Hihi Complaints: How to Escalate to CISAS or Ofcom

If You Are Here, You Are Probably Frustrated

You have called Hihi. You have emailed Hihi. The system is still down, the bill is still wrong, or the 7-year lease you signed does not match what the salesperson told you. Now you want to know what you can actually do.

This article walks through the formal UK telecoms complaint process, end-to-end, specifically applied to Hihi (hihi.co.uk — the VoIP desk phone system sold predominantly by 4Com). We are Compare The Networks, an independent, OFCOM-regulated comparison service. We are not your lawyer, but we handle enough of these disputes to know the route that actually works.

The single most important rule in this entire guide: keep everything in writing. Never accept a verbal resolution over the phone.

The Route In One Sentence

Complain to Hihi in writing → wait 8 weeks or get a deadlock letter → escalate to CISAS → optionally report to Ofcom.

Everything else is detail.

Stage 1: The Formal Written Complaint to Hihi

You cannot escalate to CISAS until you have given Hihi a chance to resolve the complaint. That starts with a formal written complaint — email, not phone call.

What to Include

A good formal complaint has three components:

What you were told at the sales stage (quote the email or describe the sales call)
What the contract actually says or what is actually happening (reference specific clauses, dates, outage durations, billed amounts)
The outcome you are seeking (cancellation without early termination fee, refund, fix within X days, compensation)

What to Reference

Your account or customer number
Date of contract and site address
Dates of sales calls and who you spoke to
Bills, invoices, outage ticket numbers
Any promises made verbally that were not in the signed contract

Email, Not Phone

Put it all in an email. Hihi may call you. If they do, respond: "Please put that in writing and email it to me. I want to review it properly before responding."

If your complaint ends up at CISAS, the adjudicator will not hear a phone call. They will read emails. Every phone conversation you accept instead of an email is evidence you did not preserve.

The Corporate Entity Question

Hihi sits in the same corporate family as 4Com and Campfire. Multiple 1-star Trustpilot reviewers describe confusion over which company to complain to. Our suggestion:

Send the complaint to whichever entity is named on your contract AND whichever entity is billing you
Use the same subject line on both
Keep both email threads open

See our Hihi and 4Com connection article for more on the corporate structure.

Stage 2: The 8-Week Clock

Once you have submitted your written complaint, one of three things happens:

Hihi resolves it to your satisfaction. You accept the resolution — in writing — and the matter closes.
Hihi issues a deadlock letter. This states the matter is unresolved and signals you can go to CISAS immediately.
8 weeks pass without resolution. You can now go to CISAS whether or not Hihi has issued a deadlock letter.

The Deadlock Letter Problem

Reviewers on uk.trustpilot.com/review/hihi.co.uk describe having complaints "stonewalled" — no deadlock letter issued, communications ignored. This is why the 8-week clock exists. You do not need Hihi's permission to escalate. The 8 weeks is the fallback.

Practical Tips During the 8 Weeks

Send a chase email every 10-14 days, each time asking for a written response
Keep a simple timeline document (date, action, response)
Do not agree to anything on a phone call — email confirmation of anything discussed
If Hihi offers a partial resolution you are not happy with, decline in writing and keep the clock running

Stage 3: Escalating to CISAS

CISAS (Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme) is the independent adjudicator for UK telecoms disputes. It is free for consumers and small businesses.

Who Can Use CISAS

Most UK small businesses qualify. Check eligibility on cisas.org.uk. Micro-businesses, sole traders and SMEs up to a certain size and turnover threshold can all typically use the scheme.

What To Submit

CISAS is evidence-based adjudication. Submit:

Your written complaint to Hihi
Hihi's written response (or proof of the 8 weeks and no response)
The contract and any signed documents
The finance lease agreement (typically with Propel / BNP Paribas)
Sales proposals, quotes, emails, or anything predating the signature
Bills and billing history
Service issue evidence (outage dates, screenshots, ticket numbers)
Any phone call recordings you have — and any you have requested from Hihi

Request the Sales Call Recording

Do this early. Under UK GDPR, you have the right to request your personal data held by Hihi, which typically includes any sales call recording where you are identifiable. Send a Subject Access Request in writing. Hihi has one month to respond.

