FCC Consumer Complaints – March 2019
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 30003 consumer complaints in March 2019 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 25368 complaints the previous month. Complaints were reported across 55 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 20324 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 30003
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (20324)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3518)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 967.8 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1472 complaints on 12 March 2019, while 21 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 31 March 2019, with 236 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 30003 complaints recorded in March 2019 were submitted from 6330 cities across 55 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 91 of the 105 complaints recorded.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3518 | 11.7% |
| Florida | 2217 | 7.4% |
| Texas | 2216 | 7.4% |
| New York | 1761 | 5.9% |
| Illinois | 1438 | 4.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 1419 | 4.7% |
| Ohio | 1261 | 4.2% |
| North Carolina | 1012 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 967 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 920 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 13194 | 44.0% |
Location highlight
Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 24220 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 24220 | 80.7% |
| TV | 3119 | 10.4% |
| Internet | 2119 | 7.1% |
| Radio | 440 | 1.5% |
| Emergency | 60 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 33 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 12 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
24220 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 80.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 20324 | 83.9% |
| Billing | 1537 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 615 | 2.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 534 | 2.2% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 283 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 275 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 274 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 180 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 159 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 23 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 16 | 0.1% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
3119 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1229 | 39.4% |
| Availability | 917 | 29.4% |
| Indecency | 382 | 12.2% |
| Equipment | 233 | 7.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 190 | 6.1% |
| Interference | 134 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 34 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
2119 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 7.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 758 | 35.8% |
| Availability | 483 | 22.8% |
| Speed | 333 | 15.7% |
| Interference | 186 | 8.8% |
| Privacy | 180 | 8.5% |
| Equipment | 179 | 8.4% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability and Speed.
Radio complaints
440 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 173 | 39.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 77 | 17.5% |
| Indecency | 70 | 15.9% |
| Equipment | 47 | 10.7% |
| Availability | 34 | 7.7% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 25 | 5.7% |
| Billing | 14 | 3.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Pirate Radio and Indecency.
Emergency complaints
60 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 32 | 53.3% |
| Other | 16 | 26.7% |
| Phone | 10 | 16.7% |
| Tower | 2 | 3.3% |
Interference and Other were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Accessibility complaints
33 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 10 | 30.3% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 9 | 27.3% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 7 | 21.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning over the Internet and Closed Captioning on TV.
Unwanted calls
There were 20324 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 67.7% 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) 945-2000 | 40 | 0.2% |
| (305) 421-0400 | 26 | 0.1% |
| (800) 922-0204 | 26 | 0.1% |
| (888) 225-5322 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (832) 266-1772 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (850) 855-4250 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (904) 512-2257 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (609) 250-9180 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 13 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 47 | 0.2% |
| (305) 421-0400 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (800) 922-0204 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (832) 266-1772 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (850) 855-4250 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (850) 374-5827 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (888) 496-9407 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (850) 601-9023 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (347) 434-9310 | 12 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (555) 555-5555 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (800) 945-2000 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.