Focus Group Unauthorised Charges: What To Do When Services Appear You Never Agreed To

"Added Additional Services Without Consent — Twice"

That is a direct paraphrase of a 1-star review on uk.trustpilot.com/review/focusgroup.co.uk. And it is not an isolated report. Multiple reviewers describe the same pattern: extra lines, additional handsets, add-on packages or services appearing on their Focus Group invoices without any order having been placed.

We are Compare The Networks, an independent, OFCOM-regulated business telecoms comparison service. We have been helping UK businesses since 2008. We are not affiliated with Focus Group. This article walks through what unauthorised charges look like in practice, why they are a stronger legal position than standard "misselling", and exactly what to do to get them removed.

The Legal Position: No Consent, No Contract

This is the critical bit, and it is why unauthorised-charge claims are stronger than standard misselling claims.

Misselling is about a contract that exists but was procured through misleading information. Unauthorised charges are about something different: a line item on your invoice for which no contract exists at all.

You cannot be charged for a service you never agreed to receive. It does not matter if the provider sent you the product, activated the line or assigned the number — if you did not authorise the order, there is no contract, and no legal basis for the invoice.

The burden is on Focus Group to prove authorisation. That means producing:

A signed order form, or
An email confirmation you sent, or
A recorded verbal authorisation (with the recording), or
Some other documented acceptance by you or a duly authorised person in your business

If they cannot produce that, you do not owe the money.

The Common Patterns Trustpilot Reviewers Describe

Extra Mobile Lines

A reviewer orders (say) 5 SIMs. The first invoice includes 6. When challenged, there is no record of the 6th being authorised.

Add-on Packages

International calling bolt-ons, insurance packages, cloud storage, cyber security add-ons — appearing on the invoice without any order having been placed.

Upgraded Tariffs

You were on tariff A. You are now being billed for tariff B with no record of having upgraded.

Handset or Equipment

A phone or router you did not order arrives, and the invoice bills you for it.

Services from Acquired Companies

Focus Group grows by acquisition. Sometimes customers report services being "harmonised" onto Focus Group's standard packages post-acquisition, with the new services priced higher than what was originally agreed with the smaller company.

Post-Cancellation Additions

You have given notice. An invoice arrives with additional services on it. See also our post-cancellation billing article.

How to Check Your Focus Group Invoice Line-by-Line

If you think you are being billed for something you did not order, do this now:

Step 1: Pull Out the Last 3-6 Invoices

Compare month by month. Look for:

Line items on recent invoices that are not on older ones
Monthly charges that have gone up without explanation
"Bolt-on" or "add-on" lines
Handset or equipment finance lines you do not recognise
Extra user or line charges

Step 2: Match Against Your Orders

For every line item, find the order that authorised it. Signed contract, email confirmation, or documented call.

Step 3: List the Unmatched Items

Everything on the invoice that does not have a matching order is a candidate for challenge.

How to Challenge an Unauthorised Charge

Step 1: Email Focus Group in Writing

Address it to their complaints address. Keep it factual. Template:

Dear Focus Group,

My account number is [X]. I am disputing the following line items on invoice [Y] dated [date]:

I have no record of authorising these services. Please provide, in writing within 14 days, evidence of my authorisation for each of these charges — specifically a signed order form, email confirmation or recorded verbal authorisation.

If evidence of authorisation cannot be produced, please confirm in writing that the charges will be removed and any amounts paid will be refunded.

Please treat this email as a formal complaint under your complaints procedure.

Yours faithfully, [Name, business, date]

Step 2: Keep Paying the Undisputed Portion

You should continue to pay the part of the invoice you accept is correct. Cancelling the direct debit entirely risks the whole account being disconnected while the dispute is ongoing. Put it in writing that you are paying the undisputed portion only.

Step 3: Wait for the Response

Focus Group's complaints procedure will have a response timeframe (usually 10 or 14 working days). If they respond with authorisation evidence, assess whether it actually shows your consent. If they respond without evidence or fail to respond, escalate.

Step 4: Escalate to CISAS

After 8 weeks or a deadlock letter. Submit the evidence at cisas.org.uk. The adjudicator can order:

The unauthorised charges refunded in full
The disputed services removed from your account
Compensation for the inconvenience
In serious cases, the contract cancelled

Full walkthrough in our complaints and CISAS article.

Step 5: Never Accept a Verbal Resolution

If Focus Group phones you offering to "sort it out", respond: "Please put that offer in writing." Reviewers have described verbal refund agreements that were never actioned. Always email.

Common Focus Group Defences — And How to Respond

"Your account manager approved it"

Your account manager needs authority from you. Ask for evidence that you gave your account manager authority to add services on your behalf. General rapport is not authority.

"You were informed by email"

Being informed is not the same as consenting. If an email said "we have added X", that is notification of an unauthorised change, not an authorisation.

"You accepted by continuing to use the service"

This is the "conduct acceptance" argument. It is weak where the customer did not realise the service was added. If the charge was buried in a monthly invoice and you spotted it as soon as you audited the bills, your position is strong.

"Services were added during the acquisition migration"

Acquisition does not allow a provider to unilaterally change your contract. Your pre-acquisition terms apply until you sign a new agreement.

"It is a standard inclusion of your tariff"

Ask them to show you the specific clause in your contract. If the service is billed as a separate line item, it probably is not "included".

Document Everything

Every call, every email, every invoice. The gold-standard evidence for CISAS is a tidy bundle showing:

Original order (or your assertion that no order was placed)
Invoice showing the disputed charge
Your written complaint
Focus Group's written response
Any subsequent correspondence

Make it easy for the adjudicator and you are much more likely to win.

What Other Trustpilot Providers Have Done

Complaints about unauthorised or surprise additions to business telecoms accounts are unfortunately not unique to Focus Group. Similar themes appear in reviews of other providers — see our write-ups on Onecom, 4com, Daisy Communications and Chess Telecom — and reinforce why an independent comparison and transparent billing matter.

How to Prevent This on a New Contract

Whatever provider you move to:

Demand line-item sign-off on every change. No service added without a written order from you.
Audit your bills monthly. Set a calendar reminder for the day after each invoice arrives.
Limit who in your business can authorise additions. Tell the provider, in writing, that only named individuals can add services.
Keep every order confirmation. Email yourself, save to cloud, never rely on the provider's internal system.
Watch for "bolt-on" packages included in the tariff description. Ask for a single-line, inclusive-of-everything monthly figure in writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Focus Group has added services I did not authorise — what do I do?

Email them with a written dispute. Demand evidence of authorisation. If they cannot produce it, they are not entitled to charge you. Continue paying the undisputed portion only. Escalate to CISAS if unresolved in 8 weeks.

Can Focus Group charge me for a service I never agreed to?

No. Without authorisation, there is no contract and no basis to charge. The burden is on Focus Group to produce evidence of your consent.

My account manager added services — is that allowed?

Only if you gave your account manager authority to do so. Ask Focus Group for evidence of that authority. General client relationship rapport does not equal authority.

What if I find unauthorised charges months after they started?

You can still challenge them. Backdated refunds are routine when the charges were never authorised. Go as far back as you can document.

Should I cancel my direct debit while in dispute?

No — that risks the whole account being disconnected. Pay the undisputed portion in writing and explain that you are withholding only the disputed amount.

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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.

Focus Group Unauthorised Charges: Services Added Without Consent (2026)