FCC Consumer Complaints – September 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 27452 consumer complaints in September 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 29901 complaints recorded the previous month. The complaints came from 55 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 18018 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 27452
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (18018)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3142)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 915.1 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1399 complaints on 26 September 2018, with 19 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 2 September 2018, with 239 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In September 2018, the 27452 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 5974 cities across 55 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 113 of the 127 complaints recorded.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3142 | 11.4% |
| Texas | 2262 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 2147 | 7.8% |
| New York | 1555 | 5.7% |
| Illinois | 1190 | 4.3% |
| Ohio | 1172 | 4.3% |
| New Jersey | 1095 | 4.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 1057 | 3.9% |
| Virginia | 950 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 814 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 12018 | 43.8% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for the majority of complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 21944 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 21944 | 79.9% |
| TV | 2611 | 9.5% |
| Internet | 2450 | 8.9% |
| Radio | 337 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 70 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 32 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 8 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
21944 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 79.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 18018 | 82.1% |
| Billing | 1370 | 6.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 781 | 3.6% |
| Equipment | 699 | 3.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 248 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 248 | 1.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 234 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 166 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 145 | 0.7% |
| Rural Call Completion | 22 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 13 | 0.1% |
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.
TV complaints
2611 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1022 | 39.1% |
| Availability | 682 | 26.1% |
| Equipment | 281 | 10.8% |
| Indecency | 278 | 10.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 201 | 7.7% |
| Interference | 108 | 4.1% |
| Privacy | 39 | 1.5% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
2450 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 765 | 31.2% |
| Availability | 606 | 24.7% |
| Speed | 458 | 18.7% |
| Interference | 234 | 9.6% |
| Equipment | 200 | 8.2% |
| Privacy | 187 | 7.6% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
337 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 128 | 38.0% |
| Indecency | 73 | 21.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 54 | 16.0% |
| Availability | 25 | 7.4% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 23 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 23 | 6.8% |
| Billing | 11 | 3.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Indecency and Pirate Radio.
Accessibility complaints
70 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 42 | 60.0% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 15 | 21.4% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 8 | 11.4% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 2 | 2.9% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 1.4% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
32 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 14 | 43.8% |
| Phone | 8 | 25.0% |
| Other | 5 | 15.6% |
| Tower | 5 | 15.6% |
Interference and Phone accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
18018 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 65.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 847-2911 | 42 | 0.2% |
| (216) 330-4430 | 32 | 0.2% |
| (201) 215-5804 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (857) 270-7938 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (740) 870-0134 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (929) 214-1252 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (619) 378-1999 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (806) 414-3163 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (551) 225-8299 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (201) 215-5715 | 13 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 34 | 0.2% |
| (800) 847-2911 | 25 | 0.1% |
| (857) 270-7938 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (740) 870-0134 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (929) 214-1252 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (360) 205-9659 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (806) 414-3163 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (551) 225-8299 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (201) 215-5804 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (202) 643-3394 | 11 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (800) 847-2911 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.