FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 July 2019

Introduction

On Monday, 8 July 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1148 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 282 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 51 states and territories, with Texas slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 680 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1148
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (680)
Most reported state/territory
Texas (126)

Where the complaints came from

Across 777 cities in 51 states and territories, a total of 1148 complaints were recorded on 8 July 2019. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
Texas 126 11.0%
California 114 9.9%
Florida 79 6.9%
New York 65 5.7%
Ohio 62 5.4%
Pennsylvania 58 5.1%
Illinois 49 4.3%
North Carolina 46 4.0%
Michigan 42 3.7%
Virginia 36 3.1%
Other states and territories 467 40.7%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 861 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 861 75.0%
TV 152 13.2%
Internet 115 10.0%
Radio 15 1.3%
Emergency 3 0.3%
Accessibility 1 0.1%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

861 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 680 79.0%
Billing 74 8.6%
Equipment 38 4.4%
Availability (including rural call completion) 33 3.8%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 11 1.3%
Privacy 10 1.2%
Junk Faxes 8 0.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 4 0.5%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 2 0.2%
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).

TV complaints

152 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 62 40.8%
Billing 57 37.5%
Indecency 12 7.9%
Equipment 11 7.2%
Loud Commercials 6 3.9%
Interference 2 1.3%
Privacy 2 1.3%

Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Internet complaints

115 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 57 49.6%
Availability 35 30.4%
Speed 7 6.1%
Interference 6 5.2%
Equipment 5 4.3%
Privacy 5 4.3%

Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Unwanted calls

A total of 680 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 59.2% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(618) 424-4301 5 0.7%
(206) 309-9231 4 0.6%
(817) 207-5365 3 0.4%
(216) 245-4785 2 0.3%
(402) 983-9869 2 0.3%
(469) 215-5253 2 0.3%
(513) 404-1174 2 0.3%
(617) 543-7755 2 0.3%
(732) 535-7603 2 0.3%
(785) 595-1990 2 0.3%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (618) 424-4301 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
  • Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
Page last updated: 9 July 2019 with FCC complaints data from 8 July 2019.

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.