FCC Consumer Complaints – June 2019
Introduction
In June 2019, 24070 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 29904 complaints recorded the previous month. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 15559 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 24070
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (15559)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2990)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 802.3 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1257 complaints on 26 June 2019, with 20 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 178 complaints on 16 June 2019, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 24070 complaints recorded in June 2019 were submitted from 5484 cities across 55 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 121 of the 131 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2990 | 12.4% |
| Florida | 1963 | 8.2% |
| Texas | 1812 | 7.5% |
| New York | 1446 | 6.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 989 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 987 | 4.1% |
| Ohio | 961 | 4.0% |
| New Jersey | 731 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 728 | 3.0% |
| North Carolina | 720 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 10659 | 44.3% |
Location highlight
Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 19015 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 19015 | 79.0% |
| Internet | 2389 | 9.9% |
| TV | 2312 | 9.6% |
| Radio | 284 | 1.2% |
| Emergency | 34 | 0.1% |
| Accessibility | 24 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 12 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
19015 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 79.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 15559 | 81.8% |
| Billing | 1175 | 6.2% |
| Equipment | 691 | 3.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 560 | 2.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 263 | 1.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 257 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 198 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 156 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 141 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 11 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 3 | 0.0% |
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
2389 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 942 | 39.4% |
| Billing | 809 | 33.9% |
| Speed | 244 | 10.2% |
| Privacy | 139 | 5.8% |
| Equipment | 131 | 5.5% |
| Interference | 124 | 5.2% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
2312 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1125 | 48.7% |
| Availability | 661 | 28.6% |
| Indecency | 185 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 129 | 5.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 126 | 5.4% |
| Interference | 55 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 31 | 1.3% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
284 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 89 | 31.3% |
| Interference | 77 | 27.1% |
| Indecency | 41 | 14.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 41 | 14.4% |
| Equipment | 18 | 6.3% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 10 | 3.5% |
| Billing | 8 | 2.8% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Interference and Indecency among the most common.
Emergency complaints
34 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 16 | 47.1% |
| Other | 10 | 29.4% |
| Tower | 6 | 17.6% |
| Phone | 2 | 5.9% |
Interference and Other accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
15559 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 64.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (408) 960-0110 | 44 | 0.3% |
| (845) 215-6980 | 33 | 0.2% |
| (800) 692-7753 | 28 | 0.2% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 25 | 0.2% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (614) 999-1245 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (800) 922-0204 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (855) 200-8820 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (412) 316-2460 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (813) 579-2646 | 11 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 36 | 0.2% |
| (408) 960-0110 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (800) 692-7753 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (845) 215-6980 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (518) 312-4937 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (866) 267-5445 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (813) 579-2646 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (830) 202-2125 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (206) 309-9231 | 9 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (555) 555-5555 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (408) 960-0110 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.