FCC Consumer Complaints – 13 December 2018
Introduction
On Thursday, 13 December 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1239 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 1106 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 50 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 876 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1239
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (876)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (133)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 13 December 2018 show 1239 complaints originating from 798 cities across 50 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 | 133 | 10.7% |
| Texas | 109 | 8.8% |
| Florida | 94 | 7.6% |
| New York | 79 | 6.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 54 | 4.4% |
| Virginia | 47 | 3.8% |
| New Jersey | 45 | 3.6% |
| Arizona | 42 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 42 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 38 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 556 | 44.9% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 1063 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1063 | 85.8% |
| Internet | 85 | 6.9% |
| TV | 73 | 5.9% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.1% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
1063 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 85.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 876 | 82.4% |
| Billing | 67 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 41 | 3.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 26 | 2.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 21 | 2.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 14 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 0.8% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.4% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided 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
85 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 35.3% |
| Availability | 19 | 22.4% |
| Equipment | 13 | 15.3% |
| Speed | 12 | 14.1% |
| Interference | 6 | 7.1% |
| Privacy | 5 | 5.9% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Equipment.
TV complaints
73 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 41 | 56.2% |
| Availability | 16 | 21.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 9.6% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.8% |
| Indecency | 2 | 2.7% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.