FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 November 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1151 consumer complaints on 7 November 2018 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1577 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 788 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1151
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (788)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (137)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1151 complaints were recorded on 7 November 2018, with reports originating from 761 cities in 52 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 137 | 11.9% |
| Florida | 103 | 8.9% |
| Texas | 86 | 7.5% |
| New York | 62 | 5.4% |
| Ohio | 44 | 3.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 3.8% |
| Virginia | 43 | 3.7% |
| New Jersey | 42 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | 40 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 37 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 510 | 44.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 955 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 955 | 83.0% |
| TV | 98 | 8.5% |
| Internet | 80 | 7.0% |
| Radio | 17 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
955 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 788 | 82.5% |
| Billing | 67 | 7.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 30 | 3.1% |
| Equipment | 26 | 2.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 12 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
98 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 33 | 33.7% |
| Indecency | 25 | 25.5% |
| Availability | 19 | 19.4% |
| Equipment | 10 | 10.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 5.1% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.1% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Indecency and Availability.
Internet complaints
80 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 25 | 31.3% |
| Billing | 23 | 28.7% |
| Interference | 14 | 17.5% |
| Speed | 12 | 15.0% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 788 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 68.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (310) 294-8794 | 7 | 0.9% |
| (800) 627-8372 | 7 | 0.9% |
| (310) 294-8789 | 6 | 0.8% |
| (508) 329-0140 | 6 | 0.8% |
| (310) 294-8803 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (702) 208-2750 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (212) 223-0839 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (218) 259-1068 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (307) 370-2653 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (307) 370-3655 | 2 | 0.3% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (310) 294-8789 | 7 | 0.9% |
| (310) 294-8794 | 7 | 0.9% |
| (310) 294-8803 | 6 | 0.8% |
| (508) 329-0131 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (310) 294-8801 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (323) 238-4470 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (469) 421-6040 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (508) 329-0097 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (609) 226-1154 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- Several business contact numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.