FCC Consumer Complaints – December 2018
Introduction
In December 2018, 23360 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 28591 complaints recorded the month before. The complaints came from 55 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 14816 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 23360
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Government shutdown days
- 10
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (14816)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2717)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint volumes varied during the month, with 10 days falling within a government shutdown period. The average was 753.5 complaints per day, while the highest daily total was 1304 complaints on 6 December 2018. 17 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 23360 complaints recorded in December 2018 were submitted from 5472 cities across 55 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 District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 88 of the 99 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2717 | 11.6% |
| Florida | 1763 | 7.5% |
| Texas | 1735 | 7.4% |
| New York | 1300 | 5.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 989 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 898 | 3.8% |
| New Jersey | 878 | 3.8% |
| Illinois | 791 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 747 | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 737 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 10741 | 46.0% |
Location highlights
- Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
- Complaints in California were reported across 557 cities, the widest spread observed during the month.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 18523 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18523 | 79.3% |
| Internet | 2262 | 9.7% |
| TV | 2161 | 9.3% |
| Radio | 311 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 54 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 38 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 11 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
18523 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 79.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 14816 | 80.0% |
| Billing | 1487 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 649 | 3.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 546 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 278 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 227 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 197 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 162 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 144 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 15 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.0% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
2262 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 804 | 35.5% |
| Availability | 536 | 23.7% |
| Speed | 373 | 16.5% |
| Privacy | 212 | 9.4% |
| Equipment | 170 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 167 | 7.4% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
TV complaints
2161 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1048 | 48.5% |
| Availability | 372 | 17.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 242 | 11.2% |
| Equipment | 224 | 10.4% |
| Indecency | 142 | 6.6% |
| Interference | 81 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 52 | 2.4% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
311 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 117 | 37.6% |
| Indecency | 65 | 20.9% |
| Pirate Radio | 59 | 19.0% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 28 | 9.0% |
| Availability | 20 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 12 | 3.9% |
| Billing | 10 | 3.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Indecency and Pirate Radio.
Emergency complaints
54 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 20 | 37.0% |
| Interference | 13 | 24.1% |
| Tower | 12 | 22.2% |
| Other | 9 | 16.7% |
Phone and Interference accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
38 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 16 | 42.1% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 9 | 23.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 7 | 18.4% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
14816 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 63.4% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 772-1213 | 23 | 0.2% |
| (718) 568-2230 | 22 | 0.1% |
| (319) 400-7890 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (323) 486-4233 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (310) 227-8373 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (907) 313-6987 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (302) 462-3153 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (513) 216-8511 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (850) 846-7425 | 12 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 29 | 0.2% |
| (800) 772-1213 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (888) 964-8070 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (907) 313-6987 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (310) 227-8373 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (302) 462-3153 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (770) 369-9953 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (800) 847-2911 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (323) 486-4233 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (718) 568-2230 | 12 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (800) 772-1213 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.