FCC Consumer Complaints – 27 September 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1344 consumer complaints on 27 September 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1399 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 965 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1344
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (965)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (156)
Where the complaints came from
On 27 September 2018, the 1344 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 821 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
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 | 156 | 11.6% |
| Texas | 130 | 9.7% |
| Florida | 117 | 8.7% |
| New York | 54 | 4.0% |
| Ohio | 52 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 52 | 3.9% |
| Illinois | 49 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 46 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 45 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 42 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 599 | 44.6% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 88 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1152 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1152 | 85.7% |
| Internet | 93 | 6.9% |
| TV | 86 | 6.4% |
| Radio | 11 | 0.8% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1152 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 85.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 965 | 83.8% |
| Billing | 47 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 32 | 2.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 29 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 29 | 2.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 23 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 11 | 1.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.5% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
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 Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
93 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 31 | 33.3% |
| Availability | 23 | 24.7% |
| Speed | 14 | 15.1% |
| Privacy | 10 | 10.8% |
| Interference | 8 | 8.6% |
| Equipment | 7 | 7.5% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
TV complaints
86 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 41 | 47.7% |
| Availability | 22 | 25.6% |
| Equipment | 7 | 8.1% |
| Indecency | 7 | 8.1% |
| Interference | 5 | 5.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 4.7% |
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 965 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 71.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (201) 215-5872 | 8 | 0.8% |
| (201) 215-5948 | 8 | 0.8% |
| (201) 215-5804 | 7 | 0.7% |
| (201) 215-5965 | 7 | 0.7% |
| (201) 215-5888 | 6 | 0.6% |
| (800) 847-2911 | 6 | 0.6% |
| (201) 215-5819 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (201) 215-5881 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (201) 215-5958 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (201) 215-5936 | 4 | 0.4% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (201) 215-5872 | 6 | 0.6% |
| (201) 215-5888 | 6 | 0.6% |
| (201) 215-5804 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (201) 215-5881 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (201) 215-5948 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (201) 215-5965 | 5 | 0.5% |
| (201) 215-5936 | 4 | 0.4% |
| (201) 215-5715 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (512) 862-7267 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (601) 667-0055 | 3 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- Several business contact numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.