FCC Consumer Complaints – October 2018
Introduction
In October 2018, 33085 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 27452 complaints recorded the previous month. Reports were received from 56 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 22667 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 33085
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 56
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (22667)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3696)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 1067.3 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1545 complaints on 24 October 2018, while 20 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 288 complaints on 14 October 2018, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Across 6485 cities in 56 states and territories, a total of 33085 complaints were recorded in October 2018. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 169 of the 179 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3696 | 11.2% |
| Texas | 2659 | 8.0% |
| Florida | 2575 | 7.8% |
| New York | 1872 | 5.7% |
| Ohio | 1283 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 1242 | 3.8% |
| New Jersey | 1166 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 1160 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 1070 | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 1065 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 15218 | 46.0% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 27138 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 27138 | 82.0% |
| TV | 2699 | 8.2% |
| Internet | 2666 | 8.1% |
| Radio | 469 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 47 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 44 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 22 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
27138 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 82.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 22667 | 83.5% |
| Billing | 1654 | 6.1% |
| Equipment | 745 | 2.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 713 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 377 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 316 | 1.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 289 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 194 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 156 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 18 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 9 | 0.0% |
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).
TV complaints
2699 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1114 | 41.3% |
| Availability | 566 | 21.0% |
| Equipment | 332 | 12.3% |
| Indecency | 301 | 11.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 211 | 7.8% |
| Interference | 115 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 60 | 2.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
2666 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 778 | 29.2% |
| Availability | 638 | 23.9% |
| Speed | 459 | 17.2% |
| Privacy | 307 | 11.5% |
| Interference | 256 | 9.6% |
| Equipment | 228 | 8.6% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
469 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 143 | 30.5% |
| Indecency | 124 | 26.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 79 | 16.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 54 | 11.5% |
| Equipment | 29 | 6.2% |
| Availability | 25 | 5.3% |
| Billing | 15 | 3.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Indecency and Pirate Radio.
Accessibility complaints
47 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 27 | 57.4% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 12 | 25.5% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 4 | 8.5% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 2.1% |
| Video Description | 1 | 2.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
44 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 13 | 29.5% |
| Other | 13 | 29.5% |
| Tower | 10 | 22.7% |
| Phone | 8 | 18.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Other and Tower.
Unwanted calls
There were 22667 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 68.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 847-2911 | 43 | 0.2% |
| (707) 741-3004 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (201) 215-1484 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (718) 568-2230 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (415) 200-1538 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (515) 735-3234 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (551) 225-8299 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (310) 633-2670 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (407) 358-6232 | 13 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 66 | 0.3% |
| (800) 847-2911 | 39 | 0.2% |
| (707) 741-3004 | 22 | 0.1% |
| (866) 395-0544 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (201) 215-1484 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (515) 735-3234 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (551) 225-8299 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (407) 358-6232 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (415) 200-1538 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (857) 270-7938 | 13 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (800) 847-2911 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.