FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 December 2018
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1107 consumer complaints on Tuesday, 18 December 2018 relating to telecommunications services, this was higher than the 988 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 711 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1107
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (711)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (124)
Where the complaints came from
The 1107 complaints recorded on 18 December 2018 were submitted from 763 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 124 | 11.2% |
| Florida | 87 | 7.9% |
| Texas | 80 | 7.2% |
| New York | 77 | 7.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 55 | 5.0% |
| Ohio | 53 | 4.8% |
| North Carolina | 47 | 4.2% |
| Virginia | 35 | 3.2% |
| New Jersey | 34 | 3.1% |
| Washington | 33 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 477 | 43.1% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 875 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 875 | 79.0% |
| TV | 113 | 10.2% |
| Internet | 100 | 9.0% |
| Radio | 17 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
875 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 711 | 81.3% |
| Billing | 68 | 7.8% |
| Equipment | 27 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 23 | 2.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 2.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 9 | 1.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 6 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.5% |
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).
TV complaints
113 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 59 | 52.2% |
| Availability | 19 | 16.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 10.6% |
| Equipment | 10 | 8.8% |
| Indecency | 10 | 8.8% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.9% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 35.0% |
| Availability | 26 | 26.0% |
| Speed | 13 | 13.0% |
| Equipment | 11 | 11.0% |
| Interference | 9 | 9.0% |
| Privacy | 6 | 6.0% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 711 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 64.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (614) 259-0003 | 6 | 0.8% |
| (800) 325-0778 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (857) 529-6360 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (216) 647-0257 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (419) 915-0005 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (619) 374-6406 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (888) 591-9006 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (216) 350-7029 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (302) 462-3153 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (601) 460-1504 | 2 | 0.3% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (614) 259-0003 | 6 | 0.8% |
| (216) 647-0257 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (419) 915-0005 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (702) 659-5223 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (888) 591-9006 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (208) 906-0315 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (302) 462-3153 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (601) 460-1504 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (773) 649-5053 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (614) 259-0003 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (614) 259-0003 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.