FCC Consumer Complaints – 22 April 2019
Introduction
A total of 852 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Monday, 22 April 2019, complaint volume increased from 159 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 526 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 852
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (526)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (85)
Where the complaints came from
The 852 complaints recorded on 22 April 2019 were submitted from 585 cities across 49 states and territories. The complaints were widely dispersed, with no single state or territory representing a notable proportion of the total. 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 | 85 | 10.0% |
| Florida | 74 | 8.7% |
| Texas | 62 | 7.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 4.7% |
| Illinois | 37 | 4.3% |
| North Carolina | 37 | 4.3% |
| New York | 36 | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 35 | 4.1% |
| Maryland | 27 | 3.2% |
| Washington | 26 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 383 | 45.0% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 674 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 674 | 79.1% |
| TV | 82 | 9.6% |
| Internet | 78 | 9.2% |
| Radio | 16 | 1.9% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
674 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 526 | 78.0% |
| Billing | 71 | 10.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 24 | 3.6% |
| Equipment | 20 | 3.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 10 | 1.5% |
| Privacy | 8 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 2 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
TV complaints
82 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 48 | 58.5% |
| Availability | 20 | 24.4% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.9% |
| Interference | 4 | 4.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.4% |
| Indecency | 1 | 1.2% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
78 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 44.9% |
| Availability | 30 | 38.5% |
| Speed | 5 | 6.4% |
| Privacy | 4 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.6% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.6% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 526 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 61.7% 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 business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (866) 572-9777 | 5 | 1.0% |
| (424) 396-6919 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (216) 250-9214 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (281) 402-6732 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (281) 691-6671 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (408) 551-2150 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (866) 289-1991 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (928) 212-3054 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (972) 729-2558 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (201) 464-7827 | 1 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (866) 572-9777 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
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.