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4Com 7-Year Contracts: The Hidden Equipment Lease Trap

4Com 7-Year Contracts: The Hidden Equipment Lease Trap

"Told 2 Years, Signed 7" — The Complaint That Keeps Appearing

Scroll through the 1-star reviews on uk.trustpilot.com/review/4com.co.uk and one pattern stands out above every other: business owners saying they agreed to what they thought was a 2-year or 3-year deal and only discovered — sometimes years later — that they had actually signed a 7-year equipment lease tucked into the paperwork.

This is the single most important thing any UK business should understand before signing with 4Com. Not because 4Com's service is necessarily bad — plenty of 5-star reviewers report being happy — but because the contract structure is unusual, it is long, and reviewers consistently say it was not properly explained at the point of sale.

We are Compare The Networks, an independent, OFCOM-regulated business telecoms comparison service. We have been helping UK businesses since 2008 and we compare mobile, VoIP and broadband across the major UK networks. We are not affiliated with 4Com. This article explains, factually and based on what customers publicly report on Trustpilot, how 4Com's 7-year contract structure works and why it causes problems.

The 4Com Contract Structure: Two Agreements, One Conversation

Here is the mechanic reviewers describe. When you agree to a 4Com deal involving their Hihi-branded handsets or VoIP hardware, you typically end up on two separate agreements that are presented as one deal during the sales call:

1. The Service Agreement with 4Com

This is the contract for the telecoms service itself — call minutes, broadband, VoIP connectivity, support. Reviewers describe this as commonly set to 24 or 36 months. This is the length customers tell us they thought the whole deal was.

2. The Equipment Lease with Propel Finance / BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions

This is a separate finance agreement with a third-party lease company — most commonly Propel Finance or BNP Paribas — that covers the hardware: the Hihi desk phones, gateways, handsets. This agreement is frequently 60 or 84 months (5 or 7 years). Trustpilot reviewers repeatedly describe a 7-year term on this lease.

The two run in parallel. You pay 4Com for the service. You pay Propel/BNP for the kit. Both have to be satisfied before you are fully out.

Why Reviewers Say They Did Not Know

From the 1-star reviews on uk.trustpilot.com/review/4com.co.uk, the recurring themes on the 7-year lease issue are:

  • "At no point was I told about the finance agreement" — reviewers say the separate Propel or BNP agreement was not raised as a distinct document.
  • Same-day signing with multiple documents presented quickly via e-signature.
  • Terms read aloud at speed during the call, with the lease length "buried" in the small print.
  • The overall conversation framing everything as "your 4Com contract" — with no clear signpost that a separate finance company was involved.
  • Discovery only when trying to leave, when the customer is told the service can end but the equipment lease runs for years more.
  • Discovery only at renewal, when the customer is told the "24-month deal" actually has several years still to run on the hardware.

We are not making direct accusations. We are reporting what reviewers publicly state. You can read them yourself at uk.trustpilot.com/review/4com.co.uk and judge.

The Maths: What a 7-Year Contract Actually Costs

Let us put a number on it. Say a 4Com deal is quoted at £150/month all-in for a small business with a handful of Hihi handsets and VoIP. It sounds reasonable.

  • 2 years at £150/month = £3,600
  • 7 years at £150/month = £12,600

That is the scale of the commitment reviewers describe signing without fully realising.

Now add the pattern reported by Trustpilot reviewers of rates trebling after the introductory period (see our 4Com price increases article). If £150/month becomes £250+/month after month 18:

  • Year 1-1.5 at £150 = ~£2,700
  • Years 1.5-7 at £250 = ~£16,500
  • True total across 7 years: roughly £19,000+

Your comparable honest VoIP quote for a similar small business, on a standard 24-month term with no 7-year equipment lease, is typically in the £40-£80 per user per month range depending on features. For 4 users that is £160-£320/month with no 7-year lock-in. Get a real-world figure with a free VoIP quote.

Why a 7-Year Term Is Unusual in UK Business Telecoms

For context, here is what "normal" looks like in this market:

  • Business mobile contracts: typically 24 or 36 months. Ours at Compare The Networks are 24 months minimum.
  • Business VoIP: typically 24-36 months, sometimes 60 on heavy hardware deals with written explanation.
  • Broadband: typically 24 months.

A 7-year lease is at the outer edge of what UK business telecoms providers offer. It is longer than most commercial property leases. It is longer than most company car agreements. And the issue reviewers describe is not the length itself — businesses can legitimately want a 7-year kit lease — but the fact that they say they did not know they had signed one.

The Knock-On Effects

A 7-year equipment lease creates problems well beyond the contract itself:

1. You Cannot Downsize

If your business shrinks, changes model, or moves premises, you still owe on every handset. Reviewers describe being stuck paying for phones that are sitting in a cupboard because the company has gone fully remote or reduced headcount.

2. You Cannot Easily Switch Provider

Even if you want to switch the service (VoIP, calls, broadband) away from 4Com, you still have the Propel or BNP lease running on the hardware. You end up paying the kit lease alongside your new provider's fees. See our leave 4Com guide.

3. Forced Renewal for Discounts

Trustpilot reviewers describe a pattern where, as the discount period ends, 4Com offers to restore the lower rate — but only if you sign a fresh 7-year agreement. Declining means the rate jumps. Accepting resets the 7-year clock. Our 4Com contract problems article covers this in more depth.

