Hosted.co.uk Reviews: What Customers Say & Better VoIP Alternatives

Thinking of Signing With Hosted.co.uk? Read This First

If you are researching Hosted.co.uk for your business VoIP or hosted phone system, this page is a summary of what their customers are publicly reporting on Trustpilot, what to look out for, and what VoIP alternatives are available to UK businesses in 2026.

We are Compare The Networks, an independent, OFCOM-regulated business telecoms comparison service. We have been helping UK businesses compare phones, mobiles, VoIP and broadband deals since 2008. We have over 1,000 verified reviews on Trustpilot. We do not sell Hosted.co.uk and we are not affiliated with them. Our job is to give you an unbiased view of the market so you can make an informed decision.

Who Is Hosted.co.uk?

Hosted.co.uk is a UK-based business telecoms provider selling hosted voice (VoIP), business broadband and associated services. They primarily target small and medium-sized businesses. Like most VoIP resellers in the UK, their commercial model is built around multi-year contracts — this is the norm across the industry, with most business VoIP agreements running to 24 months or longer.

If you have landed on this page, you are probably one of two things: a business thinking about signing with Hosted.co.uk, or a current customer trying to understand if what you are experiencing is normal. We will cover both.

What Trustpilot 1-Star Reviews Say About Hosted.co.uk

Any provider of scale has a mix of reviews. Hosted.co.uk is no different. There are positive reviews and there are negative reviews. Our focus on this page is what the 1-star reviewers consistently report, because the patterns in the complaints are the best indicator of where things can go wrong.

According to 1-star reviews on uk.trustpilot.com/review/hosted.co.uk, the most common themes customers describe include:

1. Contract Length Surprises

A recurring theme on Trustpilot is customers saying they were told the contract was 12 months, only to discover the small print committed them to 60 months. Multiple reviewers use nearly identical language when describing this. We have covered this in detail in our Hosted.co.uk 60-month contracts article.

2. Switchover Outages

Customers describe losing phone service for 5 to 9 days during the switchover from their previous provider. For a business that relies on inbound calls — from bookings, enquiries, or customer service — that is a long time to be off the air. See our Hosted.co.uk switchover outages guide.

3. Double Charging

Reports describe customers being billed by Hosted.co.uk and their previous provider simultaneously, or being billed during a period when neither provider was delivering a working service. Our Hosted.co.uk billing disputes article walks through how to challenge these charges.

4. Sales Tactics

One-star reviewers on Trustpilot describe cold calls where salespeople claimed partnerships with Openreach that customers later questioned, fibre availability that was not as described, and terms that were not explained before DocuSign. Our Hosted.co.uk misselling guide covers what to do if you believe you were mis-sold.

5. Unreturned Calls and Unresponsive Support

A consistent complaint is that the attentive salesperson who signed the deal becomes hard to reach once the contract is in place. Multiple reviewers describe leaving messages and emails that were never returned.

6. Price Misrepresentation

Customers on Trustpilot describe additional fees appearing after the sale that were not discussed before signing. See our price misrepresentation breakdown for how this pattern typically plays out.

7. Cooling-Off Period Not Honoured

Some reviewers report trying to cancel within what they believed was a cooling-off window and being told the window did not apply to their business contract. Business-to-business contracts are legally exempt from the 14-day cooling-off period that consumers get — our no cooling-off period article explains why.

8. Unauthorised Service Changes

Several Trustpilot reviews describe phone numbers being changed without clear authorisation, or services being added or altered without the customer's knowledge.

9. Minimal Compensation for Major Outages

One reviewer described being offered a small credit after an outage they say caused significant losses to their business. Others report similar mismatches between the impact of the issue and the goodwill offered.

10. Financial Ombudsman Escalations

Some reviewers explicitly cite escalating to the Financial Ombudsman or equivalent dispute bodies. For telecoms disputes, the relevant scheme is usually CISAS (Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme) — our complaints and ombudsman article covers the proper escalation route.

Important context: these are themes summarised from publicly available 1-star Trustpilot reviews of Hosted.co.uk. We are reporting what customers say, not making direct accusations. Read the reviews yourself at uk.trustpilot.com/review/hosted.co.uk and make your own judgement.

What Is Actually Reasonable to Expect from a Business VoIP Provider?

Before we talk alternatives, it is worth being clear on what is normal for the industry and what is not.

Normal:

24-month minimum contracts. This is standard across the UK business VoIP market.
An annual price increase written into the contract, usually a fixed amount in pounds and pence plus VAT (OFCOM banned percentage-based rises for consumers from January 2025; most business providers have followed suit).
Activation, number-porting and equipment fees set out in the order paperwork.
Early termination fees equal to the remaining contract value if you cancel early.

Not normal:

Being told the contract is 12 months when the paperwork says 60.
Multi-day outages with no service credits.
Charges appearing on bills that were never discussed at the point of sale.
Being unable to reach support when you have a live issue.
Verbal promises from salespeople that do not appear anywhere in the written contract.

