FCC Consumer Complaints – November 2019
Introduction
A total of 23185 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in November 2019, this represented a decline from the 26841 complaints recorded the month before. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 14616 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 23185
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (14616)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2686)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 772.8 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1344 complaints on 7 November 2019, while 18 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 226 complaints on 28 November 2019, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In November 2019, the 23185 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 5584 cities across 55 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. Despite the overall distribution, a notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 108 of the 111 complaints recorded in the state.
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 | 2686 | 11.6% |
| Texas | 2062 | 8.9% |
| Florida | 1628 | 7.0% |
| New York | 1289 | 5.6% |
| Ohio | 1008 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 981 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 828 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 823 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 713 | 3.1% |
| Michigan | 685 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 10418 | 44.9% |
Location highlight
Washington accounted for nearly all complaints recorded in District of Columbia.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 18090 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 18090 | 78.0% |
| Internet | 2514 | 10.8% |
| TV | 2199 | 9.5% |
| Radio | 273 | 1.2% |
| Emergency | 49 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 41 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 19 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
18090 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 78.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 14616 | 80.8% |
| Billing | 1343 | 7.4% |
| Equipment | 560 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 555 | 3.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 288 | 1.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 226 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 205 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 144 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 129 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 18 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 5 | 0.0% |
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).
Internet complaints
2514 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 10.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1000 | 39.8% |
| Availability | 900 | 35.8% |
| Speed | 249 | 9.9% |
| Privacy | 132 | 5.3% |
| Equipment | 119 | 4.7% |
| Interference | 113 | 4.5% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
2199 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1124 | 51.1% |
| Availability | 629 | 28.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 136 | 6.2% |
| Equipment | 120 | 5.5% |
| Indecency | 105 | 4.8% |
| Interference | 63 | 2.9% |
| Privacy | 20 | 0.9% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Radio complaints
273 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 83 | 30.4% |
| Interference | 70 | 25.6% |
| Pirate Radio | 46 | 16.8% |
| Indecency | 37 | 13.6% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 14 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 12 | 4.4% |
| Billing | 11 | 4.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Interference and Pirate Radio.
Emergency complaints
49 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 23 | 46.9% |
| Interference | 22 | 44.9% |
| Phone | 4 | 8.2% |
Other and Interference accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Accessibility complaints
41 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 13 | 31.7% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 13 | 31.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 8 | 19.5% |
| Video Description | 3 | 7.3% |
Closed Captioning on TV and Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 14616 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 63% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (954) 429-5750 | 39 | 0.3% |
| (424) 204-4290 | 34 | 0.2% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 28 | 0.2% |
| (609) 606-9030 | 25 | 0.2% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 21 | 0.1% |
| (717) 312-5233 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (310) 597-4842 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (727) 800-7043 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (909) 436-1442 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (202) 572-1460 | 8 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (844) 934-1370 | 84 | 0.6% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 31 | 0.2% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 28 | 0.2% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 20 | 0.1% |
| (206) 415-2661 | 18 | 0.1% |
| (424) 204-4290 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (954) 429-5750 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (800) 888-7711 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (310) 597-4842 | 8 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (844) 934-1370 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (954) 429-5750 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.