FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 August 2018
Introduction
On 18 August 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 394 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1094 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 44 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 214 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 394
- States & territories reporting
- 44
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (214)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (53)
Where the complaints came from
On 18 August 2018, the 394 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 324 cities across 44 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 | 53 | 13.5% |
| Texas | 31 | 7.9% |
| Florida | 29 | 7.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 27 | 6.9% |
| New York | 21 | 5.3% |
| Illinois | 20 | 5.1% |
| North Carolina | 14 | 3.6% |
| New Jersey | 14 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 14 | 3.6% |
| Colorado | 13 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 158 | 40.1% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 39 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 4 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 279 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 279 | 70.8% |
| Internet | 60 | 15.2% |
| TV | 46 | 11.7% |
| Radio | 9 | 2.3% |
Phone complaints
279 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 214 | 76.7% |
| Billing | 23 | 8.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 12 | 4.3% |
| Equipment | 10 | 3.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 2.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 4 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.7% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
60 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 16 | 26.7% |
| Billing | 14 | 23.3% |
| Speed | 10 | 16.7% |
| Equipment | 7 | 11.7% |
| Privacy | 7 | 11.7% |
| Interference | 6 | 10.0% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Speed.
TV complaints
46 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 17 | 37.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 26.1% |
| Equipment | 8 | 17.4% |
| Availability | 6 | 13.0% |
| Indecency | 2 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 2.2% |
Billing and Loud Commercials were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less 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.