FCC Consumer Complaints – 21 October 2020
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1100 consumer complaints on Wednesday, 21 October 2020 relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1152 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 50 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 673 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1100
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (673)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (114)
Where the complaints came from
On 21 October 2020, the 1100 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 725 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. 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 | 114 | 10.4% |
| Florida | 87 | 7.9% |
| Texas | 75 | 6.8% |
| New York | 67 | 6.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 49 | 4.5% |
| Louisiana | 48 | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 47 | 4.3% |
| Illinois | 42 | 3.8% |
| Washington | 41 | 3.7% |
| Colorado | 36 | 3.3% |
| Other states and territories | 491 | 44.6% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 6 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 819 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 819 | 74.5% |
| Internet | 169 | 15.4% |
| TV | 93 | 8.5% |
| Radio | 15 | 1.4% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.3% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
819 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 673 | 82.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 49 | 6.0% |
| Billing | 43 | 5.3% |
| Equipment | 12 | 1.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 11 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 10 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 8 | 1.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 6 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.1% |
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 Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
169 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 74 | 43.8% |
| Billing | 43 | 25.4% |
| Speed | 21 | 12.4% |
| Interference | 13 | 7.7% |
| Equipment | 11 | 6.5% |
| Privacy | 7 | 4.1% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
93 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 36 | 38.7% |
| Availability | 26 | 28.0% |
| Indecency | 17 | 18.3% |
| Interference | 6 | 6.5% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4.3% |
| Loud Commercials | 4 | 4.3% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
There were 673 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 61.2% 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 caller ID numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (424) 204-4902 | 6 | 0.9% |
| (970) 401-1880 | 6 | 0.9% |
| (607) 678-0681 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (877) 204-3930 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (877) 676-5006 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (563) 278-0737 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (202) 428-9255 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 773-9029 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 866-7735 | 1 | 0.1% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 9 | 1.3% |
| (424) 204-4902 | 6 | 0.9% |
| (844) 989-1708 | 3 | 0.4% |
| (217) 549-3516 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (877) 676-5006 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (202) 381-9659 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 773-9029 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 788-7098 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 788-7103 | 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.
- Several caller ID numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
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.