FCC Consumer Complaints – 13 September 2018

Introduction

On 13 September 2018, 1316 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 1257 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 905 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1316
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (905)
Most reported state/territory
California (124)

Where the complaints came from

On 13 September 2018, the 1316 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 858 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaint activity was widely distributed across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a notable share of reports. 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 124 9.4%
Texas 97 7.4%
Ohio 89 6.8%
New York 87 6.6%
Florida 78 5.9%
Illinois 68 5.2%
New Jersey 51 3.9%
Pennsylvania 49 3.7%
Georgia 44 3.3%
Wisconsin 39 3.0%
Other states and territories 587 44.6%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 1077 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 1077 81.8%
Internet 126 9.6%
TV 96 7.3%
Radio 9 0.7%
Accessibility 5 0.4%
Emergency 3 0.2%

Phone complaints

1077 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 81.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 905 84.0%
Billing 60 5.6%
Availability (including rural call completion) 27 2.5%
Equipment 24 2.2%
Junk Faxes 20 1.9%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 14 1.3%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 12 1.1%
Interference (including signal jammers) 8 0.7%
Privacy 6 0.6%
Rural Call Completion 1 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 45 35.7%
Billing 33 26.2%
Privacy 15 11.9%
Speed 14 11.1%
Equipment 10 7.9%
Interference 9 7.1%

Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

TV complaints

96 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 45 46.9%
Availability 24 25.0%
Equipment 13 13.5%
Loud Commercials 7 7.3%
Indecency 6 6.3%
Privacy 1 1.0%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 13 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.