FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 December 2019
Introduction
On Sunday, 1 December 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 280 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 364 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 43 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 127 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 280
- States & territories reporting
- 43
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (127)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (32)
Where the complaints came from
The 280 complaints recorded on 1 December 2019 were submitted from 223 cities across 43 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 32 | 11.4% |
| Ohio | 20 | 7.1% |
| Texas | 20 | 7.1% |
| Florida | 17 | 6.1% |
| New York | 14 | 5.0% |
| Illinois | 13 | 4.6% |
| Kentucky | 13 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | 4.6% |
| Georgia | 11 | 3.9% |
| Michigan | 11 | 3.9% |
| Other states and territories | 116 | 41.4% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 170 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 170 | 60.7% |
| Internet | 51 | 18.2% |
| TV | 49 | 17.5% |
| Radio | 6 | 2.1% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.7% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.7% |
Phone complaints
170 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 60.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 127 | 74.7% |
| Billing | 13 | 7.6% |
| Equipment | 11 | 6.5% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 5 | 2.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 1.8% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 1.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 1.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1 | 0.6% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.6% |
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill).
Internet complaints
51 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 21 | 41.2% |
| Availability | 20 | 39.2% |
| Speed | 8 | 15.7% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.0% |
| Interference | 1 | 2.0% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
49 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 16 | 32.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 13 | 26.5% |
| Billing | 11 | 22.4% |
| Equipment | 4 | 8.2% |
| Indecency | 3 | 6.1% |
| Interference | 2 | 4.1% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Loud Commercials and Billing.
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.