FCC Consumer Complaints – 27 October 2018

Introduction

On Saturday, 27 October 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 497 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1237 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 310 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
497
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (310)
Most reported state/territory
California (52)

Where the complaints came from

On 27 October 2018, the 497 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 357 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in Ohio, where Kettering accounted for 30 of the 42 complaints recorded in the state.

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 52 10.5%
Florida 50 10.1%
Ohio 42 8.5%
Texas 38 7.6%
New Jersey 24 4.8%
New York 23 4.6%
Pennsylvania 18 3.6%
Illinois 16 3.2%
Arizona 15 3.0%
Massachusetts 15 3.0%
Other states and territories 204 41.0%

Location highlight

Complaints in Ohio were heavily concentrated in Kettering, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.

What the complaints were about

A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 378 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 378 76.1%
TV 53 10.7%
Internet 50 10.1%
Radio 14 2.8%
Request for Dispute Assistance 2 0.4%

Phone complaints

378 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 310 82.0%
Billing 18 4.8%
Equipment 17 4.5%
Junk Faxes 9 2.4%
Privacy 8 2.1%
Availability (including rural call completion) 6 1.6%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 6 1.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 3 0.8%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 1 0.3%

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 Junk Faxes among the most common.

TV complaints

53 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 17 32.1%
Availability 13 24.5%
Indecency 9 17.0%
Loud Commercials 7 13.2%
Equipment 5 9.4%
Privacy 2 3.8%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Indecency among the most common.

Internet complaints

50 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 14 28.0%
Availability 10 20.0%
Privacy 10 20.0%
Interference 8 16.0%
Speed 5 10.0%
Equipment 3 6.0%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Privacy among the most common.

Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 27 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.