FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 September 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1172 consumer complaints on 5 September 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 1169 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 815 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1172
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (815)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (120)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1172 complaints were recorded on 5 September 2018, with reports originating from 789 cities in 52 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 | 120 | 10.2% |
| Florida | 95 | 8.1% |
| Texas | 88 | 7.5% |
| New York | 66 | 5.6% |
| New Jersey | 59 | 5.0% |
| Ohio | 54 | 4.6% |
| Illinois | 48 | 4.1% |
| North Carolina | 46 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 41 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 34 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 520 | 44.4% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 973 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 973 | 83.0% |
| Internet | 96 | 8.2% |
| TV | 93 | 7.9% |
| Radio | 7 | 0.6% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
973 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 815 | 83.8% |
| Billing | 60 | 6.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 32 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 28 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 7 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Privacy | 3 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
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
96 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 26 | 27.1% |
| Availability | 21 | 21.9% |
| Speed | 21 | 21.9% |
| Interference | 11 | 11.5% |
| Privacy | 9 | 9.4% |
| Equipment | 8 | 8.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
93 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 44 | 47.3% |
| Availability | 15 | 16.1% |
| Equipment | 13 | 14.0% |
| Indecency | 8 | 8.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 5 | 5.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 815 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 69.5% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (201) 205-4967 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (201) 205-4319 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (404) 537-3150 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (567) 314-8631 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (717) 205-5644 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (718) 489-1540 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (740) 870-0134 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (800) 922-0204 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (806) 414-3163 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (862) 269-1819 | 3 | 0.4% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (201) 205-4967 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.