FCC Consumer Complaints – 25 October 2019
Introduction
On Friday, 25 October 2019, 937 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1023 complaints the previous day. Complaints were reported across 49 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 592 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 937
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (592)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (94)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 25 October 2019 show 937 complaints originating from 630 cities across 49 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, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 94 | 10.0% |
| Texas | 92 | 9.8% |
| Florida | 87 | 9.3% |
| New York | 51 | 5.4% |
| Illinois | 33 | 3.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 32 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 31 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 29 | 3.1% |
| Ohio | 29 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 27 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 425 | 45.4% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 739 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 739 | 78.9% |
| TV | 100 | 10.7% |
| Internet | 83 | 8.9% |
| Radio | 10 | 1.1% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
739 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 78.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 592 | 80.1% |
| Billing | 45 | 6.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 37 | 5.0% |
| Equipment | 25 | 3.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 19 | 2.6% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 1 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
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.
TV complaints
100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 54 | 54.0% |
| Availability | 30 | 30.0% |
| Equipment | 10 | 10.0% |
| Indecency | 2 | 2.0% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 2 | 2.0% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Internet complaints
83 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 36 | 43.4% |
| Availability | 29 | 34.9% |
| Speed | 7 | 8.4% |
| Interference | 5 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.8% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.4% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 592 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 63.2% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (479) 717-9839 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (888) 582-2282 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (409) 904-0630 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (630) 373-0787 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (717) 825-1256 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (772) 252-6695 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (929) 265-5252 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (949) 667-8927 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (201) 946-7323 | 1 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.