FCC Consumer Complaints – 29 July 2020

Introduction

A total of 1172 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday, 29 July 2020, this represented a decline from the 1209 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 716 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1172
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (716)
Most reported state/territory
California (158)

Where the complaints came from

The 1172 complaints recorded on 29 July 2020 originated from 757 cities across 51 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. 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 158 13.5%
Texas 115 9.8%
Florida 84 7.2%
New York 72 6.1%
Pennsylvania 54 4.6%
North Carolina 42 3.6%
Washington 38 3.2%
Michigan 36 3.1%
Arizona 35 3.0%
Ohio 35 3.0%
Other states and territories 501 42.7%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 874 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 874 74.6%
Internet 181 15.4%
TV 104 8.9%
Radio 10 0.9%
Accessibility 2 0.2%
Emergency 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

874 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 716 81.9%
Billing 46 5.3%
Availability (including rural call completion) 38 4.3%
Equipment 33 3.8%
Privacy 14 1.6%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 11 1.3%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 6 0.7%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 0.7%
Junk Faxes 4 0.5%

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

181 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.4% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 89 49.2%
Billing 57 31.5%
Speed 16 8.8%
Equipment 9 5.0%
Interference 5 2.8%
Privacy 5 2.8%

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

TV complaints

104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 39 37.5%
Billing 32 30.8%
Indecency 15 14.4%
Equipment 9 8.7%
Loud Commercials 4 3.8%
Privacy 4 3.8%
Interference 1 1.0%

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

Unwanted calls

716 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 61.1% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(315) 232-8257 9 1.3%
(208) 262-0000 6 0.8%
(207) 255-7417 5 0.7%
(844) 989-1708 5 0.7%
(719) 452-8970 3 0.4%
(201) 374-7684 2 0.3%
(202) 972-4269 2 0.3%
(210) 728-3942 2 0.3%
(325) 777-3229 2 0.3%
(888) 303-1163 2 0.3%

Key patterns

  • Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (315) 232-8257 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
  • Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
Page last updated: 30 July 2020 with FCC complaints data from 29 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.