FCC Consumer Complaints – 2 December 2018
Introduction
On Sunday, 2 December 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 338 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 447 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 42 states and territories, with Ohio reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 176 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 338
- States & territories reporting
- 42
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (176)
- Most reported state/territory
- Ohio (50)
Where the complaints came from
On 2 December 2018, the 338 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 222 cities across 42 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in Ohio, where Kettering accounted for 42 of the 50 complaints recorded in the state.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 50 | 14.8% |
| California | 43 | 12.7% |
| Florida | 23 | 6.8% |
| New Jersey | 21 | 6.2% |
| Kentucky | 19 | 5.6% |
| Texas | 19 | 5.6% |
| New York | 16 | 4.7% |
| Michigan | 11 | 3.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 3.0% |
| Washington | 10 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 116 | 34.3% |
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 4 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 245 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 245 | 72.5% |
| TV | 43 | 12.7% |
| Internet | 41 | 12.1% |
| Radio | 9 | 2.7% |
Phone complaints
245 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 176 | 71.8% |
| Billing | 29 | 11.8% |
| Equipment | 10 | 4.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 9 | 3.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 3.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 1.6% |
| Privacy | 4 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 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).
TV complaints
43 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 16 | 37.2% |
| Availability | 10 | 23.3% |
| Equipment | 7 | 16.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 14.0% |
| Indecency | 3 | 7.0% |
| Interference | 1 | 2.3% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
41 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 12 | 29.3% |
| Speed | 10 | 24.4% |
| Availability | 9 | 22.0% |
| Privacy | 4 | 9.8% |
| Equipment | 3 | 7.3% |
| Interference | 3 | 7.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
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.