FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 September 2018

Introduction

On 7 September 2018, 1160 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1244 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 809 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1160
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (809)
Most reported state/territory
California (174)

Where the complaints came from

The 1160 complaints recorded on 7 September 2018 originated from 751 cities across 50 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 table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 174 15.0%
Texas 93 8.0%
Florida 80 6.9%
Illinois 73 6.3%
New York 62 5.3%
New Jersey 48 4.1%
Pennsylvania 41 3.5%
Virginia 41 3.5%
North Carolina 35 3.0%
Georgia 33 2.8%
Other states and territories 480 41.4%

Location highlight

Complaints in California were reported across 88 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 958 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 958 82.6%
Internet 101 8.7%
TV 77 6.6%
Radio 20 1.7%
Accessibility 4 0.3%

Phone complaints

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

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 809 84.4%
Billing 54 5.6%
Equipment 33 3.4%
Availability (including rural call completion) 22 2.3%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 12 1.3%
Interference (including signal jammers) 10 1.0%
Privacy 7 0.7%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 6 0.6%
Junk Faxes 5 0.5%

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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).

Internet complaints

101 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 36 35.6%
Availability 21 20.8%
Speed 20 19.8%
Equipment 10 9.9%
Interference 10 9.9%
Privacy 4 4.0%

The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.

TV complaints

77 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 37 48.1%
Availability 12 15.6%
Equipment 10 13.0%
Indecency 9 11.7%
Loud Commercials 5 6.5%
Privacy 4 5.2%

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

Unwanted calls

A total of 809 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 69.7% 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
(224) 628-7998 5 0.6%
(201) 205-2067 4 0.5%
(201) 205-2015 3 0.4%
(201) 205-2098 3 0.4%
(201) 205-2356 3 0.4%
(201) 205-2237 2 0.2%
(281) 612-0373 2 0.2%
(321) 248-2253 2 0.2%
(323) 617-9800 2 0.2%
(352) 405-9211 2 0.2%

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(469) 513-7239 8 1.0%
(201) 205-2098 3 0.4%
(201) 205-2015 2 0.2%
(201) 205-2067 2 0.2%
(201) 205-2343 2 0.2%
(201) 205-2478 2 0.2%
(281) 612-0373 2 0.2%
(352) 405-9211 2 0.2%
(405) 336-6004 2 0.2%
(502) 373-7028 2 0.2%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
  • (469) 513-7239 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
  • (224) 628-7998 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 7 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.