FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 April 2021

Introduction

On Wednesday, 7 April 2021, 1162 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 1102 complaints recorded the previous day. The complaints came from 52 states and territories, with California reporting a modestly higher count than the other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 754 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
1162
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (754)
Most reported state/territory
California (151)

Where the complaints came from

The 1162 complaints recorded on 7 April 2021 were submitted from 713 cities across 52 states and territories. Complaint activity was fairly evenly distributed, with no single state or territory accounting for a large share of reports. 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 151 13.0%
Florida 114 9.8%
Texas 109 9.4%
New York 79 6.8%
North Carolina 40 3.4%
Colorado 39 3.4%
Georgia 35 3.0%
New Jersey 34 2.9%
Pennsylvania 33 2.8%
Washington 33 2.8%
Other states and territories 489 42.1%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 8 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 927 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 927 79.8%
Internet 131 11.3%
TV 85 7.3%
Radio 11 0.9%
Accessibility 3 0.3%
Broadband Story 2 0.2%
Emergency 2 0.2%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

927 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 79.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 754 81.3%
Billing 73 7.9%
Availability (including rural call completion) 34 3.7%
Equipment 28 3.0%
Junk Faxes 9 1.0%
Privacy 9 1.0%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 8 0.9%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 6 0.6%
Interference (including signal jammers) 6 0.6%

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 Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

131 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 11.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Availability 54 41.2%
Billing 34 26.0%
Speed 22 16.8%
Privacy 9 6.9%
Equipment 6 4.6%
Interference 6 4.6%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Availability and Billing, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

TV complaints

85 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.3% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 31 36.5%
Availability 24 28.2%
Indecency 11 12.9%
Loud Commercials 9 10.6%
Equipment 5 5.9%
Interference 4 4.7%
Privacy 1 1.2%

The largest share of complaints in this category related to Billing and Availability, with fewer reports falling into other issue types.

Unwanted calls

A total of 754 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 64.9% of all complaints. Caller ID and business contact numbers are shown below where sufficient data is available.

Most reported caller ID numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(800) 378-5726 17 2.3%
(706) 715-7002 3 0.4%
(252) 216-2917 2 0.3%
(312) 224-8775 2 0.3%
(408) 900-2547 2 0.3%
(833) 304-1447 2 0.3%
(904) 490-1263 2 0.3%
(201) 395-0138 1 0.1%
(201) 479-9632 1 0.1%
(201) 764-7188 1 0.1%

Most reported business contact numbers

Telephone number Complaints Share
(833) 304-1447 16 2.1%
(480) 697-5610 5 0.7%
(706) 715-7002 3 0.4%
(252) 216-2917 2 0.3%
(323) 412-8996 2 0.3%
(802) 370-3299 2 0.3%
(866) 878-9695 2 0.3%
(904) 490-1263 2 0.3%
(971) 864-7013 2 0.3%
(201) 479-9632 1 0.1%

Key patterns

  • Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (833) 304-1447 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
  • (800) 378-5726 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
Page last updated: 8 April 2021 with FCC complaints data from 7 April 2021.

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.