FCC Consumer Complaints – 20 March 2020
Introduction
On Friday, 20 March 2020, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 492 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 720 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 45 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 272 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 492
- States & territories reporting
- 45
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (272)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (49)
Where the complaints came from
The 492 complaints recorded on 20 March 2020 were submitted from 365 cities across 45 states and territories. The complaints were widely dispersed, with no single state or territory representing a notable proportion of the total. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
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 | 49 | 10.0% |
| Florida | 39 | 7.9% |
| Texas | 36 | 7.3% |
| New York | 28 | 5.7% |
| Georgia | 22 | 4.5% |
| Washington | 21 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 19 | 3.9% |
| Nevada | 19 | 3.9% |
| Ohio | 18 | 3.7% |
| New Jersey | 17 | 3.5% |
| Other states and territories | 223 | 45.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 342 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 342 | 69.5% |
| Internet | 89 | 18.1% |
| TV | 47 | 9.6% |
| Radio | 7 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 6 | 1.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
342 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 69.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 272 | 79.5% |
| Billing | 31 | 9.1% |
| Equipment | 16 | 4.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 10 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.6% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.3% |
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).
Internet complaints
89 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 41 | 46.1% |
| Billing | 29 | 32.6% |
| Speed | 8 | 9.0% |
| Interference | 6 | 6.7% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.4% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
47 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 22 | 46.8% |
| Availability | 13 | 27.7% |
| Indecency | 6 | 12.8% |
| Equipment | 3 | 6.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 2 | 4.3% |
| Interference | 1 | 2.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.