FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 April 2018

Introduction

On 3 April 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1412 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1829 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 53 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 866 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1412
States & territories reporting
53
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (866)
Most reported state/territory
California (165)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 1412 complaints were recorded on 3 April 2018, with reports originating from 897 cities in 53 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 165 11.7%
Florida 109 7.7%
New York 102 7.2%
Texas 99 7.0%
New Jersey 61 4.3%
Pennsylvania 59 4.2%
Ohio 52 3.7%
Michigan 50 3.5%
North Carolina 50 3.5%
Arizona 47 3.3%
Other states and territories 606 42.9%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 1075 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 1075 76.1%
TV 170 12.0%
Internet 139 9.8%
Radio 23 1.6%
Accessibility 2 0.1%
Emergency 2 0.1%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

1075 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 866 80.6%
Billing 98 9.1%
Availability (including rural call completion) 29 2.7%
Privacy 25 2.3%
Equipment 23 2.1%
Junk Faxes 10 0.9%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 10 0.9%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 8 0.7%
Interference (including signal jammers) 5 0.5%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.1%

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. 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

170 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 66 38.8%
Loud Commercials 29 17.1%
Availability 27 15.9%
Indecency 14 8.2%
Equipment 13 7.6%
Interference 13 7.6%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 6 3.5%
Privacy 2 1.2%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Loud Commercials and Availability among the most common.

Internet complaints

139 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 62 44.6%
Speed 30 21.6%
Availability 24 17.3%
Equipment 7 5.0%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 6 4.3%
Privacy 6 4.3%
Interference 4 2.9%

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

Unwanted calls

There were 866 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 61.3% 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
(503) 468-5336 5 0.6%
(405) 767-6600 4 0.5%
(662) 546-1420 4 0.5%
(914) 364-5004 3 0.3%
(201) 386-1093 2 0.2%
(201) 386-9308 2 0.2%
(209) 753-0561 2 0.2%
(214) 356-9631 2 0.2%
(234) 200-0827 2 0.2%
(408) 654-4446 2 0.2%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
  • Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
  • (503) 468-5336 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 3 April 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.