FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 August 2020

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 388 consumer complaints on Saturday, 1 August 2020 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 961 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 47 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 181 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
388
States & territories reporting
47
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (181)
Most reported state/territory
California (47)

Where the complaints came from

The 388 complaints recorded on 1 August 2020 originated from 314 cities across 47 states and territories. Overall, complaint activity was broadly distributed, with no single state or territory representing a significant proportion of the total. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.

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 47 12.1%
Florida 35 9.0%
Texas 34 8.8%
Virginia 23 5.9%
Washington 23 5.9%
New York 19 4.9%
Maryland 15 3.9%
North Carolina 15 3.9%
Tennessee 14 3.6%
New Jersey 13 3.4%
Other states and territories 150 38.7%

Location highlight

Complaints in California were reported across 38 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 244 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 244 62.9%
Internet 93 24.0%
TV 41 10.6%
Radio 7 1.8%
Accessibility 2 0.5%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.3%

Phone complaints

244 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 62.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 181 74.2%
Billing 22 9.0%
Availability (including rural call completion) 17 7.0%
Equipment 11 4.5%
Privacy 6 2.5%
Interference (including signal jammers) 4 1.6%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 1 0.4%
Junk Faxes 1 0.4%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 1 0.4%

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

93 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 24.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 37 39.8%
Billing 20 21.5%
Speed 19 20.4%
Equipment 7 7.5%
Interference 7 7.5%
Privacy 3 3.2%

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

TV complaints

41 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 17 41.5%
Availability 11 26.8%
Loud Commercials 5 12.2%
Equipment 3 7.3%
Indecency 3 7.3%
Interference 2 4.9%

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

Unwanted calls

181 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 46.6% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(315) 232-8257 7 3.9%
(208) 262-0000 3 1.7%
(951) 465-1489 2 1.1%
(206) 387-4928 1 0.6%
(206) 838-8282 1 0.6%
(208) 216-0326 1 0.6%
(209) 399-3741 1 0.6%
(212) 732-8008 1 0.6%
(213) 895-4358 1 0.6%
(214) 641-1466 1 0.6%

Key patterns

  • Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (315) 232-8257 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: 2 August 2020 with FCC complaints data from 1 August 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.