FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 May 2018

Introduction

On Thursday, 17 May 2018, 1318 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1454 complaints the previous day. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 926 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1318
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (926)
Most reported state/territory
California (161)

Where the complaints came from

The 1318 complaints recorded on 17 May 2018 originated from 851 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. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.

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

State/Territory Complaints
California 161 12.2%
Florida 118 9.0%
Texas 100 7.6%
New York 95 7.2%
Illinois 53 4.0%
Pennsylvania 51 3.9%
Ohio 44 3.3%
Michigan 43 3.3%
Virginia 42 3.2%
Arizona 40 3.0%
Other states and territories 568 43.1%

What the complaints were about

A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1101 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 1101 83.5%
TV 100 7.6%
Internet 95 7.2%
Radio 16 1.2%
Accessibility 4 0.3%
Emergency 1 0.1%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

1101 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 926 84.1%
Billing 70 6.4%
Privacy 26 2.4%
Equipment 21 1.9%
Availability (including rural call completion) 20 1.8%
Junk Faxes 12 1.1%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 10 0.9%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 8 0.7%
Interference (including signal jammers) 7 0.6%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Privacy and Equipment.

TV complaints

100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 43 43.0%
Availability 24 24.0%
Equipment 16 16.0%
Indecency 6 6.0%
Interference 5 5.0%
Loud Commercials 4 4.0%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 1.0%
Privacy 1 1.0%

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

Internet complaints

95 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 26 27.4%
Speed 20 21.1%
Availability 17 17.9%
Interference 13 13.7%
Equipment 9 9.5%
Privacy 9 9.5%
Open Internet/Net Neutrality 1 1.1%

Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.

Unwanted calls

926 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 70.3% 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
(339) 215-3157 26 2.8%
(631) 520-7509 6 0.6%
(217) 450-9605 4 0.4%
(720) 227-4504 3 0.3%
(888) 982-7069 3 0.3%
(202) 495-2266 2 0.2%
(252) 262-2628 2 0.2%
(315) 308-4086 2 0.2%
(330) 736-1627 2 0.2%
(336) 656-8073 2 0.2%

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(339) 215-3157 29 3.1%
(631) 520-7509 6 0.6%
(609) 279-0110 3 0.3%
(720) 227-4504 3 0.3%
(833) 768-7089 3 0.3%
(888) 982-7069 3 0.3%
(915) 245-4952 3 0.3%
(202) 956-4327 2 0.2%
(206) 414-3872 2 0.2%
(315) 308-4086 2 0.2%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (339) 215-3157 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
  • (339) 215-3157 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 17 May 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.