FCC Consumer Complaints – 27 March 2018

Introduction

On 27 March 2018, 1237 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 1226 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 864 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1237
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (864)
Most reported state/territory
California (141)

Where the complaints came from

The 1237 complaints recorded on 27 March 2018 originated from 793 cities across 52 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 table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 141 11.4%
Texas 123 9.9%
Florida 82 6.6%
Pennsylvania 62 5.0%
New York 55 4.4%
Ohio 52 4.2%
New Jersey 45 3.6%
Virginia 44 3.6%
Georgia 38 3.1%
Tennessee 38 3.1%
Other states and territories 557 45.0%

What the complaints were about

A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 1036 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 1036 83.8%
TV 92 7.4%
Internet 86 7.0%
Radio 17 1.4%
Accessibility 5 0.4%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

1036 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 864 83.4%
Billing 64 6.2%
Equipment 23 2.2%
Availability (including rural call completion) 22 2.1%
Junk Faxes 18 1.7%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 17 1.6%
Privacy 13 1.3%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 6 0.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 0.6%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).

TV complaints

92 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 43 46.7%
Equipment 13 14.1%
Loud Commercials 13 14.1%
Availability 12 13.0%
Indecency 7 7.6%
Interference 3 3.3%
Privacy 1 1.1%

Billing and Equipment were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Internet complaints

86 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 25 29.1%
Availability 21 24.4%
Speed 16 18.6%
Privacy 10 11.6%
Interference 7 8.1%
Equipment 6 7.0%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 1.2%

The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 27 March 2018.

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.