FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 April 2018

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 281 consumer complaints on Sunday, 15 April 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 475 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 44 states and territories, with California accounting for the largest number of submissions at 40 complaints. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 104 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
281
States & territories reporting
44
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (104)
Most reported state/territory
California (40)

Where the complaints came from

Across 226 cities in 44 states and territories, a total of 281 complaints were recorded on 15 April 2018. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

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 40 14.2%
Florida 20 7.1%
Texas 17 6.0%
Ohio 14 5.0%
Arizona 13 4.6%
Georgia 11 3.9%
Washington 11 3.9%
Indiana 10 3.6%
New York 10 3.6%
New Jersey 9 3.2%
Other states and territories 126 44.8%

Location highlight

California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 31 different cities.

What the complaints were about

A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 165 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 165 58.7%
TV 54 19.2%
Internet 44 15.7%
Radio 8 2.8%
Accessibility 7 2.5%
Emergency 2 0.7%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.4%

Phone complaints

165 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 58.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 104 63.0%
Billing 14 8.5%
Privacy 13 7.9%
Equipment 12 7.3%
Availability (including rural call completion) 7 4.2%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 5 3.0%
Interference (including signal jammers) 5 3.0%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 4 2.4%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Privacy and Equipment.

TV complaints

54 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 18 33.3%
Loud Commercials 13 24.1%
Availability 10 18.5%
Indecency 7 13.0%
Equipment 3 5.6%
Privacy 2 3.7%
Interference 1 1.9%

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

Internet complaints

44 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Speed 18 40.9%
Billing 9 20.5%
Availability 8 18.2%
Interference 4 9.1%
Privacy 3 6.8%
Equipment 1 2.3%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 2.3%

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

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 15 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.