FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 April 2019
Introduction
On Wednesday, 3 April 2019, 1230 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 1272 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 850 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1230
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (850)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (160)
Where the complaints came from
The 1230 complaints recorded on 3 April 2019 were submitted from 802 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. 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 | 160 | 13.0% |
| Texas | 109 | 8.9% |
| Florida | 87 | 7.1% |
| New York | 81 | 6.6% |
| North Carolina | 45 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 3.6% |
| Georgia | 42 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 41 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 40 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 38 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 536 | 43.6% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 97 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 1021 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1021 | 83.0% |
| TV | 102 | 8.3% |
| Internet | 81 | 6.6% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 9 | 0.7% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
1021 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 83.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 850 | 83.3% |
| Billing | 59 | 5.8% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 28 | 2.7% |
| Equipment | 27 | 2.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 24 | 2.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Privacy | 7 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
TV complaints
102 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 69 | 67.6% |
| Availability | 15 | 14.7% |
| Equipment | 8 | 7.8% |
| Indecency | 4 | 3.9% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 1 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
81 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 25 | 30.9% |
| Billing | 25 | 30.9% |
| Interference | 9 | 11.1% |
| Privacy | 9 | 11.1% |
| Speed | 7 | 8.6% |
| Equipment | 5 | 6.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, 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.