FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 February 2019
Introduction
A total of 1001 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, 8 February 2019, this was lower than the 1298 complaints recorded the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 711 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1001
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (711)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (104)
Where the complaints came from
On 8 February 2019, the 1001 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 646 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 104 | 10.4% |
| Florida | 71 | 7.1% |
| Texas | 59 | 5.9% |
| Ohio | 47 | 4.7% |
| North Carolina | 44 | 4.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 4.4% |
| Virginia | 41 | 4.1% |
| New York | 36 | 3.6% |
| Tennessee | 35 | 3.5% |
| Washington | 32 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 475 | 47.5% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 5 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 817 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 817 | 81.6% |
| Internet | 94 | 9.4% |
| TV | 79 | 7.9% |
| Radio | 9 | 0.9% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
817 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 81.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 711 | 87.0% |
| Billing | 38 | 4.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 20 | 2.4% |
| Equipment | 11 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 0.7% |
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, Junk Faxes and Equipment.
Internet complaints
94 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 37.2% |
| Speed | 19 | 20.2% |
| Availability | 17 | 18.1% |
| Privacy | 11 | 11.7% |
| Equipment | 8 | 8.5% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.3% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Speed and Availability.
TV complaints
79 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 48.1% |
| Indecency | 14 | 17.7% |
| Equipment | 8 | 10.1% |
| Availability | 6 | 7.6% |
| Interference | 6 | 7.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 6.3% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.5% |
Billing and Indecency were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 711 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) 261-3481 | 8 | 1.1% |
| (678) 261-3311 | 5 | 0.7% |
| (918) 248-9190 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (412) 212-8735 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (678) 261-3285 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (678) 261-3417 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (903) 980-6097 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (206) 880-7629 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (410) 417-6170 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (479) 405-2016 | 2 | 0.3% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (678) 261-3481 | 5 | 0.7% |
| (918) 248-9190 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (412) 212-8735 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (678) 261-3417 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (914) 670-8179 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (410) 417-6170 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (657) 387-8481 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (678) 261-3285 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (678) 345-1360 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (707) 733-0566 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (678) 261-3481 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (678) 261-3481 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.