FCC Consumer Complaints – 27 June 2019
Introduction
On Thursday, 27 June 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1157 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1257 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 868 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1157
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (868)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (158)
Where the complaints came from
The 1157 complaints recorded on 27 June 2019 originated from 728 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 158 | 13.7% |
| Florida | 101 | 8.7% |
| Texas | 90 | 7.8% |
| New York | 62 | 5.4% |
| Ohio | 46 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 45 | 3.9% |
| New Jersey | 43 | 3.7% |
| North Carolina | 42 | 3.6% |
| Virginia | 39 | 3.4% |
| Washington | 35 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 496 | 42.9% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 91 different cities.
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 981 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 981 | 84.8% |
| Internet | 95 | 8.2% |
| TV | 68 | 5.9% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
981 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 84.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 868 | 88.5% |
| Billing | 39 | 4.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 25 | 2.5% |
| Equipment | 22 | 2.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 0.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.5% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.5% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
95 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 41 | 43.2% |
| Billing | 31 | 32.6% |
| Equipment | 7 | 7.4% |
| Interference | 7 | 7.4% |
| Speed | 6 | 6.3% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.2% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
68 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 5.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 37 | 54.4% |
| Availability | 22 | 32.4% |
| Indecency | 3 | 4.4% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.4% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 1 | 1.5% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 868 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 75% 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 | 0.7% |
| (321) 248-1003 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (641) 847-0298 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (813) 579-2646 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (866) 267-5445 | 3 | 0.3% |
| (410) 571-4007 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (501) 779-8766 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (630) 256-8591 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (646) 357-8796 | 2 | 0.2% |
| (773) 887-1062 | 2 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice 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.