FCC Consumer Complaints – 27 August 2021

Introduction

On Friday, 27 August 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 938 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 1039 complaints recorded the day before. Complaints were reported across 52 states and territories, with California slightly ahead of the other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 547 complaints.

Key statistics

Total complaints
938
States & territories reporting
52
Most common issue
Unwanted Calls (547)
Most reported state/territory
California (111)

Where the complaints came from

Reports recorded on 27 August 2021 show 938 complaints originating from 616 cities across 52 states and territories. Activity was spread across states and territories, with no single location accounting for a substantial share of complaints. At the city level, complaints were similarly dispersed, with no single location accounting for a notable share of the total.

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 111 11.8%
Florida 80 8.5%
New York 59 6.3%
Texas 59 6.3%
Georgia 35 3.7%
New Jersey 32 3.4%
Illinois 30 3.2%
Ohio 30 3.2%
Colorado 29 3.1%
Maryland 29 3.1%
Other states and territories 441 47.0%

What the complaints were about

The complaints recorded on this date fell into 8 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 718 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.

Complaint category Complaints Share
Phone 718 76.5%
Internet 139 14.8%
TV 58 6.2%
Radio 14 1.5%
Accessibility 5 0.5%
Emergency 2 0.2%
Broadband Story 1 0.1%
Request for Dispute Assistance 1 0.1%

Phone complaints

718 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.5% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Unwanted Calls 547 76.2%
Billing 57 7.9%
Availability (including rural call completion) 43 6.0%
Equipment 20 2.8%
Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) 19 2.6%
Privacy 12 1.7%
Junk Faxes 7 1.0%
Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) 6 0.8%
Interference (including signal jammers) 5 0.7%
Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) 2 0.3%

Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. Complaints in this category covered a range of issues, including Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment.

Internet complaints

139 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 14.8% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 65 46.8%
Availability 40 28.8%
Speed 14 10.1%
Equipment 9 6.5%
Privacy 6 4.3%
Interference 5 3.6%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

TV complaints

58 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 6.2% of the total.

Issue Complaints Share
Billing 24 41.4%
Availability 19 32.8%
Loud Commercials 9 15.5%
Equipment 3 5.2%
Indecency 1 1.7%
Interference 1 1.7%
Privacy 1 1.7%

Billing and Availability accounted for the majority of complaints in this category, with other issues reported less frequently.

Unwanted calls

A total of 547 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 58.3% 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 0.9%
(855) 788-1588 3 0.5%
(866) 583-0474 2 0.4%
(866) 853-3695 2 0.4%
(202) 221-7923 1 0.2%
(202) 833-7500 1 0.2%
(202) 949-7392 1 0.2%
(206) 670-7267 1 0.2%
(207) 424-2776 1 0.2%
(208) 770-5880 1 0.2%

Key patterns

  • None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
  • Unwanted call complaints were spread across multiple call types with similar counts.
  • (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.
Page last updated: 28 August 2021 with FCC complaints data from 27 August 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.