FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 April 2018

Introduction

On 7 April 2018, 550 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1165 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 303 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
550
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (303)
Most reported state/territory
California (56)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 550 complaints were recorded on 7 April 2018, with reports originating from 396 cities in 51 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in Illinois, where Orland park accounted for 33 of the 53 complaints recorded.

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 56 10.2%
Illinois 53 9.6%
Florida 42 7.6%
Texas 40 7.3%
New York 34 6.2%
Ohio 27 4.9%
Missouri 26 4.7%
North Carolina 18 3.3%
Maryland 17 3.1%
Virginia 16 2.9%
Other states and territories 221 40.2%

Location highlights

  • A large share of complaints in Illinois originated from Orland park, which accounted for most reports within the state.
  • California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 43 different cities.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 382 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 382 69.5%
TV 76 13.8%
Internet 54 9.8%
Radio 36 6.5%
Accessibility 2 0.4%

Phone complaints

382 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 303 79.3%
Billing 27 7.1%
Equipment 15 3.9%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 8 2.1%
Privacy 8 2.1%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 7 1.8%
Availability (including rural call completion) 6 1.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 3 0.8%
Junk Faxes 3 0.8%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 0.3%
Rural Call Completion 1 0.3%

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, Equipment and Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) among the most common.

TV complaints

76 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 20 26.3%
Loud Commercials 20 26.3%
Availability 13 17.1%
Indecency 10 13.2%
Equipment 6 7.9%
Interference 6 7.9%
Privacy 1 1.3%

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

Internet complaints

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

Issue Complaints Share
Speed 19 35.2%
Billing 15 27.8%
Availability 13 24.1%
Equipment 2 3.7%
Interference 2 3.7%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 3.7%
Privacy 1 1.9%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Speed and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Radio complaints

36 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Indecency 33 91.7%
Pirate Radio 2 5.6%
Interference 1 2.8%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Indecency and Pirate Radio, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 7 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.