FCC Consumer Complaints – 27 March 2021
Introduction
On 27 March 2021, 420 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was lower than the 1163 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 49 states and territories, with California recording the largest share of reports at 67 complaints. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 258 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 420
- States & territories reporting
- 49
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (258)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (67)
Where the complaints came from
The 420 complaints recorded on 27 March 2021 were submitted from 316 cities across 49 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 | 67 | 16.0% |
| Florida | 30 | 7.1% |
| Texas | 28 | 6.7% |
| North Carolina | 25 | 6.0% |
| Colorado | 16 | 3.8% |
| Georgia | 14 | 3.3% |
| Massachusetts | 14 | 3.3% |
| Indiana | 12 | 2.9% |
| New York | 12 | 2.9% |
| Washington | 12 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 190 | 45.2% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 7 different complaint categories. Phone was the most reported category, with 329 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 329 | 78.3% |
| Internet | 60 | 14.3% |
| TV | 23 | 5.5% |
| Radio | 4 | 1.0% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.5% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.2% |
| Emergency | 1 | 0.2% |
Phone complaints
329 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 78.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 258 | 78.4% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 17 | 5.2% |
| Billing | 16 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 14 | 4.3% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 7 | 2.1% |
| Privacy | 7 | 2.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 4 | 1.2% |
| Junk Faxes | 1 | 0.3% |
As is typical for this category, unwanted calls accounted for the largest share of complaints. A more detailed analysis of these reports is provided in the section below. The remaining complaints in this category were spread across several issues, including Availability (including rural call completion), Billing and Equipment.
Internet complaints
60 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.3% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 19 | 31.7% |
| Billing | 19 | 31.7% |
| Speed | 12 | 20.0% |
| Interference | 6 | 10.0% |
| Privacy | 3 | 5.0% |
| Equipment | 1 | 1.7% |
Availability and Billing were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 258 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 61.4% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (315) 232-8257 | 8 | 3.1% |
| (833) 304-1447 | 3 | 1.2% |
| (202) 969-0519 | 2 | 0.8% |
| (216) 699-6004 | 2 | 0.8% |
| (212) 203-9672 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (212) 355-8249 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (214) 502-5581 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (251) 220-7563 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (267) 903-6374 | 1 | 0.4% |
| (279) 333-3177 | 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.