FCC Consumer Complaints – 18 December 2019
Introduction
On Wednesday, 18 December 2019, 921 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 905 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 50 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 496 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 921
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (496)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (102)
Where the complaints came from
The 921 complaints recorded on 18 December 2019 were submitted from 610 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 102 | 11.1% |
| Texas | 85 | 9.2% |
| Indiana | 71 | 7.7% |
| Florida | 61 | 6.6% |
| New York | 56 | 6.1% |
| Ohio | 41 | 4.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 41 | 4.5% |
| Illinois | 36 | 3.9% |
| Georgia | 26 | 2.8% |
| Michigan | 26 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 368 | 40.0% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 61 different cities.
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 655 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 655 | 71.1% |
| TV | 143 | 15.5% |
| Internet | 98 | 10.6% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.5% |
| Emergency | 8 | 0.9% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
655 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 71.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 496 | 75.7% |
| Billing | 64 | 9.8% |
| Equipment | 28 | 4.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 19 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 15 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 10 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.8% |
| 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
143 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 79 | 55.2% |
| Billing | 48 | 33.6% |
| Equipment | 6 | 4.2% |
| Interference | 4 | 2.8% |
| Indecency | 3 | 2.1% |
| Loud Commercials | 2 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
98 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 37 | 37.8% |
| Billing | 30 | 30.6% |
| Speed | 10 | 10.2% |
| Interference | 9 | 9.2% |
| Equipment | 6 | 6.1% |
| Privacy | 6 | 6.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 496 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 53.9% 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 business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (800) 900-1370 | 6 | 1.2% |
| (202) 540-5121 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (410) 848-8627 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (424) 204-4290 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (520) 394-4449 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (866) 728-2097 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (202) 225-4711 | 1 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (800) 900-1370 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
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.