FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 February 2019
Introduction
A total of 1298 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday, 7 February 2019, complaint volume increased from 1117 complaints 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 921 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1298
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (921)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (116)
Where the complaints came from
The 1298 complaints recorded on 7 February 2019 originated from 791 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was widely distributed across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a notable share of reports. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
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 | 116 | 8.9% |
| Texas | 105 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 93 | 7.2% |
| New York | 78 | 6.0% |
| Ohio | 77 | 5.9% |
| Washington | 60 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 45 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 41 | 3.2% |
| Illinois | 38 | 2.9% |
| New Jersey | 38 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 583 | 44.9% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 1080 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1080 | 83.2% |
| TV | 104 | 8.0% |
| Internet | 91 | 7.0% |
| Radio | 22 | 1.7% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1080 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 921 | 85.3% |
| Billing | 55 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 31 | 2.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 19 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 16 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 11 | 1.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.5% |
| 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).
TV complaints
104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 57 | 54.8% |
| Availability | 21 | 20.2% |
| Equipment | 11 | 10.6% |
| Indecency | 9 | 8.7% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 2 | 1.9% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.9% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
91 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 30 | 33.0% |
| Availability | 22 | 24.2% |
| Equipment | 12 | 13.2% |
| Speed | 12 | 13.2% |
| Privacy | 8 | 8.8% |
| Interference | 7 | 7.7% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Equipment.
Unwanted calls
There were 921 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 71% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (678) 261-2703 | 7 | 0.8% |
| (412) 212-8735 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (678) 261-2997 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (786) 204-1908 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (844) 892-5742 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (937) 510-9436 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (254) 435-6331 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (305) 307-5549 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (410) 441-5046 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (410) 692-8517 | 2 | 0.2% |
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.
- (678) 261-2703 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.