FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 October 2018
Introduction
On 8 October 2018, 949 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 315 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 661 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 949
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (661)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (119)
Where the complaints came from
Across 658 cities in 52 states and territories, a total of 949 complaints were recorded on 8 October 2018. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 119 | 12.5% |
| Texas | 78 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 74 | 7.8% |
| New York | 40 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.9% |
| Washington | 37 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 35 | 3.7% |
| Colorado | 33 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 32 | 3.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 32 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 432 | 45.5% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 777 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 777 | 81.9% |
| TV | 84 | 8.9% |
| Internet | 72 | 7.6% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.5% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
777 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 81.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 661 | 85.1% |
| Billing | 33 | 4.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 18 | 2.3% |
| Equipment | 15 | 1.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 13 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
84 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 35.7% |
| Availability | 18 | 21.4% |
| Equipment | 16 | 19.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 11.9% |
| Indecency | 4 | 4.8% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.8% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Equipment.
Internet complaints
72 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 26 | 36.1% |
| Speed | 19 | 26.4% |
| Availability | 14 | 19.4% |
| Equipment | 6 | 8.3% |
| Privacy | 4 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Speed, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.