FCC Consumer Complaints – 25 September 2020
Introduction
A total of 1097 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, 25 September 2020, complaint volume fell from 1200 complaints the previous day. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 637 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1097
- States & territories reporting
- 51
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (637)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (125)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 25 September 2020 show 1097 complaints originating from 723 cities across 51 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. A notable concentration at the city level was observed in Minnesota, where Foley accounted for 23 of the 31 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 | 125 | 11.4% |
| Florida | 78 | 7.1% |
| Texas | 77 | 7.0% |
| New York | 68 | 6.2% |
| North Carolina | 49 | 4.5% |
| Ohio | 42 | 3.8% |
| Virginia | 42 | 3.8% |
| Louisiana | 41 | 3.7% |
| Georgia | 38 | 3.5% |
| Arizona | 33 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 503 | 45.9% |
Location highlight
Foley accounted for the majority of complaints recorded in Minnesota.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 794 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 794 | 72.4% |
| Internet | 199 | 18.1% |
| TV | 87 | 7.9% |
| Radio | 14 | 1.3% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
794 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 72.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 637 | 80.2% |
| Billing | 39 | 4.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 34 | 4.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 32 | 4.0% |
| Equipment | 24 | 3.0% |
| Junk Faxes | 7 | 0.9% |
| Privacy | 7 | 0.9% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 0.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) among the most common.
Internet complaints
199 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 92 | 46.2% |
| Billing | 52 | 26.1% |
| Speed | 21 | 10.6% |
| Equipment | 18 | 9.0% |
| Interference | 13 | 6.5% |
| Privacy | 3 | 1.5% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
87 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 35 | 40.2% |
| Availability | 22 | 25.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 10 | 11.5% |
| Equipment | 9 | 10.3% |
| Indecency | 8 | 9.2% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.1% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 637 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 58.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (202) 866-7734 | 5 | 0.8% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 4 | 0.6% |
| (443) 391-8218 | 3 | 0.5% |
| (317) 520-4819 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (317) 689-7498 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (541) 784-2128 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (929) 506-8155 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (201) 243-5664 | 1 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (202) 866-7734 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.