FCC Consumer Complaints – August 2020
Introduction
In August 2020, 27964 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume increased from 26957 complaints the month before. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 15267 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 27964
- Days with complaint data
- 31
- Days with complaints
- 31
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (15267)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2962)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 902.1 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1266 complaints on 26 August 2020, while 21 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 2 August 2020, with 317 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
The 27964 complaints recorded in August 2020 were submitted from 6036 cities across 55 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 130 of the 141 complaints recorded in the state.
The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory during the month, ordered by total reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2962 | 10.6% |
| Texas | 2530 | 9.0% |
| Florida | 2128 | 7.6% |
| New York | 1998 | 7.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 1061 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 975 | 3.5% |
| New Jersey | 970 | 3.5% |
| Arizona | 935 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 920 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 896 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 12524 | 44.8% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded during the month related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 19508 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 19508 | 69.8% |
| Internet | 5395 | 19.3% |
| TV | 2587 | 9.3% |
| Radio | 338 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 74 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 49 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 13 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
19508 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 69.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 15267 | 78.3% |
| Billing | 1252 | 6.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 1135 | 5.8% |
| Equipment | 718 | 3.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 330 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 235 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 198 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 195 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 151 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 15 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 12 | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
5395 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 19.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 2465 | 45.7% |
| Billing | 1312 | 24.3% |
| Speed | 772 | 14.3% |
| Interference | 347 | 6.4% |
| Equipment | 322 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 177 | 3.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
2587 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 9.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 960 | 37.1% |
| Availability | 811 | 31.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 278 | 10.7% |
| Equipment | 227 | 8.8% |
| Indecency | 214 | 8.3% |
| Interference | 79 | 3.1% |
| Privacy | 18 | 0.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
338 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 90 | 26.6% |
| Availability | 88 | 26.0% |
| Indecency | 72 | 21.3% |
| Pirate Radio | 44 | 13.0% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 20 | 5.9% |
| Billing | 13 | 3.8% |
| Equipment | 11 | 3.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Interference, Availability and Indecency.
Accessibility complaints
74 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 31 | 41.9% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 12 | 16.2% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 11 | 14.9% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 3 | 4.1% |
| Video Description | 3 | 4.1% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 2 | 2.7% |
Closed Captioning on TV accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Emergency complaints
49 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 27 | 55.1% |
| Other | 16 | 32.7% |
| Phone | 4 | 8.2% |
| Tower | 2 | 4.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Other, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
15267 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 54.6% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 35 | 0.2% |
| (855) 584-8315 | 29 | 0.2% |
| (855) 523-6111 | 26 | 0.2% |
| (800) 282-7541 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (888) 280-4331 | 13 | 0.1% |
| (866) 484-2614 | 11 | 0.1% |
| (800) 622-2580 | 7 | 0.0% |
| (312) 319-2691 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (518) 389-0140 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 6 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 253 | 1.7% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 135 | 0.9% |
| (855) 584-8315 | 45 | 0.3% |
| (844) 989-1708 | 44 | 0.3% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 35 | 0.2% |
| (855) 523-6111 | 32 | 0.2% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 27 | 0.2% |
| (888) 239-1946 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (888) 255-1635 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (662) 298-4401 | 8 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (315) 232-8257 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- (719) 452-8970 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.