FCC Consumer Complaints – August 2019
Introduction
A total of 30210 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in August 2019, this represented an increase from the 29135 complaints recorded the month before. Complaints were reported across 54 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 19286 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 30210
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (19286)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3478)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 974.5 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 27 August 2019, when 1477 complaints were recorded, and 22 days were above the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 11 August 2019, with 253 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded in August 2019 show 30210 complaints originating from 6353 cities across 54 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 138 of the 154 complaints recorded.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3478 | 11.5% |
| Texas | 2521 | 8.3% |
| Florida | 2347 | 7.8% |
| New York | 1627 | 5.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 1311 | 4.3% |
| Ohio | 1234 | 4.1% |
| Illinois | 1050 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 1028 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 875 | 2.9% |
| Virginia | 837 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 13810 | 45.7% |
Location highlight
Complaints in District of Columbia were heavily concentrated in Washington, which accounted for the majority of reports within the state.
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 23274 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 23274 | 77.0% |
| TV | 3617 | 12.0% |
| Internet | 2872 | 9.5% |
| Radio | 337 | 1.1% |
| Accessibility | 52 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 43 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 15 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
23274 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 77.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 19286 | 82.9% |
| Billing | 1488 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 754 | 3.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 647 | 2.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 345 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 275 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 175 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 143 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 138 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 16 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 7 | 0.0% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
3617 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 12.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1543 | 42.7% |
| Billing | 1542 | 42.6% |
| Equipment | 182 | 5.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 148 | 4.1% |
| Indecency | 126 | 3.5% |
| Interference | 51 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 25 | 0.7% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
2872 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1116 | 38.9% |
| Billing | 958 | 33.4% |
| Speed | 296 | 10.3% |
| Equipment | 170 | 5.9% |
| Privacy | 170 | 5.9% |
| Interference | 162 | 5.6% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
337 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 93 | 27.6% |
| Availability | 89 | 26.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 54 | 16.0% |
| Indecency | 44 | 13.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 23 | 6.8% |
| Equipment | 22 | 6.5% |
| Billing | 12 | 3.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Interference, Availability and Pirate Radio.
Accessibility complaints
52 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 19 | 36.5% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 18 | 34.6% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 9 | 17.3% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 1 | 1.9% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Emergency complaints
43 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 19 | 44.2% |
| Interference | 18 | 41.9% |
| Phone | 3 | 7.0% |
| Tower | 3 | 7.0% |
Other and Interference were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
19286 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 63.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 275-2273 | 43 | 0.2% |
| (630) 348-9959 | 32 | 0.2% |
| (614) 999-1245 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (855) 200-8820 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (800) 903-3637 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (941) 621-2438 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (570) 399-3268 | 9 | 0.0% |
| (800) 922-0204 | 9 | 0.0% |
| (888) 421-2110 | 9 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (555) 555-5555 | 66 | 0.3% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (206) 565-2056 | 22 | 0.1% |
| (206) 309-9231 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (518) 312-4937 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (518) 730-1561 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (718) 307-1139 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (949) 763-5396 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (855) 200-8820 | 10 | 0.1% |
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.
- (800) 275-2273 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.