FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 November 2020
Introduction
On Saturday, 7 November 2020, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 380 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this was lower than the 962 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 45 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 209 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 380
- States & territories reporting
- 45
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (209)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (45)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 7 November 2020 show 380 complaints originating from 294 cities across 45 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant 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 | 45 | 11.8% |
| Florida | 27 | 7.1% |
| Texas | 25 | 6.6% |
| Georgia | 24 | 6.3% |
| New York | 17 | 4.5% |
| Washington | 17 | 4.5% |
| Maryland | 14 | 3.7% |
| North Carolina | 14 | 3.7% |
| Arizona | 13 | 3.4% |
| Illinois | 13 | 3.4% |
| Other states and territories | 171 | 45.0% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 5 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 256 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 256 | 67.4% |
| TV | 60 | 15.8% |
| Internet | 56 | 14.7% |
| Radio | 5 | 1.3% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.8% |
Phone complaints
256 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 67.4% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 209 | 81.6% |
| Billing | 14 | 5.5% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 10 | 3.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 6 | 2.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 5 | 2.0% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.8% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 1 | 0.4% |
As is often the case in this category, unwanted calls were the most frequently reported issue. Further analysis of these complaints is provided below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) and Availability (including rural call completion).
TV complaints
60 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 21 | 35.0% |
| Availability | 16 | 26.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 12 | 20.0% |
| Indecency | 6 | 10.0% |
| Interference | 3 | 5.0% |
| Equipment | 2 | 3.3% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Internet complaints
56 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 21 | 37.5% |
| Billing | 14 | 25.0% |
| Privacy | 6 | 10.7% |
| Speed | 6 | 10.7% |
| Interference | 5 | 8.9% |
| Equipment | 4 | 7.1% |
The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.
Unwanted calls
There were 209 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 55% 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 | 7 | 3.3% |
| (800) 241-5456 | 2 | 1.0% |
| (208) 262-0000 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (209) 270-6301 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (212) 231-7104 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (212) 457-8965 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (213) 398-8349 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (215) 383-2772 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (216) 327-8068 | 1 | 0.5% |
| (216) 369-5679 | 1 | 0.5% |
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.