FCC Consumer Complaints – 13 January 2020
Introduction
A total of 817 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 13 January 2020, complaint volume increased from 269 complaints the previous day. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 481 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 817
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (481)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (111)
Where the complaints came from
On 13 January 2020, the 817 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 558 cities across 50 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 111 | 13.6% |
| Texas | 59 | 7.2% |
| Ohio | 55 | 6.7% |
| Florida | 53 | 6.5% |
| North Carolina | 36 | 4.4% |
| New York | 35 | 4.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 33 | 4.0% |
| Tennessee | 30 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 27 | 3.3% |
| Kentucky | 27 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 349 | 42.7% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 618 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 618 | 75.6% |
| Internet | 92 | 11.3% |
| TV | 88 | 10.8% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.8% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
618 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 481 | 77.8% |
| Billing | 60 | 9.7% |
| Equipment | 24 | 3.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 21 | 3.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 8 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
92 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 39 | 42.4% |
| Billing | 35 | 38.0% |
| Equipment | 7 | 7.6% |
| Speed | 7 | 7.6% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 2 | 2.2% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
88 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 42 | 47.7% |
| Availability | 33 | 37.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 8.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.5% |
| Indecency | 2 | 2.3% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 481 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 58.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (208) 262-0000 | 6 | 1.2% |
| (512) 235-9841 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (800) 275-2273 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (916) 566-5866 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (201) 243-4381 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 330-6951 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 330-7616 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 335-3436 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 495-2597 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (208) 505-1502 | 1 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (208) 262-0000 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.