FCC Consumer Complaints – May 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 31997 consumer complaints in May 2018 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 30879 complaints the previous month. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 21992 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 31997
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (21992)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (4141)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 1032.2 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 31 May 2018, when 1460 complaints were recorded, and 22 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 27 May 2018, with 196 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 31997 complaints recorded in May 2018 were submitted from 6243 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 160 of the 169 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 4141 | 12.9% |
| Florida | 2658 | 8.3% |
| Texas | 2474 | 7.7% |
| New York | 1751 | 5.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 1230 | 3.8% |
| Illinois | 1204 | 3.8% |
| Ohio | 1119 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 1012 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 967 | 3.0% |
| Michigan | 963 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 14410 | 45.0% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 26425 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 26425 | 82.6% |
| TV | 2580 | 8.1% |
| Internet | 2359 | 7.4% |
| Radio | 511 | 1.6% |
| Accessibility | 64 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 40 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 18 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
26425 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 82.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 21992 | 83.2% |
| Billing | 1710 | 6.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 680 | 2.6% |
| Equipment | 657 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 485 | 1.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 277 | 1.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 251 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 186 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 141 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 19 | 0.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 18 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 8 | 0.0% |
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 Equipment.
TV complaints
2580 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1106 | 42.9% |
| Availability | 523 | 20.3% |
| Indecency | 328 | 12.7% |
| Equipment | 284 | 11.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 194 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 91 | 3.5% |
| Privacy | 41 | 1.6% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 11 | 0.4% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
2359 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 757 | 32.1% |
| Availability | 549 | 23.3% |
| Speed | 440 | 18.7% |
| Interference | 189 | 8.0% |
| Privacy | 182 | 7.7% |
| Equipment | 167 | 7.1% |
| Open Internet/Net Neutrality | 75 | 3.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
511 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 235 | 46.0% |
| Interference | 132 | 25.8% |
| Pirate Radio | 61 | 11.9% |
| Availability | 28 | 5.5% |
| Equipment | 23 | 4.5% |
| Billing | 17 | 3.3% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 15 | 2.9% |
Indecency and Interference accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
64 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 25 | 39.1% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 14 | 21.9% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 10 | 15.6% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 3 | 4.7% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 3.1% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
40 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 17 | 42.5% |
| Interference | 9 | 22.5% |
| Tower | 8 | 20.0% |
| Phone | 6 | 15.0% |
Other and Interference accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 21992 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 68.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (336) 436-9730 | 91 | 0.4% |
| (505) 210-7610 | 57 | 0.3% |
| (727) 205-0332 | 53 | 0.2% |
| (351) 277-2504 | 45 | 0.2% |
| (202) 860-3406 | 41 | 0.2% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 41 | 0.2% |
| (339) 215-3157 | 40 | 0.2% |
| (708) 270-0644 | 37 | 0.2% |
| (754) 240-0126 | 33 | 0.2% |
| (281) 204-0500 | 31 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (336) 436-9730 | 86 | 0.4% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 71 | 0.3% |
| (505) 210-7610 | 45 | 0.2% |
| (727) 205-0332 | 42 | 0.2% |
| (339) 215-3157 | 39 | 0.2% |
| (754) 240-0126 | 37 | 0.2% |
| (202) 860-3406 | 32 | 0.1% |
| (218) 292-1022 | 28 | 0.1% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 28 | 0.1% |
| (708) 270-0644 | 27 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (336) 436-9730 stood out as both the most frequently reported business contact number and 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.