Call Trunk Lets You Record Any Phone Conversation (But Is It Legal?)

As someone who occasionally uses the telephone to interview people for work, the idea of using a professional service to ensure recording quality actually sounds pretty good. Call Trunk is such a service, offering the ability to easily record phone conversations from both landlines and mobiles, and storing the recording online for easy access.

The service works through the wonders of the internet. you simply log in to the call trunk service, enter your number and your destination number, and Call Trunk will call both numbers, connecting you and recording your conversation. Smartphone users can simplify the process by using a dedicated Call Trunk app.

Once recorded, you can sync your recording with online storage services like Evernote, Dropbox or Box.net. You can even record Skype calls, which is a huge advantage for online usage.

There are a couple of catches though. One is cost — you have to pay Call trunk in addition to your phone bills, and the rates vary depending on whether you’re calling landlines, mobiles or a combination of the two. Call Trunk also offers membership plans of up to $10 a month, which cut the call rate by up to 50 per cent.

The other catch is the legal aspect. In Australia, you are legally required to announce you are recording a phone call at the start of the call. From the Government’s Privacy site:

Monitoring (listening in to), or recording of telephone conversations, is a matter tightly controlled by law. The federal Telecommunications (Interception) Act 1979 and State and Territory listening devices laws may both apply to this activity. The general rule is that the call may not be recorded. There are exceptions to these rules in very limited circumstances including where a warrant applies.
If a call is to be recorded or monitored, an organisation must tell you at the beginning of the conversation so that you have the chance either to end the call, or to ask to be transferred to another line where monitoring or recording does not take place if this is available.

It’s a murky backwater of questionable legal implications, which could hinder the success of the service. But still, for people like me, it’s still a solid service that can help make my job a little easier.

[Call Trunk]