Retail giant Amazon is facing a new California call recording lawsuit, alleging the company illegally recorded phone conversations of the plaintiff and other consumers.

This California call recording lawsuit was filed by a state resident, who is also seeking to represent a class of California consumers who may have also been recorded without their knowledge. Plaintiff Ashley Greene alleges that Amazon violated state privacy laws by failing to get the consent of residents before recording their calls.

Like many other companies in the United States, Amazon has a designated customer service line that is meant to take incoming calls or place outgoing calls to customers.

However, Amazon and other companies must adhere to each state’s privacy laws when conducting business in the state in question. This includes California, which requires the consent of all parties involved in a phone conversation before any call recording takes place.

Companies often record calls for customer service training purposes, but must ask for consent and disclose potential call recording regardless. Greene claims Amazon allegedly failed to do this when she called their customer service line in 2018, regarding some product orders she placed on its website.

Overview of California Call Recording Lawsuit

According to the California call recording lawsuit, Amazon implemented an online system in which a customer can go to the website or mobile app and request to receive a call from the company through the website’s “Call Back” feature. This system was implemented to provide customers with different alternatives, from waiting on hold for longer periods of time, or having to through a serious of automated voice commands to reach the correct department.

When Greene received the call to her cellphone, she says there was no disclosure of potential call recording and she was not aware that she was being recorded. In addition, Amazon’s website allegedly did not mention any possibility of call recording or that consumers should listen for it when contacting their customer service department.

According to the California call recording lawsuit, Greene’s private finances, order information, and home address were discussed during these recorded calls. Greene says she was shocked to discover that these calls were recorded, and that she would not have been willing to discuss such personal information if she had known.

Under California call recording laws, companies are required to give disclosures for potential call recording and ask the consumer for consent. Companies typically give this disclosure at the beginning of calls, and ask consumers to either stay on the line or press a button on the dial tone to indicate consent.

Amazon allegedly failed to give this disclosure, prompting Greene to file this California call recording lawsuit. Greene is bringing this action on behalf of herself and other consumers who also allegedly experienced illegal call recording.

Greene is seeking $5,000 per violation, or three times the amount of damages actually suffered. Several companies have already paid multi million dollar settlements to end allegations of illegal call recording.

This is not first class action lawsuit to hit Amazon. Other consumers have complained of unwanted Amazon Prime memberships and that the Amazon website is not accessible to those with visual impairments.

This California Call Recording Lawsuit is Greene v. Amazon.com Services Inc., Case No. 2:18-cv-07654-JFW-AS, in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles- Civil Unlimited.