FCC Consumer Complaints – 5 December 2020
Introduction
On Saturday, 5 December 2020, 572 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 1135 complaints recorded the previous day. Complaints were reported across 47 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 266 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 572
- States & territories reporting
- 47
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (266)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (78)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 572 complaints were recorded on 5 December 2020, with reports originating from 429 cities in 47 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 78 | 13.6% |
| Texas | 56 | 9.8% |
| Florida | 39 | 6.8% |
| Ohio | 25 | 4.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 22 | 3.8% |
| New York | 21 | 3.7% |
| Indiana | 18 | 3.1% |
| New Jersey | 18 | 3.1% |
| Georgia | 17 | 3.0% |
| Louisiana | 16 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 262 | 45.8% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 6 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 348 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 348 | 60.8% |
| TV | 136 | 23.8% |
| Internet | 70 | 12.2% |
| Radio | 14 | 2.4% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.3% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 2 | 0.3% |
Phone complaints
348 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 60.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 266 | 76.4% |
| Billing | 29 | 8.3% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 17 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 10 | 2.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 2.0% |
| Privacy | 7 | 2.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 6 | 1.7% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 5 | 1.4% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.3% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail 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
136 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 23.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 82 | 60.3% |
| Billing | 20 | 14.7% |
| Loud Commercials | 18 | 13.2% |
| Equipment | 8 | 5.9% |
| Indecency | 8 | 5.9% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Internet complaints
70 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 12.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 25 | 35.7% |
| Billing | 18 | 25.7% |
| Speed | 13 | 18.6% |
| Interference | 9 | 12.9% |
| Privacy | 4 | 5.7% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.4% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
266 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 46.5% 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 | 8 | 3.0% |
| (301) 469-8564 | 3 | 1.1% |
| (202) 524-2012 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (202) 788-5070 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (202) 804-6579 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (210) 942-2826 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (212) 202-5735 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (212) 566-2342 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (231) 539-0682 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (251) 451-0954 | 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.