FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 May 2019
Introduction
A total of 1000 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, 3 May 2019, this represented a decline from the 1074 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 712 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1000
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (712)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (110)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 3 May 2019 show 1000 complaints originating from 667 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | 110 | 11.0% |
| Texas | 65 | 6.5% |
| Florida | 64 | 6.4% |
| New York | 58 | 5.8% |
| Ohio | 52 | 5.2% |
| Virginia | 42 | 4.2% |
| Maryland | 41 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 39 | 3.9% |
| Michigan | 38 | 3.8% |
| Oklahoma | 31 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 458 | 45.8% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 820 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 820 | 82.0% |
| Internet | 89 | 8.9% |
| TV | 77 | 7.7% |
| Radio | 10 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
820 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 82.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 712 | 86.8% |
| Billing | 44 | 5.4% |
| Equipment | 24 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.5% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 11 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.6% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Equipment and Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) among the most common.
Internet complaints
89 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 32 | 36.0% |
| Billing | 31 | 34.8% |
| Speed | 9 | 10.1% |
| Interference | 8 | 9.0% |
| Equipment | 7 | 7.9% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
77 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 48 | 62.3% |
| Availability | 14 | 18.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 9.1% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.9% |
| Indecency | 2 | 2.6% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 712 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 71.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 6 | 0.8% |
| (479) 469-0163 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (630) 410-2034 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (850) 316-8212 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (877) 327-5290 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (888) 777-2454 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (903) 705-7116 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (202) 417-8865 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 417-8902 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 656-9603 | 1 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- 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.