FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 September 2020

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 458 consumer complaints on 5 September 2020 relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 1033 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 47 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 251 complaints recorded.

Key statistics

Total complaints
458
States & territories reporting
47
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (251)
Most reported state/territory
California (52)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 5 September 2020 show 458 complaints originating from 345 cities across 47 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. 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 52 11.4%
Texas 49 10.7%
Florida 45 9.8%
Arizona 24 5.2%
New York 24 5.2%
Virginia 17 3.7%
Washington 17 3.7%
Illinois 16 3.5%
Colorado 15 3.3%
Ohio 14 3.1%
Other states and territories 185 40.4%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 307 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 307 67.0%
Internet 92 20.1%
TV 40 8.7%
Radio 12 2.6%
Accessibility 3 0.7%
Emergency 3 0.7%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.2%

Phone complaints

307 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 251 81.8%
Billing 20 6.5%
Availability (including rural call completion) 10 3.3%
Equipment 10 3.3%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 9 2.9%
Privacy 5 1.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 2 0.7%

As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

92 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 48 52.2%
Billing 14 15.2%
Speed 11 12.0%
Equipment 7 7.6%
Interference 6 6.5%
Privacy 6 6.5%

Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.

TV complaints

40 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 13 32.5%
Availability 9 22.5%
Indecency 7 17.5%
Loud Commercials 6 15.0%
Equipment 3 7.5%
Interference 2 5.0%

Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability and Indecency.

Unwanted calls

There were 251 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 54.8% 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 12 4.8%
(623) 263-5799 2 0.8%
(623) 600-7511 2 0.8%
(855) 523-6111 2 0.8%
(855) 584-8315 2 0.8%
(888) 610-2031 2 0.8%
(915) 263-8495 2 0.8%
(202) 843-9996 1 0.4%
(203) 491-1097 1 0.4%
(206) 218-7458 1 0.4%

Key patterns

  • Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (315) 232-8257 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
  • Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
Page last updated: 6 September 2020 with FCC complaints data from 5 September 2020.

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.