FCC Consumer Complaints – 13 October 2018
Introduction
On 13 October 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 458 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1252 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 47 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 283 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 458
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (283)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (64)
Where the complaints came from
Across 341 cities in 47 states and territories, a total of 458 complaints were recorded on 13 October 2018. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 64 | 14.0% |
| Florida | 39 | 8.5% |
| Texas | 32 | 7.0% |
| Illinois | 20 | 4.4% |
| New Jersey | 19 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | 19 | 4.1% |
| Arizona | 18 | 3.9% |
| New York | 17 | 3.7% |
| North Carolina | 16 | 3.5% |
| Maryland | 13 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 201 | 43.9% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 337 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 337 | 73.6% |
| Internet | 67 | 14.6% |
| TV | 45 | 9.8% |
| Radio | 8 | 1.7% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
337 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 283 | 84.0% |
| Equipment | 23 | 6.8% |
| Billing | 15 | 4.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 5 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 3 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 2 | 0.6% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Equipment, Billing and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
67 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 17 | 25.4% |
| Speed | 17 | 25.4% |
| Availability | 16 | 23.9% |
| Equipment | 8 | 11.9% |
| Interference | 6 | 9.0% |
| Privacy | 3 | 4.5% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
45 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 15 | 33.3% |
| Availability | 8 | 17.8% |
| Indecency | 7 | 15.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 11.1% |
| Privacy | 5 | 11.1% |
| Equipment | 3 | 6.7% |
| Interference | 2 | 4.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Indecency.
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.