FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 May 2019
Introduction
On 7 May 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 2362 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 1845 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 53 states and territories, with Texas accounting for the largest number of submissions at 764 complaints. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 1963 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 2362
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (1963)
- Most reported state/territory
- Texas (764)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 7 May 2019 show 2362 complaints originating from 1143 cities across 53 states and territories. Compared with most days, complaint activity was more concentrated, with Texas contributing the largest share of complaints. At the city level, complaints were spread across locations, with no single city representing a significant proportion of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 764 | 32.3% |
| New York | 217 | 9.2% |
| California | 186 | 7.9% |
| Florida | 177 | 7.5% |
| Tennessee | 79 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 71 | 3.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 67 | 2.8% |
| Michigan | 51 | 2.2% |
| Ohio | 51 | 2.2% |
| North Carolina | 49 | 2.1% |
| Other states and territories | 644 | 27.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 2126 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 2126 | 90.0% |
| Internet | 124 | 5.2% |
| TV | 90 | 3.8% |
| Radio | 18 | 0.8% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
2126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 90.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 1963 | 92.3% |
| Billing | 60 | 2.8% |
| Equipment | 28 | 1.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 24 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 24 | 1.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 0.4% |
| Privacy | 8 | 0.4% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.0% |
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 Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
124 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 45 | 36.3% |
| Billing | 39 | 31.5% |
| Privacy | 13 | 10.5% |
| Speed | 13 | 10.5% |
| Equipment | 7 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.6% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
90 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 46 | 51.1% |
| Availability | 22 | 24.4% |
| Equipment | 9 | 10.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 6.7% |
| Indecency | 5 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.2% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 1963 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 83.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (232) 210-0138 | 6 | 0.3% |
| (232) 212-0013 | 6 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 6 | 0.3% |
| (972) 591-8809 | 6 | 0.3% |
| (370) 650-6585 | 5 | 0.3% |
| (232) 210-0253 | 4 | 0.2% |
| (232) 210-0221 | 3 | 0.2% |
| (232) 210-0239 | 3 | 0.2% |
| (232) 210-0242 | 3 | 0.2% |
| (232) 210-1384 | 3 | 0.2% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 15 | 0.8% |
| (232) 210-0138 | 4 | 0.2% |
| (232) 210-0289 | 4 | 0.2% |
| (370) 650-6585 | 4 | 0.2% |
| (972) 591-8809 | 4 | 0.2% |
| (232) 210-0211 | 3 | 0.2% |
| (232) 210-0223 | 3 | 0.2% |
| (232) 210-0272 | 3 | 0.2% |
| (232) 210-0294 | 3 | 0.2% |
| (209) 276-0529 | 2 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Abandoned Calls accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by call type.
- (555) 555-5555 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.