FCC Consumer Complaints – 23 March 2021
Introduction
The Federal Communications Commission recorded 1270 consumer complaints on Tuesday, 23 March 2021 relating to telecommunications services, complaint volume increased from 1085 complaints the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 774 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1270
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (774)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (192)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 1270 complaints were recorded on 23 March 2021, with reports originating from 800 cities in 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. 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 | 192 | 15.1% |
| Florida | 108 | 8.5% |
| Texas | 92 | 7.2% |
| New York | 84 | 6.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 41 | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 40 | 3.1% |
| Virginia | 39 | 3.1% |
| Ohio | 38 | 3.0% |
| Washington | 37 | 2.9% |
| Maryland | 36 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 554 | 43.6% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 120 different cities.
What the complaints were about
A total of 7 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 956 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 956 | 75.3% |
| Internet | 199 | 15.7% |
| TV | 83 | 6.5% |
| Radio | 18 | 1.4% |
| Broadband Story | 8 | 0.6% |
| Accessibility | 3 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
956 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 75.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 774 | 81.0% |
| Billing | 52 | 5.4% |
| Equipment | 40 | 4.2% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 36 | 3.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 17 | 1.8% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 11 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 11 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.2% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 4 | 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. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).
Internet complaints
199 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.7% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 82 | 41.2% |
| Billing | 49 | 24.6% |
| Speed | 34 | 17.1% |
| Equipment | 15 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 12 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 7 | 3.5% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
83 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.5% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 25 | 30.1% |
| Indecency | 20 | 24.1% |
| Availability | 17 | 20.5% |
| Loud Commercials | 17 | 20.5% |
| Equipment | 2 | 2.4% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.2% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.2% |
The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Billing, Indecency and Availability.
Unwanted calls
There were 774 complaints relating to unwanted calls on this date, representing 60.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 304-1447 | 5 | 0.6% |
| (315) 232-8257 | 4 | 0.5% |
| (215) 253-4273 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (240) 407-1514 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (661) 885-3877 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (866) 201-8233 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (949) 284-8076 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (201) 579-9035 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 729-4275 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (202) 978-9967 | 1 | 0.1% |
Key patterns
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (833) 304-1447 was reported slightly more often than other business contact numbers.
- 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.