FCC Consumer Complaints – November 2020
Introduction
In November 2020, 24129 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 30888 complaints recorded the previous month. Reports were received from 55 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 13322 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 24129
- Days with complaint data
- 30
- Days with complaints
- 30
- States & territories reporting
- 55
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (13322)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (2745)
Daily complaint activity
Across the month, the FCC recorded an average of 804.3 complaints per day. The highest daily total was 1959 complaints on 10 November 2020, while 19 days recorded more complaints than the monthly daily average. The lowest daily total was 277 complaints on 8 November 2020, well below the monthly average.
Each bar represents one day of the month. Taller bars indicate more complaints.
Where the complaints came from
Across 5625 cities in 55 states and territories, a total of 24129 complaints were recorded in November 2020. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. At the city level, a significant concentration was observed in District of Columbia, where Washington accounted for 88 of the 96 complaints recorded.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this month, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2745 | 11.4% |
| Texas | 2000 | 8.3% |
| Florida | 1700 | 7.0% |
| New York | 1623 | 6.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 853 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 829 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 807 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 802 | 3.3% |
| New Jersey | 780 | 3.2% |
| North Carolina | 732 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 11202 | 46.4% |
Location highlight
Complaint activity in District of Columbia was almost entirely concentrated in Washington.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded during the month were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 16770 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 16770 | 69.5% |
| TV | 3416 | 14.2% |
| Internet | 3375 | 14.0% |
| Radio | 383 | 1.6% |
| Accessibility | 91 | 0.4% |
| Emergency | 85 | 0.4% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 9 | 0.0% |
Phone complaints
16770 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 69.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 13322 | 79.4% |
| Billing | 1236 | 7.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 746 | 4.4% |
| Equipment | 503 | 3.0% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 369 | 2.2% |
| Privacy | 202 | 1.2% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 144 | 0.9% |
| Junk Faxes | 122 | 0.7% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 113 | 0.7% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 8 | 0.0% |
| Rural Call Completion | 4 | 0.0% |
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.
TV complaints
3416 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 14.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 893 | 26.1% |
| Billing | 765 | 22.4% |
| Indecency | 735 | 21.5% |
| Interference | 436 | 12.8% |
| Loud Commercials | 409 | 12.0% |
| Equipment | 128 | 3.7% |
| Privacy | 50 | 1.5% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Indecency.
Internet complaints
3375 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 14.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 1368 | 40.5% |
| Billing | 940 | 27.9% |
| Speed | 478 | 14.2% |
| Interference | 282 | 8.4% |
| Equipment | 173 | 5.1% |
| Privacy | 134 | 4.0% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Radio complaints
383 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 1.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 87 | 22.7% |
| Indecency | 87 | 22.7% |
| Interference | 87 | 22.7% |
| Pirate Radio | 68 | 17.8% |
| Commercials/Promotions | 24 | 6.3% |
| Billing | 18 | 4.7% |
| Equipment | 12 | 3.1% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Indecency and Interference.
Accessibility complaints
91 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) | 35 | 38.5% |
| Closed Captioning on TV | 27 | 29.7% |
| Closed Captioning over the Internet | 10 | 11.0% |
| Video Description | 7 | 7.7% |
| Emergency Information on TV | 4 | 4.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) and Closed Captioning on TV, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Emergency complaints
85 complaints were recorded in this category during the month, representing 0.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 44 | 51.8% |
| Interference | 29 | 34.1% |
| Phone | 10 | 11.8% |
| Tower | 2 | 2.4% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Other and Interference, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 13322 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 55.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (719) 452-8970 | 34 | 0.3% |
| (206) 508-4051 | 9 | 0.1% |
| (888) 280-4331 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (509) 639-3173 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (602) 760-4549 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (218) 789-3602 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (800) 872-2657 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (847) 866-5100 | 6 | 0.0% |
| (251) 451-0954 | 5 | 0.0% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 263 | 2.0% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 41 | 0.3% |
| (719) 452-8970 | 33 | 0.2% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 19 | 0.1% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 14 | 0.1% |
| (999) 999-9999 | 8 | 0.1% |
| (218) 789-3602 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (229) 367-3020 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (714) 694-7603 | 7 | 0.1% |
| (509) 639-3173 | 6 | 0.0% |
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.
- (719) 452-8970 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.