FCC Consumer Complaints – 28 February 2020

Introduction

On 28 February 2020, 945 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1243 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 550 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
945
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (550)
Most reported state/territory
California (105)

Where the complaints came from

The 945 complaints recorded on 28 February 2020 were submitted from 630 cities across 51 states and territories. 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 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 105 11.1%
Texas 77 8.1%
New York 68 7.2%
Florida 59 6.2%
North Carolina 53 5.6%
Illinois 44 4.7%
Pennsylvania 35 3.7%
Ohio 32 3.4%
Virginia 31 3.3%
Arizona 30 3.2%
Other states and territories 407 43.1%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 4 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 660 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 660 69.8%
TV 151 16.0%
Internet 118 12.5%
Radio 16 1.7%

Phone complaints

660 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 550 83.3%
Billing 47 7.1%
Equipment 20 3.0%
Availability (including rural call completion) 11 1.7%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 9 1.4%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 9 1.4%
Junk Faxes 5 0.8%
Privacy 5 0.8%
Interference (including signal jammers) 4 0.6%

Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).

TV complaints

151 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Indecency 58 38.4%
Billing 46 30.5%
Availability 33 21.9%
Equipment 6 4.0%
Loud Commercials 5 3.3%
Interference 2 1.3%
Privacy 1 0.7%

Indecency and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Internet complaints

118 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 57 48.3%
Billing 33 28.0%
Speed 13 11.0%
Equipment 8 6.8%
Interference 4 3.4%
Privacy 3 2.5%

Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

Unwanted calls

There were 550 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 58.2% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(208) 262-0000 6 1.1%
(315) 232-8257 3 0.5%
(415) 852-4469 3 0.5%
(630) 672-3104 3 0.5%
(719) 452-8970 3 0.5%
(800) 275-2273 3 0.5%
(917) 809-5368 3 0.5%
(301) 219-1547 2 0.4%
(512) 866-9043 2 0.4%
(551) 295-7378 2 0.4%

Key patterns

  • Live 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.
Page last updated: 29 February 2020 with FCC complaints data from 28 February 2020.

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.