FCC Consumer Complaints – 23 April 2018

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1140 consumer complaints on Monday, 23 April 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 278 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 790 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1140
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (790)
Most reported state/territory
California (136)

Where the complaints came from

The 1140 complaints recorded on 23 April 2018 were submitted from 776 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 136 11.9%
Florida 92 8.1%
New York 83 7.3%
Texas 77 6.8%
Pennsylvania 51 4.5%
Illinois 37 3.2%
Virginia 37 3.2%
Georgia 36 3.2%
Washington 34 3.0%
Maryland 33 2.9%
Other states and territories 517 45.4%

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 937 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 937 82.2%
Internet 102 8.9%
TV 79 6.9%
Radio 18 1.6%
Emergency 2 0.2%
Accessibility 1 0.1%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

937 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 82.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 790 84.3%
Billing 67 7.2%
Availability (including rural call completion) 19 2.0%
Privacy 19 2.0%
Junk Faxes 11 1.2%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 9 1.0%
Equipment 9 1.0%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 9 1.0%
Interference (including signal jammers) 3 0.3%
Rural Call Completion 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Privacy.

Internet complaints

102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 41 40.2%
Availability 16 15.7%
Speed 11 10.8%
Equipment 10 9.8%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 10 9.8%
Interference 8 7.8%
Privacy 6 5.9%

Billing was the most commonly reported issue in this category, while other issues occurred less frequently.

TV complaints

79 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 44 55.7%
Availability 11 13.9%
Equipment 11 13.9%
Loud Commercials 6 7.6%
Indecency 4 5.1%
Interference 3 3.8%

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

Unwanted calls

790 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 69.3% 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
(980) 242-3698 9 1.1%
(929) 268-0864 7 0.9%
(718) 807-4999 5 0.6%
(609) 606-9030 3 0.4%
(845) 514-9690 3 0.4%
(929) 268-1055 3 0.4%
(307) 275-3075 2 0.3%
(404) 585-6588 2 0.3%
(410) 364-0852 2 0.3%
(415) 614-7382 2 0.3%

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(980) 242-3698 10 1.3%
(929) 268-0864 6 0.8%
(718) 807-4999 5 0.6%
(404) 585-6588 4 0.5%
(929) 268-1055 4 0.5%
(509) 383-4538 3 0.4%
(703) 348-6954 3 0.4%
(845) 514-9690 3 0.4%
(848) 224-7608 3 0.4%
(202) 241-0905 2 0.3%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (980) 242-3698 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
  • (980) 242-3698 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 23 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.