FCC Consumer Complaints – 24 October 2018

Introduction

On Wednesday, 24 October 2018, 1545 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 1405 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 51 states and territories, with Texas slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 1154 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1545
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (1154)
Most reported state/territory
Texas (132)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 24 October 2018 show 1545 complaints originating from 949 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were spread broadly across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a significant share. 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
Texas 132 8.5%
California 130 8.4%
Florida 128 8.3%
New York 104 6.7%
Ohio 60 3.9%
Georgia 59 3.8%
Pennsylvania 58 3.8%
New Jersey 52 3.4%
Maryland 49 3.2%
Illinois 48 3.1%
Other states and territories 724 46.9%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1326 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 1326 85.8%
Internet 115 7.4%
TV 88 5.7%
Radio 14 0.9%
Accessibility 1 0.1%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

1326 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 85.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 1154 87.0%
Billing 60 4.5%
Equipment 28 2.1%
Availability (including rural call completion) 21 1.6%
Privacy 19 1.4%
Junk Faxes 17 1.3%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 13 1.0%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 7 0.5%
Interference (including signal jammers) 7 0.5%

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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).

Internet complaints

115 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 31 27.0%
Availability 24 20.9%
Equipment 16 13.9%
Speed 16 13.9%
Interference 15 13.0%
Privacy 13 11.3%

The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Equipment.

TV complaints

88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 44 50.0%
Availability 17 19.3%
Indecency 10 11.4%
Equipment 9 10.2%
Interference 6 6.8%
Loud Commercials 2 2.3%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Unwanted calls

There were 1154 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 74.7% 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) 200-1843 9 0.8%
(650) 237-8745 7 0.6%
(650) 237-8814 6 0.5%
(202) 495-2385 5 0.4%
(912) 244-7283 5 0.4%
(650) 237-8806 4 0.3%
(650) 237-8831 3 0.3%
(206) 569-1677 2 0.2%
(217) 262-6340 2 0.2%
(305) 515-2691 2 0.2%

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(650) 237-8814 6 0.5%
(202) 495-1657 5 0.4%
(415) 200-1843 4 0.3%
(650) 237-8806 3 0.3%
(281) 595-8847 2 0.2%
(305) 515-2691 2 0.2%
(323) 580-6901 2 0.2%
(425) 880-5245 2 0.2%
(469) 941-5952 2 0.2%
(555) 555-5555 2 0.2%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
  • (650) 237-8814 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
  • (415) 200-1843 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 24 October 2018.

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.