FCC Consumer Complaints – 15 September 2018

Introduction

On Saturday, 15 September 2018, 362 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 1157 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 41 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 195 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
362
States & territories reporting
41
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (195)
Most reported state/territory
California (47)

Where the complaints came from

The 362 complaints recorded on 15 September 2018 were submitted from 289 cities across 41 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 47 13.0%
Florida 40 11.0%
Illinois 23 6.4%
New Jersey 23 6.4%
Texas 22 6.1%
New York 20 5.5%
Georgia 14 3.9%
Washington 14 3.9%
Colorado 12 3.3%
Nevada 12 3.3%
Other states and territories 135 37.3%

What the complaints were about

A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 252 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 252 69.6%
Internet 58 16.0%
TV 45 12.4%
Radio 5 1.4%
Accessibility 2 0.6%

Phone complaints

252 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 195 77.4%
Billing 20 7.9%
Equipment 13 5.2%
Availability (including rural call completion) 9 3.6%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 6 2.4%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 2 0.8%
Interference (including signal jammers) 2 0.8%
Junk Faxes 2 0.8%
Privacy 2 0.8%
Rural Call Completion 1 0.4%

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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).

Internet complaints

58 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 16 27.6%
Availability 14 24.1%
Speed 11 19.0%
Equipment 6 10.3%
Interference 6 10.3%
Privacy 5 8.6%

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

TV complaints

45 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 19 42.2%
Availability 14 31.1%
Indecency 5 11.1%
Loud Commercials 3 6.7%
Privacy 3 6.7%
Equipment 1 2.2%

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

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 15 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.