FCC Consumer Complaints – 17 September 2021
Introduction
On Friday, 17 September 2021, the Federal Communications Commission recorded 891 consumer complaints relating to telecommunications services, this represented a decline from the 918 complaints recorded the day before. Reports were received from 50 states and territories, with California recording slightly more complaints than other locations. Complaints were most commonly associated with Unwanted Calls, accounting for 495 complaints.
Key statistics
- Total complaints
- 891
- States & territories reporting
- 50
- Most common issue
- Unwanted Calls (495)
- Most reported state/territory
- California (116)
Where the complaints came from
The 891 complaints recorded on 17 September 2021 were submitted from 590 cities across 50 states and territories. Complaint reports were spread across multiple states and territories, without any one location accounting for a large share. 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 | 116 | 13.0% |
| Texas | 85 | 9.5% |
| New York | 76 | 8.5% |
| Florida | 62 | 7.0% |
| North Carolina | 48 | 5.4% |
| Georgia | 33 | 3.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 32 | 3.6% |
| Colorado | 27 | 3.0% |
| Virginia | 26 | 2.9% |
| Ohio | 25 | 2.8% |
| Other states and territories | 359 | 40.3% |
What the complaints were about
The complaints recorded on this date fell into 8 different complaint categories. Phone accounted for the largest share, with 678 complaints. Complaint activity was strongly concentrated in this category, with other categories contributing comparatively fewer reports.
| Complaint category | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 678 | 76.1% |
| Internet | 134 | 15.0% |
| TV | 64 | 7.2% |
| Radio | 9 | 1.0% |
| Emergency | 3 | 0.3% |
| Accessibility | 1 | 0.1% |
| Broadband Story | 1 | 0.1% |
| Request for Dispute Assistance | 1 | 0.1% |
Phone complaints
678 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 76.1% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unwanted Calls | 495 | 73.0% |
| Billing | 68 | 10.0% |
| Availability (including rural call completion) | 37 | 5.5% |
| Equipment | 26 | 3.8% |
| Number Portability (keeping your number if you change providers) | 16 | 2.4% |
| Privacy | 13 | 1.9% |
| Interference (including signal jammers) | 9 | 1.3% |
| Junk Faxes | 9 | 1.3% |
| Cramming (unauthorized charges on your phone bill) | 2 | 0.3% |
| Slamming (change of your carrier without permission) | 2 | 0.3% |
| Rural Call Completion | 1 | 0.1% |
Unwanted calls again accounted for the largest share of complaints in this category. These reports are examined in more detail in the section below. A broad mix of issues was reported in this category, with Billing, Availability (including rural call completion) and Equipment among the most common.
Internet complaints
134 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 15.0% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 52 | 38.8% |
| Availability | 45 | 33.6% |
| Speed | 14 | 10.4% |
| Equipment | 10 | 7.5% |
| Interference | 8 | 6.0% |
| Privacy | 5 | 3.7% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
TV complaints
64 complaints were recorded in this category, representing 7.2% of the total.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | 23 | 35.9% |
| Availability | 16 | 25.0% |
| Indecency | 13 | 20.3% |
| Equipment | 6 | 9.4% |
| Loud Commercials | 5 | 7.8% |
| Interference | 1 | 1.6% |
Billing and Availability were the main issues reported in this category, while other issues were less common.
Unwanted calls
A total of 495 complaints relating to unwanted calls were recorded on this date, representing 55.6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| (866) 883-4452 | 5 | 1.0% |
| (817) 409-7795 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (208) 315-6899 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (404) 296-3398 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (817) 409-7505 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (201) 253-6297 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (201) 560-4065 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (201) 567-0680 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 235-8831 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 866-8527 | 1 | 0.2% |
Most reported business contact numbers
| Telephone number | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| (833) 304-1447 | 5 | 1.0% |
| (866) 883-4452 | 5 | 1.0% |
| (555) 555-5555 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (817) 409-7795 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (828) 332-5416 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (972) 807-7083 | 3 | 0.6% |
| (208) 315-6899 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (817) 409-7505 | 2 | 0.4% |
| (202) 235-8831 | 1 | 0.2% |
| (202) 833-7500 | 1 | 0.2% |
Key patterns
- None accounted for the largest share of unwanted call complaints by service type.
- Abandoned Calls was reported slightly more often than other call types.
- Several business contact numbers were reported multiple times, with no single number clearly ahead of the others.
- (866) 883-4452 was reported slightly more often than other caller ID numbers.
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.