FCC Consumer Complaints – 1 November 2020
Introduction
On Sunday, 1 November 2020, 431 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 540 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 44 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 254 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 431
- States & territories reporting
- 44
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (254)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (56)
Where the complaints came from
Across 273 cities in 44 states and territories, a total of 431 complaints were recorded on 1 November 2020. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 56 | 13.0% |
| Georgia | 35 | 8.1% |
| Texas | 33 | 7.7% |
| Arizona | 29 | 6.7% |
| Florida | 21 | 4.9% |
| Kentucky | 21 | 4.9% |
| New York | 21 | 4.9% |
| Maryland | 19 | 4.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 3.5% |
| Colorado | 13 | 3.0% |
| Other states and territories | 168 | 39.0% |
What the complaints were about
Complaints recorded on this date related to 6 different complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 302 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 302 | 70.1% |
| Internet | 90 | 20.9% |
| TV | 36 | 8.4% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
| Radio | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
302 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 254 | 84.1% |
| Billing | 17 | 5.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 11 | 3.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 1.7% |
| Equipment | 5 | 1.7% |
| Privacy | 5 | 1.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 2 | 0.7% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 2 | 0.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 1 | 0.3% |
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 Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill).
Internet complaints
90 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 20.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 54 | 60.0% |
| Billing | 14 | 15.6% |
| Interference | 10 | 11.1% |
| Speed | 6 | 6.7% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.3% |
| Privacy | 3 | 3.3% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
36 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 8.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 13 | 36.1% |
| Billing | 9 | 25.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 16.7% |
| Indecency | 4 | 11.1% |
| Equipment | 2 | 5.6% |
| Interference | 2 | 5.6% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
There were 254 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 58.9% 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 | 6 | 2.4% |
| (214) 283-1316 | 2 | 0.8% |
| (480) 691-3595 | 2 | 0.8% |
| (201) 284-8500 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (202) 381-9604 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (202) 998-2997 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (206) 268-6660 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (210) 303-4201 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (212) 554-2854 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (214) 380-2916 | 1 | 0.4% |
Key patterns
- Abandoned Calls 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.