FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 August 2020
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1095 consumer complaints on Wednesday, 5 August 2020 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1201 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 53 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 646 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1095
- States & territories reporting
- 53
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (646)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (108)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1095 complaints were recorded on 5 August 2020, with reports originating from 754 cities in 53 states and territories. Complaint activity was widely distributed across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a notable share of reports. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 108 | 9.9% |
| Texas | 92 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 87 | 7.9% |
| New York | 80 | 7.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 53 | 4.8% |
| New Jersey | 41 | 3.7% |
| Arizona | 40 | 3.7% |
| Virginia | 37 | 3.4% |
| Kentucky | 36 | 3.3% |
| Maryland | 34 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 484 | 44.2% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 806 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 806 | 73.6% |
| Internet | 191 | 17.4% |
| TV | 86 | 7.9% |
| Radio | 9 | 0.8% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
806 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 646 | 80.1% |
| Billing | 47 | 5.8% |
| Equipment | 32 | 4.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 30 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 12 | 1.5% |
| Junk Faxes | 11 | 1.4% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 7 | 0.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 0.9% |
| 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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion) among the most common.
Internet complaints
191 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 83 | 43.5% |
| Billing | 50 | 26.2% |
| Speed | 27 | 14.1% |
| Interference | 14 | 7.3% |
| Equipment | 13 | 6.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 2.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
86 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 37 | 43.0% |
| Billing | 33 | 38.4% |
| Equipment | 10 | 11.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 3 | 3.5% |
| Indecency | 2 | 2.3% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
646 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 59% 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 | 11 | 1.7% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 10 | 1.5% |
| (240) 581-3630 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (347) 696-5726 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (518) 201-6622 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (727) 999-5431 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (800) 282-7541 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (844) 790-1700 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (866) 428-2424 | 2 | 0.3% |
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.
- Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
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.