FCC Consumer Complaints – 21 October 2018
Introduction
On Sunday, 21 October 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 299 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 428 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 45 states and territories, without one location accounting for a clearly higher number of reports. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 139 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 299
- States & territories reporting
- 45
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (139)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 21 October 2018 show 299 complaints originating from 242 cities across 45 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. 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 | 39 | 13.0% |
| Florida | 39 | 13.0% |
| Texas | 25 | 8.4% |
| New Jersey | 12 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 11 | 3.7% |
| New York | 11 | 3.7% |
| Washington | 10 | 3.3% |
| Wisconsin | 10 | 3.3% |
| Oregon | 9 | 3.0% |
| Georgia | 8 | 2.7% |
| Other states and territories | 125 | 41.8% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 4 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 199 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 199 | 66.6% |
| TV | 57 | 19.1% |
| Internet | 33 | 11.0% |
| Radio | 10 | 3.3% |
Phone complaints
199 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 66.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 139 | 69.8% |
| Billing | 15 | 7.5% |
| Equipment | 14 | 7.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 12 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 8 | 4.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 1.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 3 | 1.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 1.0% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
57 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 19.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 12 | 21.1% |
| Indecency | 11 | 19.3% |
| Billing | 10 | 17.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 15.8% |
| Equipment | 6 | 10.5% |
| Interference | 6 | 10.5% |
| Privacy | 3 | 5.3% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Indecency and Billing.
Internet complaints
33 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 12 | 36.4% |
| Billing | 9 | 27.3% |
| Availability | 7 | 21.2% |
| Interference | 3 | 9.1% |
| Equipment | 1 | 3.0% |
| Privacy | 1 | 3.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Speed and Billing, 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.