FCC Consumer Complaints – 19 February 2020
Introduction
On Wednesday, 19 February 2020, 1200 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented an increase from the 1050 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California recording the largest share of reports at 251 complaints. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 786 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1200
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (786)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (251)
Where the complaints came from
The 1200 complaints recorded on 19 February 2020 were submitted from 720 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were less evenly distributed than usual, with California accounting for the highest proportion of reports. At the city level, complaints were spread across locations, with no single city representing a significant proportion of the total.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 251 | 20.9% |
| Texas | 83 | 6.9% |
| Florida | 72 | 6.0% |
| New York | 55 | 4.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 50 | 4.2% |
| North Carolina | 41 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 41 | 3.4% |
| Virginia | 39 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 36 | 3.0% |
| Massachusetts | 33 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 492 | 41.0% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 966 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 966 | 80.5% |
| TV | 114 | 9.5% |
| Internet | 104 | 8.7% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.1% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
966 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 80.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 786 | 81.4% |
| Billing | 79 | 8.2% |
| Equipment | 31 | 3.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 20 | 2.1% |
| Junk Faxes | 15 | 1.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 13 | 1.3% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 9 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.4% |
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
114 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 67 | 58.8% |
| Availability | 28 | 24.6% |
| Indecency | 8 | 7.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 4.4% |
| Equipment | 3 | 2.6% |
| Interference | 3 | 2.6% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 40 | 38.5% |
| Billing | 37 | 35.6% |
| Speed | 16 | 15.4% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 3 | 2.9% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 786 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 65.5% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (828) 436-8694 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (609) 688-8360 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (240) 846-8789 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (478) 210-4434 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (520) 265-5400 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (661) 298-7949 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (661) 441-0584 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (661) 441-2204 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (707) 204-3820 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (715) 502-4066 | 2 | 0.3% |
Key patterns
- Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Reports were spread across many different business contact numbers, with no single number dominating.
- (828) 436-8694 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.