FCC Consumer Complaints – 12 August 2018
Introduction
A total of 359 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Sunday, 12 August 2018, this represented a decline from the 460 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 47 states and territories, with California recording the largest share of reports at 54 complaints. Unwanted Calls was reported slightly more frequently than other issues.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 359
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (128)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (54)
Where the complaints came from
The 359 complaints recorded on 12 August 2018 were submitted from 288 cities across 47 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 | 54 | 15.0% |
| Texas | 23 | 6.4% |
| New York | 22 | 6.1% |
| Kentucky | 21 | 5.8% |
| Florida | 20 | 5.6% |
| Illinois | 18 | 5.0% |
| Missouri | 16 | 4.5% |
| New Jersey | 11 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 11 | 3.1% |
| Colorado | 10 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 153 | 42.6% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 41 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 186 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 186 | 51.8% |
| TV | 111 | 30.9% |
| Internet | 54 | 15.0% |
| Radio | 7 | 1.9% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
186 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 51.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 128 | 68.8% |
| Billing | 26 | 14.0% |
| Equipment | 11 | 5.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 7 | 3.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 3.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.5% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.5% |
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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
TV complaints
111 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 30.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Loud Commercials | 74 | 66.7% |
| Billing | 19 | 17.1% |
| Equipment | 7 | 6.3% |
| Availability | 6 | 5.4% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.6% |
| Indecency | 1 | 0.9% |
Loud Commercials and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
54 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 17 | 31.5% |
| Billing | 14 | 25.9% |
| Speed | 9 | 16.7% |
| Privacy | 7 | 13.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 7.4% |
| Interference | 3 | 5.6% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Billing and Speed among the most common.
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.