FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 February 2019
Introduction
On 14 February 2019, 1044 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1110 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 727 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1044
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (727)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (109)
Where the complaints came from
On 14 February 2019, the 1044 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 722 cities across 50 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 | 109 | 10.4% |
| Texas | 78 | 7.5% |
| Florida | 69 | 6.6% |
| New York | 64 | 6.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 60 | 5.7% |
| New Jersey | 39 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 37 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 33 | 3.2% |
| Ohio | 32 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 477 | 45.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 873 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 873 | 83.6% |
| TV | 85 | 8.1% |
| Internet | 70 | 6.7% |
| Radio | 12 | 1.1% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
873 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 727 | 83.3% |
| Billing | 62 | 7.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 18 | 2.1% |
| Equipment | 16 | 1.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 12 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 3 | 0.3% |
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, Junk Faxes and Equipment.
TV complaints
85 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 39 | 45.9% |
| Availability | 12 | 14.1% |
| Equipment | 12 | 14.1% |
| Indecency | 8 | 9.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 9.4% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.7% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.4% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
70 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 28 | 40.0% |
| Speed | 12 | 17.1% |
| Availability | 11 | 15.7% |
| Equipment | 9 | 12.9% |
| Privacy | 7 | 10.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.3% |
Billing represented the largest share of complaints recorded in this category, with lower volumes reported across the remaining issues.
Unwanted calls
There were 727 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 69.6% 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) 261-6412 | 5 | 0.7% |
| (678) 261-6457 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (678) 261-7060 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (413) 278-0618 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (678) 261-6461 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (302) 927-4692 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (407) 530-1761 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (425) 599-1083 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (512) 564-8526 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (530) 464-6645 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (678) 261-6412 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.