FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 July 2018

Introduction

On Monday, 16 July 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1280 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 277 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 876 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1280
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (876)
Most reported state/territory
California (179)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 16 July 2018 show 1280 complaints originating from 810 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. 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 179 14.0%
Texas 112 8.8%
Florida 87 6.8%
New York 61 4.8%
New Jersey 55 4.3%
Illinois 47 3.7%
Virginia 44 3.4%
Michigan 43 3.4%
Pennsylvania 43 3.4%
North Carolina 39 3.0%
Other states and territories 567 44.3%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 1078 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 1078 84.2%
Internet 94 7.3%
TV 79 6.2%
Radio 26 2.0%
Emergency 2 0.2%
Accessibility 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

1078 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 84.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 876 81.3%
Billing 91 8.4%
Availability (including rural call completion) 37 3.4%
Equipment 27 2.5%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 13 1.2%
Junk Faxes 11 1.0%
Privacy 8 0.7%
Interference (including signal jammers) 7 0.6%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 4 0.4%
Rural Call Completion 2 0.2%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 2 0.2%

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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.

Internet complaints

94 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 35 37.2%
Availability 24 25.5%
Equipment 11 11.7%
Speed 11 11.7%
Interference 7 7.4%
Privacy 6 6.4%

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

TV complaints

79 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 30 38.0%
Availability 21 26.6%
Equipment 9 11.4%
Interference 8 10.1%
Indecency 6 7.6%
Loud Commercials 4 5.1%
Privacy 1 1.3%

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

Unwanted calls

There were 876 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 68.4% 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
(614) 927-0428 23 2.6%
(443) 233-6281 5 0.6%
(614) 927-1817 4 0.5%
(806) 414-3163 4 0.5%
(832) 793-6078 4 0.5%
(586) 371-7341 3 0.3%
(725) 223-1092 3 0.3%
(202) 712-5741 2 0.2%
(240) 204-8264 2 0.2%
(267) 841-6010 2 0.2%

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(614) 927-0428 19 2.2%
(614) 927-1817 7 0.8%
(806) 414-3163 6 0.7%
(832) 793-6078 4 0.5%
(513) 973-1075 3 0.3%
(725) 223-1092 3 0.3%
(202) 712-5741 2 0.2%
(206) 279-2774 2 0.2%
(240) 900-1808 2 0.2%
(267) 841-6010 2 0.2%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
  • (614) 927-0428 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
  • (614) 927-0428 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 16 July 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.