FCC Consumer Complaints – 13 March 2021
Introduction
On Saturday, 13 March 2021, 411 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1136 complaints recorded the day before. The complaints came from 44 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 237 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 411
- States & territories reporting
- 44
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (237)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (64)
Where the complaints came from
On 13 March 2021, the 411 complaints recorded by the Federal Communications Commission were reported from 304 cities across 44 states and territories. Complaints were relatively evenly spread across states and territories, with no individual location contributing a dominant share. This pattern continues at the city level, where complaints were distributed across multiple locations without a single city standing out.
The distribution of complaints by state and territory is shown below, with locations ranked by the number of reports recorded.
| State/Territory | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| California | 64 | 15.6% |
| Texas | 50 | 12.2% |
| Florida | 35 | 8.5% |
| New York | 24 | 5.8% |
| Virginia | 18 | 4.4% |
| Georgia | 16 | 3.9% |
| Colorado | 15 | 3.6% |
| Arizona | 12 | 2.9% |
| Massachusetts | 12 | 2.9% |
| Michigan | 12 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 153 | 37.2% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 46 different cities.
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 307 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 307 | 74.7% |
| Internet | 49 | 11.9% |
| TV | 48 | 11.7% |
| Radio | 5 | 1.2% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
307 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 74.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 237 | 77.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 23 | 7.5% |
| Billing | 18 | 5.9% |
| Equipment | 8 | 2.6% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 2.3% |
| Privacy | 6 | 2.0% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 1.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 3 | 1.0% |
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 Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment.
Internet complaints
49 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 18 | 36.7% |
| Billing | 18 | 36.7% |
| Speed | 8 | 16.3% |
| Equipment | 3 | 6.1% |
| Interference | 2 | 4.1% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
48 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Loud Commercials | 16 | 33.3% |
| Billing | 13 | 27.1% |
| Availability | 10 | 20.8% |
| Indecency | 6 | 12.5% |
| Interference | 2 | 4.2% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2.1% |
Loud Commercials and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
A total of 237 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 57.7% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (714) 694-7603 | 10 | 4.2% |
| (973) 657-5158 | 4 | 1.7% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 3 | 1.3% |
| (405) 266-7584 | 2 | 0.8% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 2 | 0.8% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 2 | 0.8% |
| (201) 468-8857 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (201) 510-9665 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (201) 916-7100 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (202) 664-1021 | 1 | 0.4% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (714) 694-7603 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.