FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 September 2018

Introduction

A total of 1244 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday, 6 September 2018, complaint volume increased from 1172 complaints 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 844 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1244
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (844)
Most reported state/territory
California (142)

Where the complaints came from

Across 811 cities in 52 states and territories, a total of 1244 complaints were recorded on 6 September 2018. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory 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 table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 142 11.4%
Texas 109 8.8%
Florida 107 8.6%
Illinois 83 6.7%
New York 74 5.9%
Georgia 55 4.4%
Pennsylvania 47 3.8%
Ohio 40 3.2%
New Jersey 39 3.1%
North Carolina 38 3.1%
Other states and territories 509 40.9%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 1028 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 1028 82.6%
TV 103 8.3%
Internet 97 7.8%
Radio 12 1.0%
Accessibility 2 0.2%
Emergency 2 0.2%

Phone complaints

1028 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 82.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 844 82.1%
Billing 61 5.9%
Availability (including rural call completion) 41 4.0%
Equipment 33 3.2%
Junk Faxes 19 1.8%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 11 1.1%
Privacy 9 0.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 0.6%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 2 0.2%
Rural Call Completion 1 0.1%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

TV complaints

103 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 53 51.5%
Availability 15 14.6%
Equipment 14 13.6%
Indecency 9 8.7%
Interference 7 6.8%
Privacy 3 2.9%
Loud Commercials 2 1.9%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Internet complaints

97 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 34 35.1%
Availability 24 24.7%
Speed 21 21.6%
Equipment 7 7.2%
Interference 7 7.2%
Privacy 4 4.1%

Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 6 September 2018.

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.