FCC Consumer Complaints – March 2020
Introduction
A total of 18466 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in March 2020, complaint volume fell from 24569 complaints the previous month. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 9891 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 18466
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (9891)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (1931)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 595.7 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 943 complaints on 3 March 2020, with 17 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 22 March 2020, with 215 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
In March 2020, the 18466 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 4809 cities across 55 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 90 of the 97 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 1931 | 10.5% |
| Texas | 1599 | 8.7% |
| Florida | 1413 | 7.7% |
| New York | 1009 | 5.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 698 | 3.8% |
| Ohio | 653 | 3.5% |
| North Carolina | 632 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 616 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 597 | 3.2% |
| Michigan | 563 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 8669 | 46.9% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded during the month. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 12765 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 12765 | 69.1% |
| Internet | 3126 | 16.9% |
| TV | 2151 | 11.6% |
| Radio | 276 | 1.5% |
| Accessibility | 85 | 0.5% |
| Emergency | 46 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 17 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
12765 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 69.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 9891 | 77.5% |
| Billing | 1086 | 8.5% |
| Equipment | 472 | 3.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 438 | 3.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 286 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 192 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 170 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 127 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 86 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 11 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 6 | 0.0% |
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. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
3126 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 16.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1179 | 37.7% |
| Billing | 1149 | 36.8% |
| Speed | 424 | 13.6% |
| Privacy | 131 | 4.2% |
| Interference | 129 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 114 | 3.6% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
2151 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 1020 | 47.4% |
| Availability | 550 | 25.6% |
| Indecency | 293 | 13.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 140 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 96 | 4.5% |
| Interference | 34 | 1.6% |
| Privacy | 18 | 0.8% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
276 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 85 | 30.8% |
| Interference | 63 | 22.8% |
| Indecency | 57 | 20.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 29 | 10.5% |
| Billing | 21 | 7.6% |
| Equipment | 11 | 4.0% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 10 | 3.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Interference and Indecency.
Accessibility complaints
85 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 33 | 38.8% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 19 | 22.4% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 14 | 16.5% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 5 | 5.9% |
| Video Description | 2 | 2.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
46 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 30 | 65.2% |
| Interference | 14 | 30.4% |
| Phone | 2 | 4.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
A total of 9891 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 53.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 34 | 0.3% |
| (570) 748-3492 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (800) 285-8585 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (877) 737-2662 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (800) 698-0120 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (800) 423-1414 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (800) 423-4343 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (800) 903-3637 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (202) 788-5488 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (312) 777-4200 | 7 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 46 | 0.5% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 37 | 0.4% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 34 | 0.3% |
| (844) 989-1702 | 20 | 0.2% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 19 | 0.2% |
| (844) 989-1708 | 15 | 0.2% |
| (855) 244-6744 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (202) 788-5488 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (800) 950-5114 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (240) 448-7720 | 6 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (315) 232-8257 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (719) 452-8970 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.