FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 April 2019
Introduction
On Tuesday, 16 April 2019, 1139 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 1016 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 813 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1139
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (813)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (124)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1139 complaints were recorded on 16 April 2019, with reports originating from 757 cities in 50 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 124 | 10.9% |
| Texas | 101 | 8.9% |
| Florida | 74 | 6.5% |
| New York | 62 | 5.4% |
| Ohio | 49 | 4.3% |
| North Carolina | 42 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 38 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 37 | 3.2% |
| New Jersey | 37 | 3.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 37 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 537 | 47.1% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 91 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 982 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 982 | 86.2% |
| Internet | 72 | 6.3% |
| TV | 70 | 6.1% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.1% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
982 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 86.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 813 | 82.8% |
| Billing | 63 | 6.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 32 | 3.3% |
| Equipment | 28 | 2.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 16 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.5% |
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, Junk Faxes and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
72 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 27 | 37.5% |
| Billing | 21 | 29.2% |
| Speed | 10 | 13.9% |
| Privacy | 7 | 9.7% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
70 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 38 | 54.3% |
| Availability | 22 | 31.4% |
| Equipment | 6 | 8.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 2 | 2.9% |
| Indecency | 1 | 1.4% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 813 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 71.4% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (508) 775-7890 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (732) 312-5021 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (832) 266-1772 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (850) 280-0055 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (240) 273-1931 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (240) 273-1939 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (315) 231-6958 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (315) 257-2443 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (319) 400-7890 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (319) 406-8063 | 2 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (508) 775-7890 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.