FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 October 2020
Introduction
On 14 October 2020, 1119 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1337 complaints the day before. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. Unwanted Calls was the most frequently reported issue, with 717 complaints recorded.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1119
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (717)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (103)
Where the complaints came from
On 14 October 2020, the 1119 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 715 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. 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 | 103 | 9.2% |
| Texas | 86 | 7.7% |
| New York | 72 | 6.4% |
| Florida | 64 | 5.7% |
| Georgia | 47 | 4.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 3.9% |
| Illinois | 39 | 3.5% |
| Colorado | 36 | 3.2% |
| Washington | 36 | 3.2% |
| Arizona | 34 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 552 | 49.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 865 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 865 | 77.3% |
| Internet | 126 | 11.3% |
| TV | 104 | 9.3% |
| Radio | 18 | 1.6% |
| Emergency | 4 | 0.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
865 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 77.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 717 | 82.9% |
| Billing | 49 | 5.7% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 32 | 3.7% |
| Equipment | 21 | 2.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 11 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 0.5% |
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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.
Internet complaints
126 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 61 | 48.4% |
| Billing | 22 | 17.5% |
| Speed | 15 | 11.9% |
| Interference | 12 | 9.5% |
| Equipment | 8 | 6.3% |
| Privacy | 8 | 6.3% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
104 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indecency | 36 | 34.6% |
| Billing | 30 | 28.8% |
| Availability | 21 | 20.2% |
| Loud Commercials | 11 | 10.6% |
| Equipment | 3 | 2.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 1.9% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.0% |
Indecency and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 717 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 64.1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 11 | 1.5% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (619) 396-2799 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (844) 989-1708 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (319) 289-9193 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (321) 947-6883 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (602) 952-2410 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (623) 400-5554 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 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.
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.