Businesses Such As Hunter Boots May Be Recording Calls Without Consent

Businesses, including Hunter Boots, may be in violation of California privacy laws if they participate in recording calls without consent.

California residents who received toll free calls from certain businesses may be eligible for legal action due to allegations that the companies may be recording calls without consent.

Although no company-specific allegations have been made, businesses under investigation include British Airways, American Airlines, Czech Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, AMF Bowling, Fisher & Paykel, Miele, Pei Wei Asian Diner, TGI Friday’s, and Hunter Boots.

Should an investigation find that these companies, or others, have been recording calls without consent, consumers may be able to file a lawsuit against the companies for violating California privacy laws.

California has some of the strictest privacy laws in the country, with the right to privacy considered an inalienable right according to the California Constitution. California citizens are protected from privacy breaches online, in person, and through technology.

In 1967, the state passed the California Invasion of Privacy Act which protects California citizens from invasion of privacy via technology.

Under California privacy laws, businesses are required to receive consent for recording calls. Most businesses include an initial warning that the call may be recorded. Staying on the phone after such a message is played is generally considered consenting to having the call recorded. However, some businesses may be in violation by recording calls without consent without warning consumers beforehand.

California business call recording laws prohibit any person or business to record telephone calls without the consent of all parties participating in the call.

California call recording statutes forbid “maliciously and without the consent of all parties to the communication, [intercepting], [receiving], or [assisting] in intercepting or receiving a communication transmitted between cellular radio telephones or between any cellular radio telephone and a landline telephone.”

Similar statutes are in place for communication between other telephone devices.

If businesses face legal action after recording calls without consent, they often claim that recording calls is for training purposes or improving customer services. However, the act of recording calls without consent is still deemed illegal regardless of if the intent is not malicious.

Several companies have paid millions to settle call recording lawsuits alleging violations of California privacy laws. Businesses which are found recording calls without consent may be subject to damages up to $5,000 per violation per plaintiff, or three times the amount of damages suffered.

Instead of paying an exorbitant amount in compensatory and punitive damages, many businesses choose to settle lawsuits to avoid the risks associated with going to trial.

If you or a loved one live in California and did not receive a recording warning when calling or receiving a call from a toll-free number, for businesses such as Hunter Boots, your call may have been recorded without your consent.

If a business recorded your call without your consent, you may be eligible for a California call recording lawsuit. Legal action against businesses found recording calls without consent can recover compensation for damages, breaches of privacy and more.