FCC Consumer Complaints – 12 December 2019
Introduction
On Thursday, 12 December 2019, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 835 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 869 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 494 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 835
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (494)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (112)
Where the complaints came from
The 835 complaints recorded on 12 December 2019 originated from 590 cities across 51 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 | 112 | 13.4% |
| Texas | 77 | 9.2% |
| Florida | 65 | 7.8% |
| New York | 40 | 4.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 4.8% |
| Michigan | 33 | 4.0% |
| Illinois | 32 | 3.8% |
| Ohio | 32 | 3.8% |
| Arizona | 25 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 25 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 353 | 42.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 631 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 631 | 75.6% |
| Internet | 109 | 13.1% |
| TV | 78 | 9.3% |
| Radio | 10 | 1.2% |
| Emergency | 5 | 0.6% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
631 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 494 | 78.3% |
| Billing | 57 | 9.0% |
| Equipment | 25 | 4.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 17 | 2.7% |
| Privacy | 13 | 2.1% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 9 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 7 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 0.8% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 3 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.2% |
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 Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
109 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 37 | 33.9% |
| Billing | 36 | 33.0% |
| Speed | 14 | 12.8% |
| Privacy | 10 | 9.2% |
| Equipment | 6 | 5.5% |
| Interference | 6 | 5.5% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
78 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 42 | 53.8% |
| Availability | 17 | 21.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 10.3% |
| Indecency | 5 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.6% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.3% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
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.