FCC Consumer Complaints – 8 September 2020

Introduction

A total of 1128 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on 8 September 2020, complaint volume increased from 423 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 651 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1128
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (651)
Most reported state/territory
California (108)

Where the complaints came from

The 1128 complaints recorded on 8 September 2020 were submitted from 758 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was widely distributed across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a notable share of reports. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.

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

State/Territory Complaints
California 108 9.6%
Texas 102 9.0%
New York 87 7.7%
Florida 79 7.0%
Ohio 54 4.8%
North Carolina 45 4.0%
Pennsylvania 42 3.7%
Illinois 38 3.4%
Georgia 37 3.3%
New Jersey 37 3.3%
Other states and territories 496 44.0%

What the complaints were about

Complaints recorded on this date related to 7 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 799 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 799 70.8%
Internet 200 17.7%
TV 103 9.1%
Radio 22 2.0%
Accessibility 2 0.2%
Emergency 1 0.1%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

799 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 651 81.5%
Billing 50 6.3%
Availability (including rural call completion) 37 4.6%
Equipment 29 3.6%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 14 1.8%
Privacy 7 0.9%
Interference (including signal jammers) 5 0.6%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 3 0.4%
Junk Faxes 3 0.4%

As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

200 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.7% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 70 35.0%
Billing 49 24.5%
Speed 38 19.0%
Equipment 25 12.5%
Interference 11 5.5%
Privacy 7 3.5%

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

TV complaints

103 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.1% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 41 39.8%
Availability 31 30.1%
Equipment 14 13.6%
Loud Commercials 7 6.8%
Indecency 6 5.8%
Interference 2 1.9%
Privacy 2 1.9%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Unwanted calls

There were 651 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 57.7% 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 7 1.1%
(347) 418-0348 3 0.5%
(855) 523-6111 3 0.5%
(855) 584-8315 3 0.5%
(208) 262-0000 2 0.3%
(331) 286-3381 2 0.3%
(414) 246-5861 2 0.3%
(580) 297-8493 2 0.3%
(615) 263-1103 2 0.3%
(702) 842-2890 2 0.3%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice 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: 9 September 2020 with FCC complaints data from 8 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.