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (302) 778-4575 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (320) 566-2405 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (347) 293-0788 | 2 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (854) 999-4407 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (854) 999-4407 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.