Thursday, February 19, 2009

Buyer Beware: Trapcall

Trapcall is a beta application offering a variety of features including number unmasking (for blocked callers), blocking unwanted callers, showing the caller’s name, call recording, sending your voicemail transcriptions via SMS managing your Trapcall account online. Sounds good, right?

The first thing I find alarming about Trapcall is the voicemail transcription. By using the service, you are granting "individuals working for" Trapcall.com to access your mailbox and listen to your voicemails. This makes using Trapcall on your business phone a big no-no. I’m sure there’s nothing better for your business than allowing a third party access to confidential information.

Next, the ability to record calls can get a little dicey. Although the service is set up so that when you activate the automatic call record function, each caller hears a message before the call is answered informing them that the call will be recorded and asking them to hang up if they do not wish to be recorded. Of course you have the ability to override the warning message, however I suggest checking your local state laws before doing so – unless you want to make future phone calls collect from the "big house."

Third, you had better make sure you have unlimited text messaging! The service sends you a text message after every call. Also, Trapcall will not defeat caller ID spoofing.

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