If the recording supports your account of what was said at the sales stage, it is evidence gold.

What CISAS Can Order

CISAS can order Hihi to:

Cancel the contract without early termination fee
Refund charges already paid
Amend future charges
Pay financial compensation (capped — check current limits on cisas.org.uk)
Issue a formal apology

The ruling is binding on Hihi. If they fail to comply, CISAS has enforcement procedures.

See our Hihi misselling article for the legal basis of most CISAS claims.

Stage 4: Reporting to Ofcom

Ofcom does not resolve individual disputes, but it monitors providers for industry patterns. Report any Hihi issue at ofcom.org.uk even if CISAS is already handling your case. Your report contributes to the wider monitoring picture — and systemic patterns drive enforcement action.

Specifically worth reporting:

Sales practices that appear misleading
Refusal to issue a deadlock letter
Service outages lasting weeks
Price increases not clearly disclosed at sale

What If You Are Already Past 8 Weeks?

Skip straight to CISAS. You do not need to re-send a complaint or give Hihi another chance. The 8-week rule exists to force providers to engage — once it has passed, you have met the bar.

What If Hihi Tries to Resolve Mid-Process?

This is common. After you have filed with CISAS, Hihi may suddenly want to talk. That is fine — but:

Get any settlement offer in writing
Do not withdraw your CISAS case until the settlement is executed (not just promised)
Check the settlement does not include confidentiality or non-disparagement clauses that prevent you leaving an honest Trustpilot review
Check it covers the finance lease, not just the service contract

Many Hihi customers have two separate agreements — the service contract and the Propel / BNP handset lease. A service-only settlement still leaves you paying the lease. See our Hihi 7-year lease article for why this matters.

The Written-Evidence Rule, Again

If you take nothing else from this article, take this:

Submit every complaint in writing.
Receive every response in writing.
Confirm every resolution in writing before you agree.
If Hihi calls, ask them to email instead.
Keep everything, dated, in one folder.

Verbal resolutions are not evidence. At CISAS, the adjudicator reads what is in the folder. They will not hear your recollection of a phone call from six months ago.

Related Options

If you do not want to pursue a formal complaint, or you want to run it in parallel with planning a switch:

Read the leave Hihi guide
Understand the early termination fee maths
Look at VoIP alternatives on 24-month terms
Get an independent quote via our VoIP quote tool

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I complain about Hihi?

Submit a written complaint by email to Hihi's complaints address, citing what you were told, what the contract or service actually is, and the outcome you want. If unresolved within 8 weeks or you receive a deadlock letter, escalate to CISAS. Keep everything in writing.

Can Hihi ignore my complaint?

They can try to — but after 8 weeks without resolution, you can escalate to CISAS whether Hihi has issued a deadlock letter or not. Multiple Trustpilot reviewers describe this pattern.

Is CISAS free?

Yes, CISAS is free for consumers and most UK small businesses. Check eligibility and current financial award limits at cisas.org.uk.

Can CISAS cancel my 7-year handset lease?

If the lease was part of the mis-sold package, yes — CISAS has ordered handset lease cancellations in similar cases. Include the Propel / BNP finance agreement in your evidence bundle. See our Hihi 7-year lease article.

Should I accept a settlement over the phone?

No. Ask for any settlement in writing. Confirm in writing. Verbal settlements are not enforceable evidence if Hihi later disputes what was agreed.

Start Planning Your Next Move

While the complaint runs, plan your exit. Get a free VoIP quote — 24-month terms, transparent pricing, no 7-year leases.

Or read more:

Nearly 20 years helping UK businesses. Over 1,000 verified reviews on Trustpilot. OFCOM-regulated. Free.

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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.

Hihi Complaints: How to Escalate to CISAS or Ofcom (2026)