FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 April 2018
Introduction
On Thursday, 26 April 2018, 1370 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1436 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 1017 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1370
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (1017)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (188)
Where the complaints came from
The 1370 complaints recorded on 26 April 2018 were submitted from 876 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 188 | 13.7% |
| Florida | 95 | 6.9% |
| Texas | 89 | 6.5% |
| New York | 71 | 5.2% |
| Ohio | 61 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 57 | 4.2% |
| North Carolina | 51 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 48 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 44 | 3.2% |
| Colorado | 41 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 620 | 45.3% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 114 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1186 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1186 | 86.6% |
| TV | 88 | 6.4% |
| Internet | 71 | 5.2% |
| Radio | 23 | 1.7% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1186 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 86.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 1017 | 85.8% |
| Billing | 81 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 25 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 18 | 1.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 14 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 0.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 7 | 0.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.4% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Privacy.
TV complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 55 | 62.5% |
| Equipment | 12 | 13.6% |
| Availability | 9 | 10.2% |
| Indecency | 4 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing and Equipment were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 29 | 40.8% |
| Availability | 15 | 21.1% |
| Speed | 11 | 15.5% |
| Interference | 5 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.6% |
| Privacy | 4 | 5.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 3 | 4.2% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 1017 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 74.2% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (980) 242-3698 | 16 | 1.6% |
| (773) 273-6136 | 11 | 1.1% |
| (929) 800-4547 | 6 | 0.6% |
| (910) 830-0147 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (914) 412-2452 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (518) 772-6281 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (616) 669-6824 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (831) 217-0351 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (301) 298-1634 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (360) 209-0505 | 3 | 0.3% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (980) 242-3698 | 15 | 1.5% |
| (773) 273-6136 | 10 | 1.0% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 6 | 0.6% |
| (831) 217-0351 | 6 | 0.6% |
| (914) 412-2452 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (518) 772-6281 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (914) 512-5975 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (929) 800-4547 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (585) 633-2027 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (845) 514-9692 | 3 | 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.
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.