FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 August 2019

Introduction

A total of 1174 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 14 August 2019, complaint volume fell from 1215 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 761 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1174
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (761)
Most reported state/territory
California (124)

Where the complaints came from

On 14 August 2019, the 1174 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 813 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 124 10.6%
Florida 120 10.2%
Texas 103 8.8%
New York 65 5.5%
Pennsylvania 53 4.5%
Georgia 48 4.1%
Ohio 43 3.7%
Michigan 42 3.6%
Colorado 38 3.2%
Illinois 34 2.9%
Other states and territories 501 42.7%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 5 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 902 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 902 76.8%
TV 150 12.8%
Internet 105 8.9%
Radio 15 1.3%
Accessibility 2 0.2%

Phone complaints

902 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 761 84.4%
Billing 49 5.4%
Equipment 30 3.3%
Availability (including rural call completion) 26 2.9%
Junk Faxes 13 1.4%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 12 1.3%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 4 0.4%
Privacy 4 0.4%
Interference (including signal jammers) 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

150 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 83 55.3%
Availability 46 30.7%
Equipment 9 6.0%
Loud Commercials 4 2.7%
Indecency 3 2.0%
Interference 3 2.0%
Privacy 2 1.3%

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

Internet complaints

105 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 45 42.9%
Billing 38 36.2%
Speed 8 7.6%
Equipment 6 5.7%
Interference 5 4.8%
Privacy 3 2.9%

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

Page last updated: 15 August 2019 with FCC complaints data from 14 August 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.