4. Massive Exit Fees

Reviewers report exit quotes of £27,000-£28,000 when trying to terminate early. That figure is the remainder of the 7-year lease plus unexpired service. See our 4Com early termination fee article for how the maths works.

If You Think You Are in This Position

If you have just signed, or you have been with 4Com for a while and are only now realising the lease length, here is what to do.

Step 1: Read Both Agreements

Find every document you signed. Look specifically for:

  • The 4Com service agreement — check the length.
  • A separate finance agreement — this is the one to focus on. Look for "Propel", "BNP Paribas", "Leasing Solutions" or a similar third-party name. Look at the term length. Look at the monthly payment.
  • Any Direct Debit mandates — you may find two: one to 4Com, one to the finance company.

Step 2: Ask 4Com in Writing for the Full Position

Email — do not phone — and ask for:

  • Confirmation of the service agreement start date and end date.
  • Confirmation of the equipment lease start date, end date and monthly amount.
  • Confirmation of the total outstanding across both.
  • An itemised quote for early termination if you wanted to exit today.

Get it in writing. Do not accept verbal figures. Our 4Com finance agreement trap article explains why the written trail matters.

Step 3: Consider CISAS

If you believe you were mis-sold — told it was a 2-year deal and were not clearly told about the 7-year lease — you have a potential misselling complaint. The route is: complain in writing to 4Com first, wait 8 weeks or get a deadlock letter, then escalate to CISAS (Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme) at cisas.org.uk. Full guide in our 4Com misselling article and 4Com complaints CISAS article.

Critical rule: never accept a verbal resolution. Keep everything in writing. If CISAS ever reviews your case, written evidence is what they weigh.

How to Avoid a 7-Year Contract in the Future

Whether you are talking to 4Com, a competitor, or us, here is the rule: never agree to anything on the first call.

Specifically, before you sign any business telecoms deal:

  1. Ask bluntly: "How long is every agreement in this deal?" Not "the contract" — every agreement. If the salesperson says "it's all one 2-year deal" and the paperwork shows a separate 7-year finance agreement, that is a misrepresentation.
  2. Ask: "Is there a separate finance or lease agreement?" Get the answer in writing.
  3. Ask: "Who is the finance company?" Propel, BNP, Lombard, any name that is not the telecoms provider.
  4. Ask for all documents by email at least 48 hours before signing. A legitimate deal survives a 48-hour read. A deal that collapses when you ask for time is a deal that should not be signed.
  5. Never sign on the same call as the pitch. See our 4Com sales tactics article and 4Com no cooling-off period article for why same-day signing is where the problems start.

What Compare The Networks Does Differently

We are a comparison service, not a provider. We do not sell 7-year equipment leases. We do not tie VoIP hardware into decade-long finance agreements. We compare deals across the UK business telecoms market and show you the numbers.

  • 24-month minimum on the contracts we arrange — no 7-year leases.
  • Written pricing before you commit.
  • No equipment locked to a separate finance company unless you explicitly want to finance hardware separately and understand the terms.
  • Independent. We are paid by the networks, not by you.

You can get a free VoIP quote, compare against whatever 4Com has put in front of you, and make an informed decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is every 4Com contract 7 years?

No. 4Com's service agreements are typically shorter — reviewers describe 24 or 36 months. The 7-year element that Trustpilot reviewers flag is the separate equipment lease, commonly with Propel Finance or BNP Paribas, which covers the Hihi handsets and VoIP hardware. We report what reviewers publicly state — check the specific paperwork you have signed.

Is it legal to have a 7-year lease in a business telecoms deal?

Yes, provided the terms are properly disclosed. The issue reviewers raise is not the length itself but whether it was clearly explained at the point of sale. If you were told "2 years" verbally and signed a 7-year lease, that may be misrepresentation — a potential CISAS complaint.

Can I cancel a 4Com 7-year lease early?

You can, but reviewers report exit quotes of £27,000-£28,000. The fee is typically the remainder of the lease (months left × monthly amount) plus unexpired service. See our 4Com early termination fee article.

What is Propel Finance and why are they involved?

Propel Finance is a third-party asset finance company commonly used to fund the Hihi handsets supplied in 4Com deals. BNP Paribas is another. Instead of 4Com selling you the kit, the finance company buys it and leases it to you. That is why the hardware term is often much longer than the service term. Our 4Com finance agreement trap article covers this in detail.

What should I do if I only just discovered I am on a 7-year lease?

Get every document together. Ask 4Com in writing for the full position on both the service and lease. Then decide whether you want to (a) ride it out, (b) pay the early termination fee and leave, or (c) complain formally via CISAS on misselling grounds if you were not told about the 7-year lease. Keep everything in writing.

Explore Your Options

Get a free VoIP quote and see what honest business telecoms pricing looks like — 24-month terms, transparent costs, no 7-year hardware leases.

Or read more:

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About this article. Claims reported here are attributed to public reviews on Trustpilot and similar platforms. They represent the opinions of the reviewers cited, not statements of fact by Compare The Networks. Brands named may dispute these claims. If you are a brand representative who believes any content requires correction, please contact us.

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