FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 September 2020

Introduction

On 7 September 2020, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 423 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 343 complaints the day before. Complaints were reported across 46 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 236 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
423
States & territories reporting
46
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (236)
Most reported state/territory
California (43)

Where the complaints came from

The 423 complaints recorded on 7 September 2020 originated from 310 cities across 46 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in Utah, where Bountiful accounted for 26 of the 30 complaints recorded in the state.

The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.

State/Territory Complaints
California 43 10.2%
Texas 37 8.7%
Utah 30 7.1%
New York 27 6.4%
Florida 25 5.9%
Georgia 24 5.7%
Maine 16 3.8%
Pennsylvania 16 3.8%
Virginia 15 3.5%
Colorado 12 2.8%
Other states and territories 178 42.1%

Location highlight

A large share of complaints in Utah originated from Bountiful, which accounted for most reports within the state.

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 4 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 286 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 286 67.6%
Internet 85 20.1%
TV 46 10.9%
Radio 6 1.4%

Phone complaints

286 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 236 82.5%
Availability (including rural call completion) 14 4.9%
Billing 14 4.9%
Privacy 6 2.1%
Equipment 5 1.7%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 3 1.0%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 3 1.0%
Interference (including signal jammers) 2 0.7%
Junk Faxes 1 0.3%
Rural Call Completion 1 0.3%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.3%

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 Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Privacy among the most common.

Internet complaints

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

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 36 42.4%
Billing 19 22.4%
Speed 16 18.8%
Interference 10 11.8%
Equipment 3 3.5%
Privacy 1 1.2%

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

TV complaints

46 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 12 26.1%
Billing 12 26.1%
Loud Commercials 10 21.7%
Indecency 7 15.2%
Equipment 2 4.3%
Interference 2 4.3%
Privacy 1 2.2%

A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Availability, Billing and Loud Commercials among the most common.

Page last updated: 8 September 2020 with FCC complaints data from 7 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.