FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 December 2018
Introduction
A total of 1174 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, 7 December 2018, complaint volume fell from 1304 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 830 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1174
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (830)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (142)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1174 complaints were recorded on 7 December 2018, with reports originating from 782 cities in 51 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large 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 | 142 | 12.1% |
| Texas | 89 | 7.6% |
| Florida | 75 | 6.4% |
| New York | 62 | 5.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 46 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 44 | 3.7% |
| Arizona | 42 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 42 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | 39 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 39 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 554 | 47.2% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 92 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 1002 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1002 | 85.3% |
| Internet | 81 | 6.9% |
| TV | 76 | 6.5% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.1% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
1002 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 85.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 830 | 82.8% |
| Billing | 76 | 7.6% |
| Equipment | 37 | 3.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 26 | 2.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 9 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.3% |
| 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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
81 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 33 | 40.7% |
| Availability | 17 | 21.0% |
| Speed | 15 | 18.5% |
| Privacy | 8 | 9.9% |
| Interference | 7 | 8.6% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.2% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
76 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 43 | 56.6% |
| Availability | 14 | 18.4% |
| Equipment | 8 | 10.5% |
| Indecency | 4 | 5.3% |
| Interference | 4 | 5.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.9% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
830 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 70.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (310) 227-8373 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (276) 352-0304 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (323) 486-4233 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (205) 533-8397 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (254) 863-1200 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (406) 662-1139 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (631) 237-5570 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (718) 568-2230 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (800) 772-1213 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (855) 426-3666 | 2 | 0.2% |
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.
- (310) 227-8373 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.