FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 April 2018

Introduction

On Sunday, 8 April 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 294 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 550 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 40 states and territories, with Illinois reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 119 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
294
States & territories reporting
40
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (119)
Most reported state/territory
Illinois (51)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 8 April 2018 show 294 complaints originating from 187 cities across 40 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in Illinois, where Orland park accounted for 38 of the 51 complaints recorded in the state.

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
Illinois 51 17.3%
California 31 10.5%
New York 21 7.1%
Texas 17 5.8%
Florida 16 5.4%
Pennsylvania 12 4.1%
Virginia 12 4.1%
Colorado 11 3.7%
Maine 11 3.7%
Maryland 10 3.4%
Other states and territories 102 34.7%

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 24 different cities.

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 171 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 171 58.2%
TV 45 15.3%
Radio 42 14.3%
Internet 34 11.6%
Emergency 1 0.3%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.3%

Phone complaints

171 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 58.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 119 69.6%
Billing 18 10.5%
Equipment 8 4.7%
Interference (including signal jammers) 8 4.7%
Availability (including rural call completion) 6 3.5%
Privacy 5 2.9%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 4 2.3%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 2 1.2%
Junk Faxes 1 0.6%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Interference (including signal jammers).

TV complaints

45 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 13 28.9%
Indecency 13 28.9%
Equipment 7 15.6%
Availability 5 11.1%
Loud Commercials 4 8.9%
Interference 3 6.7%

Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Indecency and Equipment.

Radio complaints

42 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Indecency 37 88.1%
Interference 3 7.1%
Pirate Radio 2 4.8%

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

Internet complaints

34 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Speed 9 26.5%
Availability 7 20.6%
Billing 7 20.6%
Privacy 4 11.8%
Interference 3 8.8%
Equipment 2 5.9%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 2 5.9%

Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Speed, Availability and Billing.

Unwanted calls

There were 119 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 40.5% 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
(813) 533-9563 8 6.7%
(512) 634-0520 4 3.4%
(209) 631-4758 3 2.5%
(773) 839-6232 3 2.5%
(202) 700-4411 1 0.8%
(202) 747-7530 1 0.8%
(203) 587-8466 1 0.8%
(207) 457-0316 1 0.8%
(207) 558-3717 1 0.8%
(207) 795-2312 1 0.8%

Key patterns

  • Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
  • (813) 533-9563 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 8 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.