FCC Consumer Complaints – September 2020
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 28005 consumer complaints in September 2020 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 27964 complaints the previous month. The complaints came from 54 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 16677 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 28005
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 54
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (16677)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2932)
Daily complaint activity
The month averaged 933.5 complaints per day. The highest daily count was 1376 complaints on 2 September 2020, with 21 days recording more complaints than the monthly daily average. The quietest day was 6 September 2020, with 343 complaints, noticeably below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
A total of 28005 complaints were recorded in September 2020, with reports originating from 5908 cities in 54 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 105 of the 114 complaints recorded.
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 | 2932 | 10.5% |
| Texas | 2417 | 8.6% |
| Florida | 2123 | 7.6% |
| New York | 1839 | 6.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 1272 | 4.5% |
| Ohio | 1030 | 3.7% |
| North Carolina | 981 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 948 | 3.4% |
| New Jersey | 870 | 3.1% |
| Illinois | 866 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 12672 | 45.2% |
Location highlight
Nearly all complaints reported in District of Columbia originated from Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 20410 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 20410 | 72.9% |
| Internet | 4543 | 16.2% |
| TV | 2411 | 8.6% |
| Radio | 508 | 1.8% |
| Emergency | 65 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 50 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 18 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
20410 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 72.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 16677 | 81.7% |
| Billing | 1104 | 5.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 985 | 4.8% |
| Equipment | 609 | 3.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 328 | 1.6% |
| Privacy | 240 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 176 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 147 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 117 | 0.6% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 25 | 0.1% |
| Rural Call Completion | 2 | 0.0% |
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
4543 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 16.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1990 | 43.8% |
| Billing | 1194 | 26.3% |
| Speed | 620 | 13.6% |
| Equipment | 309 | 6.8% |
| Interference | 285 | 6.3% |
| Privacy | 145 | 3.2% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
2411 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 8.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 923 | 38.3% |
| Availability | 681 | 28.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 261 | 10.8% |
| Indecency | 251 | 10.4% |
| Equipment | 209 | 8.7% |
| Interference | 60 | 2.5% |
| Privacy | 26 | 1.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
508 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 205 | 40.4% |
| Availability | 129 | 25.4% |
| Interference | 87 | 17.1% |
| Pirate Radio | 48 | 9.4% |
| Billing | 16 | 3.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 13 | 2.6% |
| Equipment | 10 | 2.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Indecency and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
65 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interference | 30 | 46.2% |
| Other | 26 | 40.0% |
| Phone | 8 | 12.3% |
| Tower | 1 | 1.5% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Interference and Other, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Accessibility complaints
50 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Captioning on TV | 19 | 38.0% |
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 10 | 20.0% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 9 | 18.0% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 2 | 4.0% |
| Video Description | 2 | 4.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones | 1 | 2.0% |
| Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireline Phones | 1 | 2.0% |
Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Closed Captioning on TV, Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning over the Internet.
Unwanted calls
A total of 16677 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 59.6% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 38 | 0.2% |
| (855) 523-6111 | 24 | 0.1% |
| (855) 584-8315 | 23 | 0.1% |
| (877) 581-5373 | 16 | 0.1% |
| (901) 617-7991 | 10 | 0.1% |
| (888) 280-4331 | 8 | 0.0% |
| (281) 501-7768 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (866) 484-2614 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (928) 220-4498 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (949) 298-6554 | 6 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 189 | 1.1% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 126 | 0.8% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 38 | 0.2% |
| (855) 523-6111 | 29 | 0.2% |
| (855) 584-8315 | 29 | 0.2% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 28 | 0.2% |
| (844) 989-1708 | 27 | 0.2% |
| (844) 204-9279 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (702) 840-4597 | 15 | 0.1% |
| (888) 610-2031 | 13 | 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.