FCC Consumer Complaints – 23 March 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1176 consumer complaints on 23 March 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1279 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 843 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1176
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (843)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (155)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 23 March 2018 show 1176 complaints originating from 793 cities across 51 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. 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 | 155 | 13.2% |
| Texas | 96 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 84 | 7.1% |
| New York | 60 | 5.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 47 | 4.0% |
| North Carolina | 44 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 43 | 3.7% |
| Tennessee | 39 | 3.3% |
| Maryland | 36 | 3.1% |
| Ohio | 36 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 527 | 44.8% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 979 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 979 | 83.2% |
| TV | 93 | 7.9% |
| Internet | 81 | 6.9% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
979 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 843 | 86.1% |
| Billing | 50 | 5.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 28 | 2.9% |
| Equipment | 18 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 17 | 1.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
| 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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
TV complaints
93 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 47 | 50.5% |
| Availability | 13 | 14.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 12.9% |
| Equipment | 8 | 8.6% |
| Indecency | 5 | 5.4% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.2% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 3.2% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
81 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 26 | 32.1% |
| Availability | 25 | 30.9% |
| Speed | 11 | 13.6% |
| Interference | 7 | 8.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 6 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 843 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 71.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (585) 633-5922 | 6 | 0.7% |
| (407) 627-1213 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (585) 633-2686 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (833) 354-7499 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (585) 633-1185 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (202) 858-5859 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (267) 938-4126 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (302) 316-9259 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (408) 454-5940 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (423) 619-4674 | 2 | 0.2% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (585) 633-5922 | 6 | 0.7% |
| (585) 633-1185 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (302) 316-9259 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (407) 627-1213 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (585) 861-2898 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (202) 858-5859 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (207) 570-8659 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (256) 637-4412 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (423) 619-4674 | 2 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (585) 633-5922 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (585) 633-5922 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.