FCC Consumer Complaints – 24 October 2020

Introduction

On Saturday, 24 October 2020, 461 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 1072 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 47 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 264 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
461
States & territories reporting
47
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (264)
Most reported state/territory
California (49)

Where the complaints came from

The 461 complaints recorded on 24 October 2020 originated from 335 cities across 47 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large 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 49 10.6%
Texas 40 8.7%
Florida 37 8.0%
New York 27 5.9%
Pennsylvania 19 4.1%
Georgia 18 3.9%
Illinois 17 3.7%
New Jersey 16 3.5%
Ohio 15 3.3%
Colorado 14 3.0%
Other states and territories 209 45.3%

What the complaints were about

A total of 4 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone was the most reported category, with 330 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 330 71.6%
Internet 78 16.9%
TV 45 9.8%
Radio 8 1.7%

Phone complaints

330 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 71.6% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 264 80.0%
Billing 24 7.3%
Availability (including rural call completion) 20 6.1%
Equipment 5 1.5%
Privacy 5 1.5%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 4 1.2%
Interference (including signal jammers) 4 1.2%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 3 0.9%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.3%

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, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

78 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 16.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 38 48.7%
Billing 22 28.2%
Speed 11 14.1%
Interference 4 5.1%
Privacy 2 2.6%
Equipment 1 1.3%

Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

TV complaints

45 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 18 40.0%
Loud Commercials 11 24.4%
Indecency 8 17.8%
Availability 6 13.3%
Equipment 1 2.2%
Interference 1 2.2%

Billing and Loud Commercials accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Page last updated: 25 October 2020 with FCC complaints data from 24 October 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.