FCC Consumer Complaints – January 2019
Introduction
In January 2019, 7945 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 23360 complaints recorded the previous month. Complaints were reported across 54 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 4710 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 7945
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Government shutdown days
- 25
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (4710)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (809)
Daily complaint activity
Complaint volumes varied across the month, with 25 days falling during a government shutdown period. The month averaged 256.3 complaints per day, with a peak of 1555 complaints on 29 January 2019. 8 days were above the monthly daily average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 7945 complaints were recorded in January 2019, with reports originating from 2943 cities in 54 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 40 of the 44 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 809 | 10.2% |
| Florida | 604 | 7.6% |
| Texas | 529 | 6.7% |
| New York | 457 | 5.8% |
| Ohio | 402 | 5.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 350 | 4.4% |
| Colorado | 275 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 269 | 3.4% |
| Arizona | 260 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 260 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 3694 | 46.5% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 6159 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 6159 | 77.5% |
| TV | 904 | 11.4% |
| Internet | 760 | 9.6% |
| Radio | 90 | 1.1% |
| Emergency | 16 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 14 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
6159 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 77.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 4710 | 76.5% |
| Billing | 584 | 9.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 282 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 240 | 3.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 94 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 89 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 59 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 49 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 43 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 8 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.0% |
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
904 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 442 | 48.9% |
| Availability | 187 | 20.7% |
| Indecency | 78 | 8.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 73 | 8.1% |
| Equipment | 71 | 7.9% |
| Interference | 40 | 4.4% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
760 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 271 | 35.7% |
| Availability | 164 | 21.6% |
| Speed | 128 | 16.8% |
| Privacy | 71 | 9.3% |
| Equipment | 68 | 8.9% |
| Interference | 58 | 7.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
90 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 33 | 36.7% |
| Indecency | 18 | 20.0% |
| Pirate Radio | 15 | 16.7% |
| Availability | 9 | 10.0% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 6 | 6.7% |
| Equipment | 5 | 5.6% |
| Billing | 4 | 4.4% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Indecency and Pirate Radio.
Unwanted calls
There were 4710 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 59.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 847-2911 | 19 | 0.4% |
| (904) 380-3080 | 12 | 0.3% |
| (682) 444-7887 | 11 | 0.2% |
| (503) 852-1574 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 694-7466 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (800) 499-3539 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (855) 694-7999 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (370) 621-0098 | 4 | 0.1% |
| (424) 391-8987 | 4 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 10 | 0.2% |
| (682) 444-7887 | 10 | 0.2% |
| (904) 380-3080 | 10 | 0.2% |
| (516) 344-1156 | 8 | 0.2% |
| (800) 847-2911 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (855) 694-7999 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (866) 291-3223 | 6 | 0.1% |
| (254) 387-0040 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (561) 880-0043 | 5 | 0.1% |
| (800) 694-7466 | 5 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- Several business contact numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
- (800) 847-2911 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.