FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 March 2019
Introduction
On Wednesday, 6 March 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1212 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1289 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 53 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 848 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1212
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (848)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (136)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1212 complaints were recorded on 6 March 2019, with reports originating from 806 cities in 53 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 | 136 | 11.2% |
| Florida | 91 | 7.5% |
| Texas | 80 | 6.6% |
| New York | 73 | 6.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 65 | 5.4% |
| Ohio | 57 | 4.7% |
| North Carolina | 48 | 4.0% |
| New Jersey | 47 | 3.9% |
| Virginia | 42 | 3.5% |
| Colorado | 38 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 533 | 44.0% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 1032 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1032 | 85.1% |
| TV | 82 | 6.8% |
| Internet | 74 | 6.1% |
| Radio | 19 | 1.6% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1032 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 85.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 848 | 82.2% |
| Billing | 70 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 29 | 2.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 28 | 2.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 20 | 1.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
82 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 40 | 48.8% |
| Availability | 19 | 23.2% |
| Equipment | 9 | 11.0% |
| Indecency | 7 | 8.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 6.1% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
74 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 25 | 33.8% |
| Availability | 21 | 28.4% |
| Interference | 10 | 13.5% |
| Equipment | 7 | 9.5% |
| Speed | 6 | 8.1% |
| Privacy | 5 | 6.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.