FCC Consumer Complaints – 26 November 2018

Introduction

On 26 November 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1132 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 251 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 724 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1132
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (724)
Most reported state/territory
California (97)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 26 November 2018 show 1132 complaints originating from 757 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were spread broadly across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a significant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 97 8.6%
Texas 85 7.5%
Florida 82 7.2%
New York 62 5.5%
Michigan 49 4.3%
Pennsylvania 49 4.3%
North Carolina 46 4.1%
Ohio 38 3.4%
Georgia 36 3.2%
New Jersey 36 3.2%
Other states and territories 536 47.3%

What the complaints were about

A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 915 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 915 80.8%
Internet 99 8.7%
TV 90 8.0%
Radio 26 2.3%
Accessibility 1 0.1%
Emergency 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

915 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 80.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 724 79.1%
Billing 80 8.7%
Equipment 33 3.6%
Availability (including rural call completion) 31 3.4%
Junk Faxes 15 1.6%
Privacy 13 1.4%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 6 0.7%
Interference (including signal jammers) 5 0.5%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 4 0.4%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 4 0.4%

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

99 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 34 34.3%
Availability 33 33.3%
Speed 11 11.1%
Privacy 9 9.1%
Equipment 8 8.1%
Interference 4 4.0%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

TV complaints

90 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 52 57.8%
Availability 13 14.4%
Loud Commercials 8 8.9%
Equipment 7 7.8%
Interference 5 5.6%
Privacy 3 3.3%
Indecency 2 2.2%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Unwanted calls

A total of 724 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 64% 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
(530) 806-2350 5 0.7%
(530) 806-2514 4 0.6%
(530) 806-2332 3 0.4%
(573) 233-1320 3 0.4%
(713) 589-6526 3 0.4%
(800) 772-1218 3 0.4%
(844) 386-8577 3 0.4%
(310) 220-4715 2 0.3%
(412) 498-2951 2 0.3%
(503) 670-8400 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.
  • (530) 806-2350 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
Page last updated: 10 December 2018 with FCC complaints data from 26 November 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.