FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 October 2018
Introduction
A total of 1226 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 17 October 2018, this was lower than the 1265 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 50 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 882 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1226
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (882)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (149)
Where the complaints came from
Across 767 cities in 50 states and territories, a total of 1226 complaints were recorded on 17 October 2018. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 149 | 12.2% |
| Texas | 113 | 9.2% |
| Florida | 100 | 8.2% |
| New York | 63 | 5.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 52 | 4.2% |
| New Jersey | 50 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 43 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 41 | 3.3% |
| Michigan | 38 | 3.1% |
| Georgia | 37 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 540 | 44.0% |
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 1053 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1053 | 85.9% |
| TV | 80 | 6.5% |
| Internet | 77 | 6.3% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.1% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1053 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 85.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 882 | 83.8% |
| Billing | 68 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 31 | 2.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 25 | 2.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 9 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 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.
TV complaints
80 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 51 | 63.7% |
| Availability | 10 | 12.5% |
| Equipment | 10 | 12.5% |
| Indecency | 5 | 6.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
77 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 27 | 35.1% |
| Availability | 18 | 23.4% |
| Speed | 12 | 15.6% |
| Interference | 10 | 13.0% |
| Privacy | 8 | 10.4% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.6% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Speed among the most common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 882 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 71.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (551) 272-8041 | 6 | 0.7% |
| (415) 200-0596 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (202) 563-9126 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (202) 629-0259 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (202) 750-9317 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (205) 632-2610 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (215) 987-0367 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (270) 232-5808 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (270) 232-5814 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (317) 245-3576 | 2 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (551) 272-8041 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.