FCC Consumer Complaints – 9 September 2018

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 308 consumer complaints on Sunday, 9 September 2018 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 465 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 45 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 117 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
308
States & territories reporting
45
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (117)
Most reported state/territory
California (41)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 308 complaints were recorded on 9 September 2018, with reports originating from 220 cities in 45 states and territories. 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 distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 41 13.3%
Ohio 32 10.4%
Texas 30 9.7%
Florida 15 4.9%
Kentucky 13 4.2%
Massachusetts 13 4.2%
Georgia 11 3.6%
Pennsylvania 11 3.6%
Illinois 10 3.2%
Virginia 10 3.2%
Other states and territories 122 39.6%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 172 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 172 55.8%
TV 71 23.1%
Internet 44 14.3%
Accessibility 13 4.2%
Radio 8 2.6%

Phone complaints

172 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 55.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 117 68.0%
Equipment 20 11.6%
Billing 15 8.7%
Availability (including rural call completion) 6 3.5%
Privacy 4 2.3%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 3 1.7%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 2 1.2%
Interference (including signal jammers) 2 1.2%
Junk Faxes 2 1.2%
Rural Call Completion 1 0.6%

As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Equipment, Billing and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.

TV complaints

71 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 23.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 23 32.4%
Indecency 13 18.3%
Loud Commercials 12 16.9%
Billing 11 15.5%
Equipment 7 9.9%
Interference 4 5.6%
Privacy 1 1.4%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Indecency and Loud Commercials among the most common.

Internet complaints

44 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 20 45.5%
Speed 9 20.5%
Availability 6 13.6%
Interference 4 9.1%
Privacy 3 6.8%
Equipment 2 4.5%

Billing and Speed accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 9 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.