FCC Consumer Complaints – 28 August 2020
Introduction
On Friday, 28 August 2020, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 1104 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1213 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 691 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1104
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (691)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (121)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 28 August 2020 show 1104 complaints originating from 721 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
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 | 121 | 11.0% |
| Florida | 84 | 7.6% |
| Texas | 76 | 6.9% |
| New York | 71 | 6.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 49 | 4.4% |
| Arizona | 44 | 4.0% |
| Ohio | 43 | 3.9% |
| Illinois | 39 | 3.5% |
| Michigan | 37 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 37 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 495 | 44.8% |
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 832 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 832 | 75.4% |
| Internet | 173 | 15.7% |
| TV | 81 | 7.3% |
| Radio | 12 | 1.1% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
832 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 691 | 83.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 42 | 5.0% |
| Billing | 41 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 25 | 3.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.6% |
| Privacy | 5 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 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 Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment.
Internet complaints
173 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 74 | 42.8% |
| Billing | 62 | 35.8% |
| Speed | 17 | 9.8% |
| Interference | 8 | 4.6% |
| Equipment | 7 | 4.0% |
| Privacy | 5 | 2.9% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
81 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 34 | 42.0% |
| Availability | 20 | 24.7% |
| Equipment | 10 | 12.3% |
| Indecency | 10 | 12.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 4.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 691 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 62.6% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact number details are listed below where there is enough concentration to make the data meaningful.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 13 | 1.9% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 7 | 1.0% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (855) 584-8315 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (401) 529-4451 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (510) 495-6410 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (719) 985-3336 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (855) 523-6111 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (912) 402-5177 | 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.