FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 August 2020
Introduction
On Friday, 14 August 2020, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1113 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1115 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 47 states and territories, with Texas recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 621 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1113
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (621)
- Most reported state/territory
- Texas (125)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 14 August 2020 show 1113 complaints originating from 759 cities across 47 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 125 | 11.2% |
| California | 115 | 10.3% |
| Florida | 75 | 6.7% |
| New York | 56 | 5.0% |
| Illinois | 46 | 4.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 45 | 4.0% |
| Georgia | 43 | 3.9% |
| Virginia | 42 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 36 | 3.2% |
| Arizona | 35 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 494 | 44.4% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 807 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 807 | 72.5% |
| Internet | 181 | 16.3% |
| TV | 105 | 9.4% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
807 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 621 | 77.0% |
| Billing | 68 | 8.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 56 | 6.9% |
| Equipment | 29 | 3.6% |
| Privacy | 9 | 1.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 6 | 0.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 6 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.5% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
181 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 76 | 42.0% |
| Billing | 47 | 26.0% |
| Speed | 22 | 12.2% |
| Interference | 14 | 7.7% |
| Equipment | 11 | 6.1% |
| Privacy | 11 | 6.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
105 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 46 | 43.8% |
| Availability | 33 | 31.4% |
| Equipment | 10 | 9.5% |
| Indecency | 7 | 6.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 7 | 6.7% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.0% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
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.