FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 November 2018
Introduction
On 8 November 2018, 1105 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1151 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 51 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 768 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1105
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (768)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (105)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 8 November 2018 show 1105 complaints originating from 749 cities across 51 states and territories. The complaints were widely dispersed, with no single state or territory representing a notable proportion of the total. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
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 | 105 | 9.5% |
| Texas | 91 | 8.2% |
| Florida | 86 | 7.8% |
| New York | 71 | 6.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 63 | 5.7% |
| Georgia | 41 | 3.7% |
| Ohio | 37 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 35 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 34 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 32 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 505 | 45.7% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 925 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 925 | 83.7% |
| Internet | 92 | 8.3% |
| TV | 77 | 7.0% |
| Radio | 8 | 0.7% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
925 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 768 | 83.0% |
| Billing | 64 | 6.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 33 | 3.6% |
| Equipment | 30 | 3.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 7 | 0.8% |
| Privacy | 7 | 0.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
92 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 27 | 29.3% |
| Speed | 22 | 23.9% |
| Billing | 21 | 22.8% |
| Equipment | 9 | 9.8% |
| Interference | 7 | 7.6% |
| Privacy | 6 | 6.5% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Speed and Billing among the most common.
TV complaints
77 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 45.5% |
| Availability | 14 | 18.2% |
| Equipment | 11 | 14.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 9.1% |
| Indecency | 6 | 7.8% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 768 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 69.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (508) 329-0201 | 10 | 1.3% |
| (508) 329-0223 | 9 | 1.2% |
| (508) 329-0241 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (631) 466-3086 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (844) 871-7942 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (201) 234-7986 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (209) 850-7260 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (231) 666-7089 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (235) 602-9528 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (319) 432-5181 | 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.
- (508) 329-0201 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.