FCC Consumer Complaints – October 2019
Introduction
In October 2019, 26841 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 26623 complaints the previous month. The complaints came from 54 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 16353 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 26841
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (16353)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (3047)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 865.8 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1203 complaints on 3 October 2019, with 22 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 27 October 2019, with 242 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 26841 complaints were recorded in October 2019, with reports originating from 5932 cities in 54 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 164 of the 173 complaints recorded.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 3047 | 11.4% |
| Texas | 2295 | 8.6% |
| Florida | 2070 | 7.7% |
| New York | 1349 | 5.0% |
| Ohio | 1087 | 4.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 1079 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 1021 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 952 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 775 | 2.9% |
| Michigan | 746 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 12330 | 45.9% |
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. Phone was the most reported category, with 20415 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 20415 | 76.1% |
| TV | 3105 | 11.6% |
| Internet | 2845 | 10.6% |
| Radio | 341 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 65 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 49 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 21 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
20415 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 76.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 16353 | 80.1% |
| Billing | 1448 | 7.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 827 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 708 | 3.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 338 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 227 | 1.1% |
| Privacy | 205 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 159 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 133 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 11 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 6 | 0.0% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
TV complaints
3105 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1537 | 49.5% |
| Availability | 990 | 31.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 185 | 6.0% |
| Indecency | 172 | 5.5% |
| Equipment | 158 | 5.1% |
| Interference | 50 | 1.6% |
| Privacy | 13 | 0.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
2845 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1127 | 39.6% |
| Availability | 969 | 34.1% |
| Speed | 233 | 8.2% |
| Privacy | 208 | 7.3% |
| Interference | 155 | 5.4% |
| Equipment | 153 | 5.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
341 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 86 | 25.2% |
| Interference | 80 | 23.5% |
| Pirate Radio | 69 | 20.2% |
| Indecency | 42 | 12.3% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 28 | 8.2% |
| Equipment | 20 | 5.9% |
| Billing | 16 | 4.7% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Interference and Pirate Radio among the most common.
Emergency complaints
65 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 28 | 43.1% |
| Interference | 14 | 21.5% |
| Phone | 13 | 20.0% |
| Tower | 10 | 15.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
49 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 18 | 36.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 9 | 18.4% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 5 | 10.2% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 4.1% |
A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Closed Captioning on TV, Closed Captioning over the Internet and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) among the most common.
Unwanted calls
There were 16353 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 60.9% 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 caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 275-2273 | 88 | 0.5% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (217) 397-4225 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (630) 373-0787 | 17 | 0.1% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (800) 692-7753 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (681) 228-2238 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (800) 903-3637 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (310) 526-8113 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (515) 240-5819 | 10 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (888) 636-3834 | 137 | 0.8% |
| (206) 565-2056 | 52 | 0.3% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 50 | 0.3% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 38 | 0.2% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (681) 228-2238 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (800) 692-7753 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (518) 730-1561 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (800) 945-2000 | 12 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (888) 636-3834 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (800) 275-2273 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.