FCC Consumer Complaints – 19 July 2018

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1321 consumer complaints on Thursday, 19 July 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1352 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 946 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1321
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (946)
Most reported state/territory
California (167)

Where the complaints came from

Across 823 cities in 50 states and territories, a total of 1321 complaints were recorded on 19 July 2018. 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 167 12.6%
Florida 115 8.7%
Texas 111 8.4%
Washington 70 5.3%
New York 69 5.2%
Colorado 45 3.4%
Ohio 45 3.4%
Georgia 41 3.1%
New Jersey 41 3.1%
Illinois 39 3.0%
Other states and territories 577 43.7%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 1123 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 1123 85.0%
Internet 98 7.4%
TV 82 6.2%
Radio 16 1.2%
Accessibility 1 0.1%
Emergency 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

1123 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 85.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 946 84.2%
Billing 62 5.5%
Availability (including rural call completion) 30 2.7%
Equipment 30 2.7%
Privacy 13 1.2%
Junk Faxes 12 1.1%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 11 1.0%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 11 1.0%
Interference (including signal jammers) 8 0.7%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided 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

98 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 27 27.6%
Availability 23 23.5%
Speed 22 22.4%
Privacy 12 12.2%
Equipment 9 9.2%
Interference 5 5.1%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.

TV complaints

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

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 30 36.6%
Availability 16 19.5%
Equipment 15 18.3%
Loud Commercials 8 9.8%
Indecency 7 8.5%
Interference 4 4.9%
Privacy 2 2.4%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Equipment among the most common.

Unwanted calls

There were 946 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 71.6% 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
(229) 207-2268 12 1.3%
(712) 201-2384 6 0.6%
(339) 368-7141 4 0.4%
(513) 973-1075 4 0.4%
(800) 945-2000 3 0.3%
(877) 790-3355 3 0.3%
(205) 905-6209 2 0.2%
(210) 888-9075 2 0.2%
(225) 310-6178 2 0.2%
(240) 204-9191 2 0.2%

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(712) 201-2384 8 0.8%
(229) 207-2268 7 0.7%
(513) 973-1075 4 0.4%
(210) 888-9075 3 0.3%
(225) 310-6178 3 0.3%
(240) 490-9122 3 0.3%
(617) 862-0856 3 0.3%
(704) 709-8945 3 0.3%
(206) 460-0183 2 0.2%
(214) 725-1171 2 0.2%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
  • (712) 201-2384 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
  • (229) 207-2268 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 19 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.