FCC Consumer Complaints – 7 September 2021
Introduction
A total of 919 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services were recorded by the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, 7 September 2021, this was higher than the 431 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 48 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. The most common issue reported was Unwanted Calls, accounting for 462 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 919
- States & territories reporting
- 48
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (462)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (109)
Where the complaints came from
A total of 919 complaints were recorded on 7 September 2021, with reports originating from 634 cities in 48 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 | 109 | 11.9% |
| Texas | 90 | 9.8% |
| New York | 70 | 7.6% |
| Florida | 59 | 6.4% |
| Ohio | 36 | 3.9% |
| Virginia | 36 | 3.9% |
| North Carolina | 35 | 3.8% |
| Michigan | 34 | 3.7% |
| Missouri | 28 | 3.0% |
| Illinois | 27 | 2.9% |
| Other states and territories | 391 | 42.5% |
Location highlight
California had the widest distribution of complaints, with reports originating from 70 different cities.
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date were spread across 8 complaint categories. The largest number of complaints fell within Phone, which accounted for 673 reports. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 673 | 73.2% |
| Internet | 140 | 15.2% |
| TV | 85 | 9.2% |
| Radio | 11 | 1.2% |
| Emergency | 5 | 0.5% |
| Accessibility | 2 | 0.2% |
| Broadband Story | 2 | 0.2% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
673 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 73.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 462 | 68.6% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 68 | 10.1% |
| Billing | 59 | 8.8% |
| Equipment | 26 | 3.9% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 23 | 3.4% |
| Privacy | 11 | 1.6% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 10 | 1.5% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 5 | 0.7% |
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
140 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 50 | 35.7% |
| Billing | 47 | 33.6% |
| Equipment | 19 | 13.6% |
| Speed | 10 | 7.1% |
| Interference | 8 | 5.7% |
| Privacy | 6 | 4.3% |
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 9.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 32 | 37.6% |
| Availability | 25 | 29.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 15 | 17.6% |
| Equipment | 5 | 5.9% |
| Indecency | 5 | 5.9% |
| Interference | 2 | 2.4% |
| 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 462 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 50.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (510) 264-7564 | 7 | 1.5% |
| (866) 883-4452 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (201) 421-3154 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (205) 349-5696 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (206) 424-8722 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (208) 278-7034 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (208) 339-7962 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (209) 258-9898 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (210) 477-1976 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (210) 477-5209 | 1 | 0.2% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (510) 264-7564 | 7 | 1.5% |
| (866) 883-4452 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (201) 421-3154 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (203) 730-7088 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (205) 336-7796 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (205) 349-5696 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (206) 337-3290 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (208) 278-7034 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (208) 339-7962 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (210) 953-6469 | 1 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Prerecorded Voice was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- (510) 264-7564 stood out as the most frequently reported business contact number.
- (510) 264-7564 stood out as the most frequently reported caller ID number.
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.