FCC Consumer Complaints – 29 August 2018
Introduction
A total of 1225 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday, 29 August 2018, complaint volume fell from 1284 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 858 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1225
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (858)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (135)
Where the complaints came from
On 29 August 2018, the 1225 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 798 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 135 | 11.0% |
| Texas | 94 | 7.7% |
| Florida | 89 | 7.3% |
| New York | 71 | 5.8% |
| Ohio | 53 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 47 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 45 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 44 | 3.6% |
| Maryland | 41 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 41 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 558 | 45.6% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 84 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 1014 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1014 | 82.8% |
| Internet | 98 | 8.0% |
| TV | 90 | 7.3% |
| Radio | 18 | 1.5% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
1014 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 82.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 858 | 84.6% |
| Billing | 63 | 6.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 30 | 3.0% |
| Equipment | 22 | 2.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 12 | 1.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 8 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.2% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
98 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 35.7% |
| Availability | 21 | 21.4% |
| Speed | 18 | 18.4% |
| Privacy | 9 | 9.2% |
| Equipment | 8 | 8.2% |
| Interference | 7 | 7.1% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
90 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 45 | 50.0% |
| Availability | 15 | 16.7% |
| Equipment | 14 | 15.6% |
| Indecency | 7 | 7.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 6.7% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
858 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 70% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (803) 794-1848 | 9 | 1.0% |
| (301) 223-3002 | 7 | 0.8% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (803) 794-2137 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (201) 200-0067 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (217) 883-4240 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (385) 220-6973 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (626) 699-4587 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (803) 794-2368 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (929) 397-2740 | 3 | 0.3% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (301) 223-3002 | 6 | 0.7% |
| (217) 883-4240 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (803) 794-2368 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (201) 200-0067 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (385) 220-6973 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (803) 794-1848 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (929) 397-2740 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (201) 200-0065 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (201) 942-1980 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (202) 253-2594 | 2 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (301) 223-3002 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (803) 794-1848 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.