FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 September 2018
Introduction
On Friday, 14 September 2018, 1157 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1316 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 815 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1157
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (815)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (134)
Where the complaints came from
The 1157 complaints recorded on 14 September 2018 originated from 773 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. 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 | 134 | 11.6% |
| Texas | 107 | 9.2% |
| New York | 91 | 7.9% |
| Florida | 68 | 5.9% |
| Illinois | 55 | 4.8% |
| Ohio | 50 | 4.3% |
| New Jersey | 46 | 4.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 43 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 35 | 3.0% |
| Arizona | 33 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 493 | 42.6% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 962 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 962 | 83.1% |
| Internet | 90 | 7.8% |
| TV | 88 | 7.6% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
962 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 815 | 84.7% |
| Billing | 63 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 24 | 2.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 20 | 2.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 14 | 1.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 8 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.3% |
| 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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
90 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 28 | 31.1% |
| Speed | 22 | 24.4% |
| Availability | 18 | 20.0% |
| Equipment | 10 | 11.1% |
| Interference | 7 | 7.8% |
| Privacy | 5 | 5.6% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 31 | 35.2% |
| Billing | 31 | 35.2% |
| Equipment | 10 | 11.4% |
| Indecency | 6 | 6.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 5.7% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 815 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 70.4% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (201) 204-1224 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (260) 799-6334 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (706) 264-9569 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (740) 870-0134 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (201) 204-1146 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (201) 204-1322 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (207) 387-7039 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (214) 888-9348 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (509) 317-9860 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (209) 267-4367 | 2 | 0.2% |
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) 204-1224 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.