FCC Consumer Complaints – May 2020
Introduction
A total of 18227 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission in May 2020, this represented an increase from the 17689 complaints recorded the previous month. The complaints came from 55 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 8934 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 18227
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (8934)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (1981)
Daily complaint activity
Daily complaint activity averaged 588 complaints per day during the month. The busiest day was 27 May 2020, when 872 complaints were recorded, and 20 days were above the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 202 complaints on 24 May 2020, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded in May 2020 show 18227 complaints originating from 4918 cities across 55 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 117 of the 126 complaints recorded in the state.
The monthly distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 1981 | 10.9% |
| Texas | 1590 | 8.7% |
| Florida | 1387 | 7.6% |
| New York | 1049 | 5.8% |
| Ohio | 669 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 651 | 3.6% |
| North Carolina | 636 | 3.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 624 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 597 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 592 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 8389 | 46.0% |
Location highlight
Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 11995 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 11995 | 65.8% |
| Internet | 3776 | 20.7% |
| TV | 2015 | 11.1% |
| Radio | 313 | 1.7% |
| Accessibility | 78 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 41 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 9 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
11995 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 65.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 8934 | 74.5% |
| Billing | 1141 | 9.5% |
| Equipment | 509 | 4.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 447 | 3.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 324 | 2.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 210 | 1.8% |
| Privacy | 167 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 125 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 119 | 1.0% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 17 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.0% |
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
3776 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 20.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1509 | 40.0% |
| Billing | 1167 | 30.9% |
| Speed | 578 | 15.3% |
| Interference | 192 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 182 | 4.8% |
| Privacy | 148 | 3.9% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
2015 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 11.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 925 | 45.9% |
| Availability | 567 | 28.1% |
| Indecency | 185 | 9.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 178 | 8.8% |
| Equipment | 97 | 4.8% |
| Interference | 42 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 21 | 1.0% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Radio complaints
313 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 104 | 33.2% |
| Interference | 67 | 21.4% |
| Indecency | 50 | 16.0% |
| Pirate Radio | 48 | 15.3% |
| Billing | 18 | 5.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 16 | 5.1% |
| Equipment | 10 | 3.2% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Availability, Interference and Indecency.
Accessibility complaints
78 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 26 | 33.3% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 20 | 25.6% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 10 | 12.8% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 5 | 6.4% |
| Video Description | 5 | 6.4% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 2 | 2.6% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), Closed Captioning on TV and Closed Captioning over the Internet.
Emergency complaints
41 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 22 | 53.7% |
| Interference | 18 | 43.9% |
| Phone | 1 | 2.4% |
Other and Interference were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 8934 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 49% 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 caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 41 | 0.5% |
| (855) 468-6792 | 15 | 0.2% |
| (855) 466-3908 | 12 | 0.1% |
| (303) 583-7310 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (508) 863-4812 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (866) 428-2424 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (321) 340-3777 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (424) 204-4290 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (732) 276-1838 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (859) 868-3146 | 8 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 41 | 0.5% |
| (844) 989-1702 | 26 | 0.3% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 23 | 0.3% |
| (844) 989-1708 | 22 | 0.2% |
| (855) 468-6792 | 18 | 0.2% |
| (855) 466-3908 | 17 | 0.2% |
| (303) 583-7310 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (732) 276-1838 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (202) 991-2739 | 6 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (719) 452-8970 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.