FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 April 2018
Introduction
On Monday, 16 April 2018, 1239 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 281 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 833 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1239
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (833)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (124)
Where the complaints came from
The 1239 complaints recorded on 16 April 2018 were submitted from 809 cities across 52 states and territories. 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 | 124 | 10.0% |
| Florida | 94 | 7.6% |
| Texas | 88 | 7.1% |
| New York | 69 | 5.6% |
| North Carolina | 57 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 55 | 4.4% |
| Virginia | 52 | 4.2% |
| New Jersey | 45 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 38 | 3.1% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 572 | 46.2% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1014 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1014 | 81.8% |
| TV | 105 | 8.5% |
| Internet | 104 | 8.4% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1014 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 81.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 833 | 82.1% |
| Billing | 76 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 22 | 2.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 21 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 20 | 2.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 14 | 1.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 4 | 0.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
105 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 56 | 53.3% |
| Availability | 16 | 15.2% |
| Equipment | 11 | 10.5% |
| Indecency | 9 | 8.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 6.7% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.9% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 27 | 26.0% |
| Billing | 25 | 24.0% |
| Speed | 22 | 21.2% |
| Interference | 13 | 12.5% |
| Privacy | 7 | 6.7% |
| Equipment | 5 | 4.8% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 4.8% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Speed.
Unwanted calls
833 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 67.2% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (646) 434-6445 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (810) 213-2063 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (631) 609-9160 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (631) 731-7457 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (858) 222-0654 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (215) 274-3008 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (252) 875-2681 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (415) 671-4147 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (502) 294-0321 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (585) 633-0817 | 3 | 0.4% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (646) 434-6445 | 6 | 0.7% |
| (585) 633-0817 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (631) 609-9160 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (810) 213-2063 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (858) 222-0654 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (858) 222-1045 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (281) 899-0575 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (415) 671-4147 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (502) 294-0321 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (607) 643-7930 | 3 | 0.4% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (646) 434-6445 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.