FCC Consumer Complaints – 4 September 2020
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1033 consumer complaints on Friday, 4 September 2020 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume fell from 1239 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 51 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 592 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1033
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (592)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (105)
Where the complaints came from
The 1033 complaints recorded on 4 September 2020 originated from 699 cities across 51 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 shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 105 | 10.2% |
| Texas | 99 | 9.6% |
| New York | 72 | 7.0% |
| Florida | 69 | 6.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 43 | 4.2% |
| Colorado | 40 | 3.9% |
| New Jersey | 39 | 3.8% |
| North Carolina | 38 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 35 | 3.4% |
| Arizona | 33 | 3.2% |
| Other states and territories | 456 | 44.1% |
Location highlight
Complaints in California were reported across 79 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 726 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 726 | 70.3% |
| Internet | 180 | 17.4% |
| TV | 89 | 8.6% |
| Radio | 32 | 3.1% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
726 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 592 | 81.5% |
| Billing | 38 | 5.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 35 | 4.8% |
| Equipment | 24 | 3.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 7 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 0.4% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
| 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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
180 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 83 | 46.1% |
| Billing | 44 | 24.4% |
| Speed | 29 | 16.1% |
| Equipment | 11 | 6.1% |
| Interference | 10 | 5.6% |
| Privacy | 3 | 1.7% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
TV complaints
89 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 42 | 47.2% |
| Availability | 30 | 33.7% |
| Equipment | 6 | 6.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 5.6% |
| Indecency | 3 | 3.4% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 1 | 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
32 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 3.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 19 | 59.4% |
| Availability | 6 | 18.8% |
| Interference | 3 | 9.4% |
| Pirate Radio | 2 | 6.3% |
| Billing | 1 | 3.1% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 1 | 3.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Indecency and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
592 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 57.3% 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 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (415) 692-0444 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (470) 437-4262 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (707) 676-6812 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (201) 298-4105 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 758-5735 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 900-4781 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (203) 368-0735 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (203) 689-0327 | 1 | 0.2% |
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.