FCC Consumer Complaints – 4 May 2019
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 629 consumer complaints on 4 May 2019 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1000 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with Texas reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 441 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 629
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (441)
- Most reported state/territory
- Texas (99)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 4 May 2019 show 629 complaints originating from 447 cities across 49 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 99 | 15.7% |
| California | 51 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 50 | 7.9% |
| Maryland | 49 | 7.8% |
| New York | 33 | 5.2% |
| Ohio | 27 | 4.3% |
| Arizona | 23 | 3.7% |
| Louisiana | 22 | 3.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | 3.2% |
| Washington | 19 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 236 | 37.5% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 5 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 492 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 492 | 78.2% |
| Internet | 77 | 12.2% |
| TV | 54 | 8.6% |
| Radio | 5 | 0.8% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
492 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 78.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 441 | 89.6% |
| Privacy | 12 | 2.4% |
| Billing | 10 | 2.0% |
| Equipment | 8 | 1.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 7 | 1.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 3 | 0.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 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 Privacy, Billing and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
77 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 45 | 58.4% |
| Billing | 14 | 18.2% |
| Interference | 9 | 11.7% |
| Speed | 4 | 5.2% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.9% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.6% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
54 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 20 | 37.0% |
| Billing | 20 | 37.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 7.4% |
| Indecency | 3 | 5.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 2 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 2 | 3.7% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 441 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 70.1% 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 caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (222) 377-8476 | 5 | 1.1% |
| (850) 390-4662 | 5 | 1.1% |
| (232) 212-0013 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (232) 212-0015 | 3 | 0.7% |
| (401) 234-1572 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (619) 682-3477 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (202) 417-8665 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 419-1003 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 739-5013 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 873-2578 | 1 | 0.2% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (850) 390-4662 | 5 | 1.1% |
| (222) 377-8476 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (232) 212-0010 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (232) 212-0013 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (232) 212-0014 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (626) 508-9939 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (888) 866-4261 | 2 | 0.5% |
| (202) 417-8665 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 873-2578 | 1 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Abandoned Calls accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (850) 390-4662 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.