The Harman Audio support line is an example of a customer service communication line dedicated to consumer inquiries which are made on a daily basis. However, California residents who call the Harman Audio support line should be wary for potential call recording, especially if a disclosure is not given.

The Harman Audio support line is subject to California call recording laws when operating in the state. These laws help protect the privacy rights of residents. These call recording laws fall under the California Privacy Act, which was enacted to help protect the privacy rights of consumers pertaining to the act of recording conversations.

This essentially means that there are very few exceptions in which conversation recording is legal without the consent of the parties involved. California call recording laws apply to phone conversations, including those made to customer service phone numbers like the Harman Audio support line.

Harman is an electronics company that designs and engineers products for automakers, consumers, and enterprises from across the world. This includes producing parts for car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions and other service supports.

The company was recently acquired by Samsung Electronics. According to the company’s website, 50 million cars have Harman audio systems and have plants in the United States, Europe and Asia.

However, this company must still operate under the laws of whatever area of the world it is conducting business. This includes obeying California call recording laws for which the company is currently under investigation.

Overview of California Call Recording Laws

California call recording laws apply to inbound and outbound calls, with both the recipient and caller having to meet the standards of the law. It is common practice for companies like Harman to record customer service calls for employee training purposes, but it is important for companies to give the call recording disclosure beforehand.

This disclosure is typically given at the beginning of the call, and asks for customers to either stay on the line or press a button on the dial pad to indicate consent. It is important to note that by staying on the line, customers give implied consent.

California consumers who call the Harman audio support line should listen for the call recording disclosure. Businesses operating in California that allegedly violate this law can face up to $5,000 per violation or three times the amount the damages actually suffered.

Several companies have reportedly already paid millions of dollars to settle alleged violations against California call recording laws including alleged incidents of call recording consumers without their consent.

California consumers who are considering filing legal action against Harman and other companies should document the calls in a log journal including:

• The date and time of call
• Summary of call
• Whether or not call recording disclosure was given