FCC Consumer Complaints – 14 July 2021

Introduction

On 14 July 2021, 987 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded in the Federal Communications Commission system, this was higher than the 957 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 51 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 508 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
987
States & territories reporting
51
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (508)
Most reported state/territory
California (138)

Where the complaints came from

A total of 987 complaints were recorded on 14 July 2021, with reports originating from 620 cities in 51 states and territories. The distribution of complaints was relatively even, with no single state or territory contributing a dominant share. A similar pattern is observed at the city level, with complaints spread across locations rather than concentrated in a single area.

The table below shows the distribution of complaints by state and territory for this date, highlighting the locations with the highest number of reports.

State/Territory Complaints
California 138 14.0%
Texas 83 8.4%
Florida 77 7.8%
New York 54 5.5%
New Jersey 33 3.3%
Ohio 30 3.0%
Illinois 29 2.9%
Arizona 27 2.7%
Nevada 27 2.7%
Colorado 25 2.5%
Other states and territories 460 46.6%

Location highlight

Complaints in California were reported across 87 cities, the widest spread observed on this date.

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 7 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 700 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 700 70.9%
Internet 187 18.9%
TV 72 7.3%
Radio 17 1.7%
Emergency 5 0.5%
Accessibility 4 0.4%
Broadband Story 2 0.2%

Phone complaints

700 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 70.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 508 72.6%
Billing 52 7.4%
Equipment 43 6.1%
Availability (including rural call completion) 38 5.4%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 16 2.3%
Privacy 14 2.0%
Junk Faxes 13 1.9%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 8 1.1%
Interference (including signal jammers) 7 1.0%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 1 0.1%

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, Equipment and Availability (including rural call completion).

Internet complaints

187 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 18.9% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 75 40.1%
Availability 57 30.5%
Speed 19 10.2%
Equipment 15 8.0%
Privacy 13 7.0%
Interference 8 4.3%

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

TV complaints

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

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 32 44.4%
Availability 14 19.4%
Indecency 11 15.3%
Loud Commercials 7 9.7%
Equipment 6 8.3%
Interference 2 2.8%

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 508 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 51.5% 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
(833) 304-1447 5 1.0%
(213) 246-2990 2 0.4%
(304) 846-3550 2 0.4%
(352) 900-2564 2 0.4%
(425) 462-3017 2 0.4%
(662) 237-8457 2 0.4%
(760) 313-9983 2 0.4%
(817) 409-7505 2 0.4%
(888) 441-0898 2 0.4%
(888) 673-0454 2 0.4%

Key patterns

  • All unwanted call complaints with a recorded service type related to None.
  • Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
  • (833) 304-1447 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
  • Reports were spread across many different caller ID numbers, with no single number dominating.
Page last updated: 15 July 2021 with FCC complaints data from 14 July 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.