FCC Consumer Complaints – 10 July 2020

Introduction

On Friday, 10 July 2020, 950 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 1020 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 530 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
950
States & territories reporting
49
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (530)
Most reported state/territory
California (109)

Where the complaints came from

The 950 complaints recorded on 10 July 2020 were submitted from 657 cities across 49 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.

The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 109 11.5%
Texas 87 9.2%
New York 60 6.3%
Florida 59 6.2%
Georgia 47 4.9%
Ohio 43 4.5%
Pennsylvania 43 4.5%
Virginia 27 2.8%
New Jersey 26 2.7%
Colorado 25 2.6%
Other states and territories 421 44.3%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 669 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 669 70.4%
Internet 180 18.9%
TV 86 9.1%
Radio 12 1.3%
Request for Dispute Assistance 2 0.2%
Accessibility 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

669 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 530 79.2%
Billing 44 6.6%
Availability (including rural call completion) 39 5.8%
Equipment 28 4.2%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 9 1.3%
Interference (including signal jammers) 7 1.0%
Privacy 7 1.0%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 2 0.3%
Junk Faxes 2 0.3%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.1%

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

180 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 85 47.2%
Billing 29 16.1%
Speed 28 15.6%
Interference 19 10.6%
Equipment 10 5.6%
Privacy 9 5.0%

Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

TV complaints

86 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 38 44.2%
Availability 19 22.1%
Indecency 14 16.3%
Loud Commercials 10 11.6%
Privacy 3 3.5%
Equipment 2 2.3%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Unwanted calls

There were 530 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 55.8% 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 8 1.5%
(555) 555-5555 3 0.6%
(818) 351-5710 3 0.6%
(714) 694-7603 2 0.4%
(800) 613-8561 2 0.4%
(800) 822-5544 2 0.4%
(833) 805-7750 2 0.4%
(202) 410-5003 1 0.2%
(205) 729-9571 1 0.2%
(205) 894-7077 1 0.2%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded 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: 11 July 2020 with FCC complaints data from 10 July 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.