FCC Consumer Complaints – 9 September 2020
Introduction
On 9 September 2020, 1121 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1128 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 653 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1121
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (653)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (115)
Where the complaints came from
On 9 September 2020, the 1121 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 758 cities across 50 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 distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 115 | 10.3% |
| Texas | 109 | 9.7% |
| Florida | 100 | 8.9% |
| New York | 92 | 8.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 62 | 5.5% |
| Ohio | 53 | 4.7% |
| North Carolina | 42 | 3.7% |
| Illinois | 37 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 37 | 3.3% |
| Washington | 34 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 438 | 39.1% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 816 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 816 | 72.8% |
| Internet | 195 | 17.4% |
| TV | 95 | 8.5% |
| Radio | 13 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
816 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 653 | 80.0% |
| Billing | 46 | 5.6% |
| Equipment | 42 | 5.1% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 37 | 4.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 8 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 4 | 0.5% |
| Privacy | 4 | 0.5% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 4 | 0.5% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
195 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 17.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 82 | 42.1% |
| Billing | 50 | 25.6% |
| Speed | 30 | 15.4% |
| Equipment | 15 | 7.7% |
| Interference | 11 | 5.6% |
| Privacy | 7 | 3.6% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
95 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 50 | 52.6% |
| Availability | 18 | 18.9% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 10.5% |
| Equipment | 7 | 7.4% |
| Indecency | 7 | 7.4% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
653 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 58.3% 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% |
| (855) 523-6111 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (586) 999-9626 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (718) 637-6200 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (844) 690-8191 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (949) 298-6554 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (201) 744-2591 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 843-5999 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 843-9799 | 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.