FCC Consumer Complaints – 30 March 2021
Introduction
On Tuesday, 30 March 2021, 1038 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this represented a decline from the 1047 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 52 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The largest number of complaints related to Unwanted Calls, with 682 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 1038
- States & territories reporting
- 52
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (682)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (175)
Where the complaints came from
Reports recorded on 30 March 2021 show 1038 complaints originating from 697 cities across 52 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. 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 | 175 | 16.9% |
| Florida | 100 | 9.6% |
| Texas | 90 | 8.7% |
| New York | 52 | 5.0% |
| Massachusetts | 46 | 4.4% |
| North Carolina | 34 | 3.3% |
| Ohio | 34 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 33 | 3.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 33 | 3.2% |
| New Jersey | 32 | 3.1% |
| Other states and territories | 405 | 39.0% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 109 different cities.
What the complaints were about
A total of 6 complaint categories were represented in the complaints recorded on this date. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 829 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 829 | 79.9% |
| Internet | 112 | 10.8% |
| TV | 69 | 6.6% |
| Radio | 17 | 1.6% |
| Broadband Story | 7 | 0.7% |
| Accessibility | 4 | 0.4% |
Phone complaints
829 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.9% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 682 | 82.3% |
| Billing | 49 | 5.9% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 34 | 4.1% |
| Equipment | 22 | 2.7% |
| Junk Faxes | 12 | 1.4% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 12 | 1.4% |
| Privacy | 9 | 1.1% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 5 | 0.6% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 2 | 0.2% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.2% |
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.
Internet complaints
112 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 10.8% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 37 | 33.0% |
| Billing | 37 | 33.0% |
| Speed | 21 | 18.8% |
| Privacy | 7 | 6.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 5.4% |
| Interference | 4 | 3.6% |
Availability and Billing accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
TV complaints
69 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.6% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 27 | 39.1% |
| Availability | 16 | 23.2% |
| Indecency | 9 | 13.0% |
| Loud Commercials | 9 | 13.0% |
| Equipment | 4 | 5.8% |
| Interference | 3 | 4.3% |
| Privacy | 1 | 1.4% |
Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.
Unwanted calls
682 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, accounting for 65.7% 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 | 7 | 1.0% |
| (619) 393-3410 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (716) 559-9239 | 2 | 0.3% |
| (202) 394-9591 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (203) 937-5821 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (208) 213-0785 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (208) 722-2264 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (209) 556-1600 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (209) 856-3702 | 1 | 0.1% |
| (210) 761-6346 | 1 | 0.1% |
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.