FCC Consumer Complaints – 10 September 2020

Introduction

The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1169 consumer complaints on Thursday, 10 September 2020 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 1121 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 717 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1169
States & territories reporting
50
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (717)
Most reported state/territory
California (124)

Where the complaints came from

The 1169 complaints recorded on 10 September 2020 were submitted from 773 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. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.

The table below summarises the number of complaints reported in each state and territory on this date, ordered by total reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 124 10.6%
Texas 119 10.2%
Florida 82 7.0%
New York 77 6.6%
Illinois 51 4.4%
Virginia 46 3.9%
New Jersey 44 3.8%
Georgia 37 3.2%
North Carolina 36 3.1%
Maryland 35 3.0%
Other states and territories 514 44.0%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 888 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 888 76.0%
Internet 161 13.8%
TV 106 9.1%
Radio 10 0.9%
Emergency 2 0.2%
Accessibility 1 0.1%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

888 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.0% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 717 80.7%
Billing 53 6.0%
Availability (including rural call completion) 48 5.4%
Equipment 29 3.3%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 17 1.9%
Privacy 8 0.9%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 5 0.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 5 0.6%
Junk Faxes 4 0.5%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 2 0.2%

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. 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

161 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 63 39.1%
Billing 42 26.1%
Speed 25 15.5%
Interference 14 8.7%
Equipment 12 7.5%
Privacy 5 3.1%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

TV complaints

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

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 44 41.5%
Availability 23 21.7%
Indecency 18 17.0%
Equipment 8 7.5%
Loud Commercials 8 7.5%
Interference 4 3.8%
Privacy 1 0.9%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Unwanted calls

There were 717 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 61.3% 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 1.0%
(877) 677-2588 5 0.7%
(260) 399-1029 3 0.4%
(610) 555-5555 2 0.3%
(716) 266-5130 2 0.3%
(800) 831-6721 2 0.3%
(844) 690-8191 2 0.3%
(855) 584-8315 2 0.3%
(952) 900-6403 2 0.3%
(202) 381-9693 1 0.1%

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.
Page last updated: 11 September 2020 with FCC complaints data from 10 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.