FCC Consumer Complaints – 30 April 2020

Introduction

On Thursday, 30 April 2020, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 714 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented an increase from the 705 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 316 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
714
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (316)
Most reported state/territory
California (76)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 714 complaints were recorded on 30 April 2020, with reports originating from 511 cities in 51 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 76 10.6%
Texas 72 10.1%
Florida 70 9.8%
New York 48 6.7%
Pennsylvania 38 5.3%
Arizona 32 4.5%
Ohio 32 4.5%
Georgia 23 3.2%
Washington 22 3.1%
North Carolina 20 2.8%
Other states and territories 279 39.1%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 443 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 443 62.0%
Internet 174 24.4%
TV 81 11.3%
Radio 9 1.3%
Emergency 3 0.4%
Accessibility 2 0.3%
Request for Dispute Assistance 2 0.3%

Phone complaints

443 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 62.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 316 71.3%
Billing 44 9.9%
Availability (including rural call completion) 26 5.9%
Equipment 16 3.6%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 12 2.7%
Privacy 11 2.5%
Junk Faxes 6 1.4%
Interference (including signal jammers) 5 1.1%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 4 0.9%
Rural Call Completion 2 0.5%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.2%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.

Internet complaints

174 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 24.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 74 42.5%
Billing 55 31.6%
Speed 27 15.5%
Equipment 8 4.6%
Privacy 6 3.4%
Interference 4 2.3%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

TV complaints

81 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 43 53.1%
Availability 16 19.8%
Loud Commercials 8 9.9%
Equipment 6 7.4%
Indecency 4 4.9%
Interference 4 4.9%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Page last updated: 1 May 2020 with FCC complaints data from 30 April 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.