FCC Consumer Complaints – 25 April 2018
Introduction
A total of 1436 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 25 April 2018, this was higher than the 1382 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 54 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 1010 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1436
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (1010)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (174)
Where the complaints came from
On 25 April 2018, the 1436 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 940 cities across 54 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 distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 174 | 12.1% |
| Texas | 106 | 7.4% |
| Florida | 102 | 7.1% |
| New York | 81 | 5.6% |
| Ohio | 58 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 50 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 49 | 3.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 49 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 48 | 3.3% |
| Maryland | 48 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 670 | 46.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1208 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1208 | 84.1% |
| TV | 120 | 8.4% |
| Internet | 84 | 5.8% |
| Radio | 20 | 1.4% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 3 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1208 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 84.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 1010 | 83.6% |
| Billing | 87 | 7.2% |
| Privacy | 23 | 1.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 21 | 1.7% |
| Equipment | 19 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 11 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 11 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 2 | 0.2% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Privacy and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
120 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 57 | 47.5% |
| Availability | 29 | 24.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 10.0% |
| Equipment | 11 | 9.2% |
| Indecency | 6 | 5.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 2.5% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 1 | 0.8% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.8% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
84 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 35.7% |
| Availability | 15 | 17.9% |
| Speed | 13 | 15.5% |
| Privacy | 8 | 9.5% |
| Interference | 7 | 8.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 7.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 5 | 6.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Unwanted calls
There were 1010 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 70.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (980) 242-3698 | 40 | 4.0% |
| (585) 633-2027 | 6 | 0.6% |
| (910) 830-0147 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (646) 897-6140 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (914) 401-5967 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (914) 530-8917 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (202) 381-1389 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (203) 747-8079 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (206) 201-0434 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (325) 208-0611 | 2 | 0.2% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (980) 242-3698 | 32 | 3.2% |
| (914) 530-8917 | 6 | 0.6% |
| (585) 633-2027 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (914) 401-5967 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (914) 530-8959 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (909) 343-1769 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (203) 441-7004 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (205) 700-5858 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (320) 289-7112 | 2 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (980) 242-3698 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (980) 242-3698 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.