To my surprise the ICO claim to be unable to play a call recording. I have sent them details of junk calls, as a simple WAV file. I offered to send as MP3 in future, but they say they are unable to play an audio file.
I have to wonder what sort of IT kit they have that is unable to play such a file!
They also want me to tell them what is in the call recording and so on.
I have pointed out that, unlike them, I am not paid to enforce this legislation, my time is valuable. Sending the call recording with date/time and numbers gives them all the evidence in the most efficient way for me (the victim of the crime).
I'll keep sending them until they get the necessary IT to be able to play a recording. After all the law says I can ask them to exercise their enforcement action, and that is all I am doing. If they don't like that they can get the law changed. It is not like I am spamming them. I'll try MP3 files anyway, we'll see.
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Probably works like a call centre. Mr investigator has never been issued with headphones, so he can't "Play" the recording.
ReplyDeleteAs excuses go, that one's pretty dismal - though I can easily believe their desktops are set up without speakers, which would be little use in a shared office for most purposes.
ReplyDeleteApparently they've done good things on spam text messages lately, perhaps with a bit more nudging they can bring that to bear on spam phone calls too.
Could you set up a dedicated "IVR" like phone number for them. Tell them to call you on number X (01/02/03 so they can't complain too much about call costs) and enter playback code XXX and then the audio will be played to them. Of course, they could just say they can't make outbound calls :/
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good solution, and a good excuse!
DeleteYour WAV files were in A-Law format. If you convert them to plain PCM, they will most likely be able to play them.
ReplyDeleteHave you got an old cassette player? Send them that and a cassette of the recording.
ReplyDeleteUnless I'm very much mistaken, the whole point of the legislation is to stop your time being wasted by these ^%$^&*^ spammers. If so, then the ICO requiring that you waste even more time (by a factor of what? Ten, twenty) to do a job that they themselves are being paid for is... well... words fail me.
ReplyDeleteEssentially what they're saying is that the law is nothing more than a token gesture and is not meant to be taken seriously.
Have you tried sending the calls on cassette tape? Or perhaps they want them on CD-R? I'm not kidding, old school formats like these could be all they're set up for.
ReplyDeleteTurn them a wax cylinder. Luddites in charge of IT related matters? Shouldn't happen and yet...
ReplyDelete