FCC Consumer Complaints – 3 January 2020
Introduction
On Friday, 3 January 2020, 750 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 661 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 49 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 408 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 750
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (408)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (83)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 750 complaints were recorded on 3 January 2020, with reports originating from 554 cities in 49 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 83 | 11.1% |
| Texas | 61 | 8.1% |
| Florida | 53 | 7.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 41 | 5.5% |
| New York | 37 | 4.9% |
| Ohio | 35 | 4.7% |
| New Jersey | 34 | 4.5% |
| Georgia | 26 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 26 | 3.5% |
| Illinois | 24 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 330 | 44.0% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 539 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 539 | 71.9% |
| Internet | 100 | 13.3% |
| TV | 94 | 12.5% |
| Radio | 9 | 1.2% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.5% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
539 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 71.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 408 | 75.7% |
| Billing | 56 | 10.4% |
| Equipment | 25 | 4.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 19 | 3.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 18 | 3.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 0.4% |
| Privacy | 2 | 0.4% |
| 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. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
100 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 45 | 45.0% |
| Availability | 31 | 31.0% |
| Speed | 10 | 10.0% |
| Interference | 8 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.0% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.0% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
94 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 56 | 59.6% |
| Availability | 22 | 23.4% |
| Indecency | 9 | 9.6% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.2% |
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.