FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 March 2019
Introduction
On 18 March 2019, 1132 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 340 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 721 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1132
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (721)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (132)
Where the complaints came from
On 18 March 2019, the 1132 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 747 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 132 | 11.7% |
| Florida | 112 | 9.9% |
| Illinois | 111 | 9.8% |
| Texas | 91 | 8.0% |
| New York | 72 | 6.4% |
| New Jersey | 44 | 3.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 41 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 37 | 3.3% |
| Michigan | 32 | 2.8% |
| North Carolina | 32 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 425 | 37.5% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 872 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 872 | 77.0% |
| TV | 148 | 13.1% |
| Internet | 74 | 6.5% |
| Radio | 31 | 2.7% |
| Emergency | 6 | 0.5% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
872 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 721 | 82.7% |
| Billing | 61 | 7.0% |
| Equipment | 36 | 4.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 12 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 12 | 1.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 8 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.2% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
TV complaints
148 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 80 | 54.1% |
| Billing | 44 | 29.7% |
| Equipment | 7 | 4.7% |
| Indecency | 7 | 4.7% |
| Interference | 5 | 3.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 3.4% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
74 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 27 | 36.5% |
| Availability | 13 | 17.6% |
| Equipment | 13 | 17.6% |
| Interference | 9 | 12.2% |
| Speed | 8 | 10.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 5.4% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability and Equipment among the most common.
Radio complaints
31 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 2.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 21 | 67.7% |
| Indecency | 4 | 12.9% |
| Pirate Radio | 3 | 9.7% |
| Availability | 1 | 3.2% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 3.2% |
| Equipment | 1 | 3.2% |
Interference and Indecency accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
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.