FCC Consumer Complaints – 13 February 2020
Introduction
On Thursday, 13 February 2020, 1002 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1010 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 50 states and territories, with Texas slightly ahead of the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 604 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1002
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (604)
- Most reported state/territory
- Texas (103)
Where the complaints came from
Across 708 cities in 50 states and territories, a total of 1002 complaints were recorded on 13 February 2020. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 103 | 10.3% |
| California | 95 | 9.5% |
| Florida | 64 | 6.4% |
| New York | 52 | 5.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 52 | 5.2% |
| Illinois | 45 | 4.5% |
| Michigan | 39 | 3.9% |
| New Jersey | 33 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 31 | 3.1% |
| Maryland | 30 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 455 | 45.4% |
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 750 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 750 | 74.9% |
| Internet | 128 | 12.8% |
| TV | 110 | 11.0% |
| Radio | 9 | 0.9% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
750 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 604 | 80.5% |
| Billing | 44 | 5.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 28 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 23 | 3.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 16 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 14 | 1.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 1.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.7% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
128 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 65 | 50.8% |
| Availability | 35 | 27.3% |
| Speed | 15 | 11.7% |
| Interference | 7 | 5.5% |
| Equipment | 4 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 2 | 1.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
110 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 44 | 40.0% |
| Billing | 37 | 33.6% |
| Indecency | 22 | 20.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 1 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 0.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
604 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 60.3% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (208) 262-0000 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (470) 867-6631 | 4 | 0.7% |
| (866) 600-0360 | 4 | 0.7% |
| (888) 231-5805 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (203) 302-6691 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (505) 302-1696 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (617) 528-7970 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (646) 993-1189 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (707) 306-3350 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (208) 262-0000 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- 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.