If what you are experiencing falls into the second list, you may have grounds to complain and potentially escalate — see our complaints and CISAS guide.

VoIP Alternatives to Hosted.co.uk

There are dozens of business VoIP providers in the UK. Here is how to think about your alternatives.

1. Established UK VoIP Networks

The UK business VoIP market is served by several well-known wholesale networks — Gamma, BT Wholesale, TalkTalk Business, Virtual1 and others. These are the networks. Providers like Hosted.co.uk, and providers like us, resell services built on top of them.

When you compare VoIP providers, what matters is not the network badge but the provider's pricing, contract terms, support quality and honesty about what you are signing.

2. Compare The Networks' VoIP Offer

We sell business VoIP to UK small and medium businesses. Our contracts are 24 months minimum. We are clear about the annual price increase — a fixed amount in pounds and pence plus VAT, not a percentage-based rise. We tell you about equipment costs before you sign. And we have more than 1,000 verified reviews on Trustpilot.

If you want to see what we offer:

Business VoIP — our main VoIP page
Virtual Landline — a UK landline number that forwards to your mobile (this is different from full VoIP — it is just a number, not a phone system)
VoIP quote — tell us what you need and we will quote
Hosted VoIP for UK business — our deeper guide to how hosted VoIP actually works

3. Direct-to-Network Providers

You can also go direct to a wholesale network. The upside is no reseller layer. The downside is that wholesale networks are not generally set up for small business sales and support — you end up needing a reseller anyway.

How to Compare VoIP Providers Properly

Whether you are weighing up Hosted.co.uk or any other provider, here is a straightforward checklist.

Ask for the contract length in writing. Do not accept the salesperson's word. Ask them to email you the contract term before you sign anything.
Ask for the full monthly cost including every line, handset, support package, number rental and any other recurring charge. Get it in writing.
Ask about equipment costs — specifically, are handsets included or are they billed separately? Are there connection or activation fees?
Ask about the annual price increase — how much, in pounds and pence, and from when?
Ask what happens if the switchover goes wrong. Are there service credits? What is the process? Get it in writing.
Read the 1-star Trustpilot reviews for that provider before you sign. Look for patterns, not outliers.
Compare at least three providers before committing. VoIP pricing varies widely for the same features.

What To Do If You Are Already a Hosted.co.uk Customer

If you are already signed up and regretting it, your options depend on where you are in the contract.

Within the Cooling-Off Period (Rare for Business Contracts)

Most business contracts do not have one. Check your paperwork carefully — see our no cooling-off period article for more.

Mis-Sold or Misrepresented

If you believe you were mis-sold, follow the formal complaint path in writing, then escalate to CISAS if unresolved after 8 weeks. Never accept a verbal resolution over the phone. See our misselling guide.

Billing Disputes

If the issue is specifically billing — double charging, mystery fees, or charges during gaps when neither provider was working — follow our billing disputes guide.

Ready to Leave at End of Term

Plan your exit at least 90 days before renewal. See our leave Hosted.co.uk guide for the step-by-step process.

Stuck Mid-Contract

If you are locked in and the contract was signed legitimately, you have two practical options: ride it out and plan your exit, or challenge the contract via CISAS if you believe the sale was misrepresented. See our early termination fee article.

Why Keeping Everything in Writing Matters

One rule applies to every stage of a dispute with any telecoms provider: keep everything in writing, and never accept a verbal resolution over the phone.

If your complaint progresses to CISAS, the adjudicator reviews written evidence. Emails, letters and formal responses carry far more weight than your recollection of a phone call. If a provider calls to discuss your complaint, it is perfectly reasonable to say: "Please put that in writing and email it to me before I respond."

Any legitimate company will respect that request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hosted.co.uk a good VoIP provider?

Hosted.co.uk has a mix of reviews on Trustpilot. Positive reviewers praise specific account managers and successful installs. One-star reviewers consistently raise concerns about 60-month contract terms, switchover outages, billing issues and unresponsive support. Read the reviews yourself and judge the patterns.

How long are Hosted.co.uk contracts?

According to 1-star Trustpilot reviews, many customers describe being told 12 months at the sales stage but finding 60 months in the signed paperwork. Always confirm the contract term in writing before signing anything.

What are the best alternatives to Hosted.co.uk?

The UK business VoIP market has many providers. Compare The Networks offers business VoIP on 24-month terms with clear pricing and over 1,000 verified Trustpilot reviews. Always compare at least three providers before deciding.

Can I leave Hosted.co.uk early?

Only without penalty if you have valid legal grounds such as mis-selling, which typically need to be established through CISAS. Otherwise you will owe the remaining contract value as an early termination fee. See our leaving Hosted.co.uk guide.

Where can I read Hosted.co.uk customer reviews?

Trustpilot (uk.trustpilot.com/review/hosted.co.uk) is the largest public source. Read both 5-star and 1-star reviews to get a balanced picture.

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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.

Hosted.co.uk Reviews: What Customers Say & Better VoIP Alternatives (2026)