FCC Consumer Complaints – 28 December 2018
Introduction
On 28 December 2018, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 816 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 891 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 480 complaints.
This date falls within a government shutdown period from 22 December 2018 to 25 January 2019. Complaint volumes during this period may be lower than usual.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 816
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (480)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (74)
Where the complaints came from
On 28 December 2018, the 816 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 565 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were spread broadly across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a significant share. 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 | 74 | 9.1% |
| Texas | 59 | 7.2% |
| Florida | 54 | 6.6% |
| Massachusetts | 44 | 5.4% |
| New York | 43 | 5.3% |
| Wisconsin | 36 | 4.4% |
| Illinois | 35 | 4.3% |
| North Carolina | 34 | 4.2% |
| Georgia | 30 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 30 | 3.7% |
| Other states and territories | 377 | 46.2% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 58 different cities.
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 629 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 629 | 77.1% |
| Internet | 90 | 11.0% |
| TV | 84 | 10.3% |
| Radio | 9 | 1.1% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.5% |
Phone complaints
629 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 480 | 76.3% |
| Billing | 52 | 8.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 31 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 30 | 4.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 7 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.8% |
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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
90 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 38.9% |
| Availability | 26 | 28.9% |
| Speed | 10 | 11.1% |
| Privacy | 9 | 10.0% |
| Equipment | 8 | 8.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.2% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
84 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 44 | 52.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 14.3% |
| Availability | 8 | 9.5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 9.5% |
| Indecency | 6 | 7.1% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.8% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.4% |
Billing and Loud Commercials accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 480 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 58.8% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (970) 344-0400 | 5 | 1.0% |
| (619) 745-4371 | 4 | 0.8% |
| (866) 243-4357 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (201) 377-0375 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (201) 377-0555 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (248) 237-3829 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (405) 493-6510 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (512) 352-8501 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (678) 486-6863 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (719) 454-7015 | 2 | 0.4% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (970) 344-0400 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.