FCC Consumer Complaints – 16 May 2019
Introduction
On 16 May 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1150 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 1144 complaints the previous day. 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 816 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1150
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (816)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (123)
Where the complaints came from
Across 766 cities in 50 states and territories, a total of 1150 complaints were recorded on 16 May 2019. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant 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 | 123 | 10.7% |
| Florida | 92 | 8.0% |
| Texas | 85 | 7.4% |
| New York | 64 | 5.6% |
| Ohio | 56 | 4.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 48 | 4.2% |
| Georgia | 41 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 41 | 3.6% |
| Washington | 41 | 3.6% |
| Illinois | 38 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 511 | 44.4% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 953 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 953 | 82.9% |
| Internet | 90 | 7.8% |
| TV | 90 | 7.8% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
953 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 82.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 816 | 85.6% |
| Billing | 43 | 4.5% |
| Equipment | 32 | 3.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 16 | 1.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 15 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 10 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.7% |
| Privacy | 7 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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 Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
90 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 35 | 38.9% |
| Billing | 34 | 37.8% |
| Speed | 8 | 8.9% |
| Equipment | 5 | 5.6% |
| Privacy | 5 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 3 | 3.3% |
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 7.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 49 | 54.4% |
| Availability | 18 | 20.0% |
| Equipment | 9 | 10.0% |
| Indecency | 6 | 6.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 4.4% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.2% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
816 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 71% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (240) 345-9725 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (855) 200-8820 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (206) 231-6106 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (301) 805-5740 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (410) 381-0254 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (469) 336-5843 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (567) 999-9115 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (614) 999-1245 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (662) 288-2116 | 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.
- (240) 345-9725 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.