FCC Consumer Complaints – 6 November 2020
Introduction
On Friday, 6 November 2020, 962 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, complaint volume fell from 987 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 546 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 962
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (546)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (106)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 6 November 2020 show 962 complaints originating from 660 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaints were distributed across states and territories in a broadly even manner, with no individual location standing out significantly. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 106 | 11.0% |
| Texas | 91 | 9.5% |
| Florida | 90 | 9.4% |
| New York | 78 | 8.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 36 | 3.7% |
| New Jersey | 35 | 3.6% |
| Ohio | 33 | 3.4% |
| Georgia | 30 | 3.1% |
| Colorado | 28 | 2.9% |
| Washington | 28 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 407 | 42.3% |
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 717 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 717 | 74.5% |
| Internet | 125 | 13.0% |
| TV | 91 | 9.5% |
| Radio | 21 | 2.2% |
| Accessibility | 6 | 0.6% |
| Emergency | 2 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
717 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 546 | 76.2% |
| Billing | 66 | 9.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 34 | 4.7% |
| Equipment | 25 | 3.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 15 | 2.1% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 10 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.3% |
| Privacy | 7 | 1.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.7% |
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
125 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 13.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 60 | 48.0% |
| Billing | 28 | 22.4% |
| Speed | 16 | 12.8% |
| Interference | 11 | 8.8% |
| Equipment | 6 | 4.8% |
| Privacy | 4 | 3.2% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
91 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 9.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 27 | 29.7% |
| Billing | 24 | 26.4% |
| Indecency | 21 | 23.1% |
| Interference | 6 | 6.6% |
| Loud Commercials | 6 | 6.6% |
| Privacy | 4 | 4.4% |
| Equipment | 3 | 3.3% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability, Billing and Indecency.
Unwanted calls
546 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 56.8% of all complaints. Reports referenced both caller ID numbers and business contact numbers, with number tables shown where meaningful patterns are present.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 15 | 2.7% |
| (628) 268-2795 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (863) 816-5325 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (201) 584-9861 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (206) 453-2329 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (206) 853-5196 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (208) 203-2871 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (209) 207-0546 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (212) 212-5398 | 1 | 0.2% |
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.