FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 March 2018
Introduction
On 14 March 2018, 1246 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1491 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 873 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1246
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (873)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (145)
Where the complaints came from
Across 832 cities in 52 states and territories, a total of 1246 complaints were recorded on 14 March 2018. 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 | 145 | 11.6% |
| Texas | 110 | 8.8% |
| Florida | 91 | 7.3% |
| Illinois | 59 | 4.7% |
| New York | 57 | 4.6% |
| Ohio | 55 | 4.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 48 | 3.9% |
| North Carolina | 42 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 42 | 3.4% |
| Michigan | 40 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 557 | 44.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1040 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1040 | 83.5% |
| TV | 104 | 8.3% |
| Internet | 80 | 6.4% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 3 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
1040 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 873 | 83.9% |
| Billing | 69 | 6.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 22 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 21 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 16 | 1.5% |
| Equipment | 12 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 10 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Privacy among the most common.
TV complaints
104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 63 | 60.6% |
| Availability | 17 | 16.3% |
| Equipment | 10 | 9.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 6.7% |
| Indecency | 4 | 3.8% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.0% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
80 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 29 | 36.3% |
| Availability | 23 | 28.7% |
| Speed | 11 | 13.8% |
| Equipment | 7 | 8.8% |
| Privacy | 5 | 6.3% |
| Interference | 4 | 5.0% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 1.3% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 873 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 70.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (854) 999-4407 | 16 | 1.8% |
| (407) 627-1213 | 11 | 1.3% |
| (217) 487-0056 | 6 | 0.7% |
| (855) 660-2727 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (812) 561-0206 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (216) 223-5072 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (302) 445-9783 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (646) 355-3450 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (786) 372-8115 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (845) 478-9925 | 3 | 0.3% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (854) 999-4407 | 14 | 1.6% |
| (855) 660-2727 | 11 | 1.3% |
| (217) 487-0056 | 6 | 0.7% |
| (407) 627-1213 | 6 | 0.7% |
| (585) 633-4206 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (302) 445-9783 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (855) 557-8055 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (202) 361-3146 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (203) 286-0974 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (216) 223-5072 | 2 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (854) 999-4407 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (854) 999-4407 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.