FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 February 2020
Introduction
On 17 February 2020, 600 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 212 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 47 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 350 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 600
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (350)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (57)
Where the complaints came from
Across 448 cities in 47 states and territories, a total of 600 complaints were recorded on 17 February 2020. Complaint activity was widely distributed across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a notable share of reports. 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 | 57 | 9.5% |
| Texas | 50 | 8.3% |
| Florida | 46 | 7.7% |
| Georgia | 31 | 5.2% |
| Illinois | 30 | 5.0% |
| Michigan | 27 | 4.5% |
| North Carolina | 27 | 4.5% |
| New York | 24 | 4.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 21 | 3.5% |
| Arizona | 20 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 267 | 44.5% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 434 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 434 | 72.3% |
| Internet | 89 | 14.8% |
| TV | 67 | 11.2% |
| Radio | 8 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
434 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 350 | 80.6% |
| Billing | 26 | 6.0% |
| Equipment | 22 | 5.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 12 | 2.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 6 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 3 | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
89 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 37 | 41.6% |
| Availability | 34 | 38.2% |
| Speed | 8 | 9.0% |
| Interference | 5 | 5.6% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.4% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
67 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 32 | 47.8% |
| Availability | 20 | 29.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 8 | 11.9% |
| Equipment | 4 | 6.0% |
| Indecency | 3 | 4.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 350 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 58.3% 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 | 9 | 2.6% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 2 | 0.6% |
| (815) 513-8430 | 2 | 0.6% |
| (815) 768-4655 | 2 | 0.6% |
| (972) 665-6227 | 2 | 0.6% |
| (200) 800-8000 | 1 | 0.3% |
| (202) 262-0000 | 1 | 0.3% |
| (203) 689-6255 | 1 | 0.3% |
| (206) 348-2406 | 1 | 0.3% |
| (213) 568-4549 | 1 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Abandoned Calls 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.