FCC Consumer Complaints – 19 October 2018
Introduction
A total of 1174 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 19 October 2018, complaint volume fell from 1286 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 791 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1174
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (791)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (139)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 19 October 2018 show 1174 complaints originating from 737 cities across 52 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 139 | 11.8% |
| Texas | 100 | 8.5% |
| Florida | 94 | 8.0% |
| New York | 62 | 5.3% |
| Virginia | 39 | 3.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 38 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.2% |
| Arizona | 36 | 3.1% |
| Georgia | 36 | 3.1% |
| North Carolina | 35 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 555 | 47.3% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 87 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 974 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 974 | 83.0% |
| Internet | 90 | 7.7% |
| TV | 88 | 7.5% |
| Radio | 12 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 9 | 0.8% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
974 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 791 | 81.2% |
| Billing | 60 | 6.2% |
| Equipment | 32 | 3.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 25 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 19 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 18 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 1.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.2% |
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 Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
90 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 27 | 30.0% |
| Availability | 22 | 24.4% |
| Interference | 15 | 16.7% |
| Equipment | 9 | 10.0% |
| Speed | 9 | 10.0% |
| Privacy | 8 | 8.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Interference.
TV complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 44 | 50.0% |
| Availability | 20 | 22.7% |
| Indecency | 7 | 8.0% |
| Interference | 7 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 6 | 6.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 4.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 791 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 67.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (415) 200-1243 | 10 | 1.3% |
| (415) 200-1213 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (415) 200-1273 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (307) 640-7890 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (415) 200-1204 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (630) 703-1710 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (720) 414-1114 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (936) 256-8778 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (334) 212-0087 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (361) 450-3136 | 2 | 0.3% |
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.
- (415) 200-1243 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.