How to Leave 4Com: Step-by-Step Switching Guide

Leaving 4Com Is Harder Than It Should Be — Here Is the Plan

4Com is a UK business telecoms reseller based in Bournemouth, selling mobile, VoIP, broadband and its own Hihi-branded desk handsets — typically financed through a third party on a long equipment lease. The 1-star reviews on uk.trustpilot.com/review/4com.co.uk describe customers who thought they were in a 2-year deal, discovered the equipment was on a separate 7-year finance agreement, and were quoted £27,000 to £28,000 to exit early.

If you want out, this is the step-by-step guide.

We are Compare The Networks — an independent, OFCOM-regulated business telecoms comparison service since 2008. We are not affiliated with 4Com, Hihi or Campfire. This guide does not promise your exit will be costless. It promises you will understand the moving parts and the order in which to handle them, so you do not make the mistake of cancelling the service while still paying the lease.

First, Understand What You Actually Signed

Most 4Com customers who ring up to leave discover they did not sign one contract. They signed two (sometimes three):

1. The 4Com Service Agreement

This covers the line rental, calls, mobile plans, broadband or VoIP service. Typical term reported on Trustpilot: 24 to 60 months.

2. The Equipment Finance Agreement

This is the separate finance contract for the Hihi handsets, often with Propel Finance, BNP Paribas Leasing or a similar lessor. Typical term reported on Trustpilot: 7 years.

3. (Sometimes) A Maintenance or Support Agreement

A smaller agreement covering the maintenance / warranty on the Hihi equipment.

You cannot treat these as a single contract. Even if 4Com cancels the service, you may still owe the finance company the remaining monthly lease payments on the handsets. That is the trap many reviewers describe.

See our 4Com finance agreement trap article for the full mechanics.

Step 1: Find Every Document

Before you do anything, find:

The original 4Com service agreement (date, term, end date, ETF clause)
The finance agreement (lessor name — Propel / BNP / other, term, monthly payment, end date, settlement clause)
The original sales quote or proposal
Any email correspondence from the sales call period
Every bill and direct debit since the start

If you cannot find them, submit a Subject Access Request (GDPR, free) to both 4Com and the finance company asking for all documents and call recordings relating to your account. They have 30 days to respond.

Step 2: Work Out Your Exit Fee

There are two components. Calculate them separately.

(a) The 4Com Service ETF

Read the early termination clause in the 4Com service agreement. Typical approach in UK business telecoms contracts:

Number of months remaining x monthly service charge
Sometimes discounted for "unavoidable costs" they no longer incur (rare — they usually charge full)

(b) The Finance Agreement Settlement

This is the big one and the one Trustpilot reviewers describe as the shock. For a 7-year equipment lease with ~5 years remaining:

Remaining monthly payments x number of months left
Often minus a small interest rebate

For a business that was paying £400 to £600 per month for a set of Hihi handsets, 5 remaining years of lease = £24,000 to £36,000. This is the source of the £27,000 to £28,000 quotes customers report on Trustpilot.

Get both numbers in writing before you make any decision. Read our 4Com early termination fee article for the full breakdown.

Step 3: Is a Misselling Claim Worth Running First?

If you believe you were told the deal was 2 years and only discovered the 7-year finance element in the small print, you may have a misrepresentation claim. The routes are:

CISAS for the 4Com service side — free, binding on the provider
Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for the finance agreement — finance contracts fall under FOS, not CISAS

You may need to run both in parallel. Read our 4Com complaints and CISAS guide for the full process. Key rule: keep everything in writing, never accept a verbal resolution.

If you have a strong case, the adjudicator can order cancellation without penalty. It is worth spending two weeks on a proper written complaint before writing a cheque for £28,000.

Step 4: Pick Your Alternative (Before You Cancel)

Do not cancel 4Com until you have a replacement provider lined up. Dead phones cost more per day than a few weeks of overlap.

What to Compare For

Business mobile:

EE, Vodafone, O2 or Three — direct network contracts via a broker, not a sub-reseller
O2 Roam at Home (25GB EU data + UK inclusive mins/texts at no extra cost) is the only of the four to include EU roaming as standard
24-month terms, price in £ and pence, £2.50 + VAT annual increase

Business VoIP:

Cloud-hosted VoIP on a 24-month term
Transparent per-seat pricing
No separate 7-year equipment lease — either bring your own handsets, rent at a transparent monthly cost, or pay for them outright
See our business VoIP page and VoIP quote form

Broadband:

Openreach FTTC/FTTP or altnet fibre via a direct provider
Static IP if you need it
24-month term

Compare Against the Right Benchmarks

Use an independent comparison service (like us) so you see what you should be paying across all four mobile networks and across several VoIP providers. The networks pay us — you do not.

Get a free quote for mobile or get a VoIP quote.

Step 5: Port Your Numbers

Your business numbers (mobile and landline) are yours, not 4Com's. Under Ofcom rules, 4Com must allow you to port them to a new provider.

How Porting Works

Your new provider requests the port
You need a PAC code for each mobile number (text PAC to 65075 from the 4Com SIM — this is the Ofcom-mandated shortcode)
For landline/VoIP numbers, your new provider raises a porting request with 4Com's wholesale carrier

Timing

Mobile ports complete within 1 working day once the new provider receives the PAC. Landline/VoIP ports typically take 10 to 15 working days. Start the new provider process first, then cancel 4Com once the port has completed — otherwise you risk losing the number.

Step 6: Handle the Equipment

If you are on the 7-year Hihi lease and settling early, ask:

Does settling the finance agreement mean you own the handsets, or do they need returning?
If returning, who pays shipping? Get that in writing.
Is there a damage / condition charge?
What is the deadline to return without penalty?

Many leases transfer ownership on settlement — ask explicitly.

If you are keeping the Hihi handsets, note they are SIP-compatible desk phones and can usually be provisioned onto a different VoIP platform. Your new VoIP provider will advise. You may need a factory reset and the handset's MAC/SIP credentials.

Step 7: Cancel in Writing

When your new provider is live and numbers have ported, cancel 4Com in writing.

Include

Account number
Notice date
Confirmation numbers have been ported
Request for final bill in writing showing all charges and settlement figures
Request for cease confirmation in writing

Do Not

Cancel the direct debit before the final bill is settled — this can generate a dispute with a debt collector and damage credit
Accept any "retention" renewal offers unless you have had 48 hours to review them in writing
Sign anything "to save the discount" — reviewers repeatedly describe being asked to sign a new 7-year agreement to keep the existing rate

Step 8: Settle the Finance Agreement Separately

The finance company (Propel / BNP / other) bills you separately. Request a settlement figure in writing, confirm the payment method, and keep receipts. After payment, request:

Written confirmation the agreement is settled
Ownership transfer of the handsets (if the lease converted to ownership on settlement)
Credit file update confirmation so the lease closing does not leave a lingering open credit line

Step 9: Deal with Any Retention Pressure

Several Trustpilot reviewers describe aggressive retention contact after raising a cancellation request. Common tactics described:

Multiple calls per day from different agents
Threats about "blacklisting" or credit impact
"Special" discounts conditional on signing a new 7-year agreement
Urgency: "you need to sign today or the offer goes"

Our advice:

Block the numbers if needed — you are not required to take the calls
Demand everything in writing before engaging
Do not sign anything on the day — 24 months minimum contracts are standard in UK business telecoms, 7 years is not standard and should be a hard no
If threats are made, document them — they may be evidence for CISAS

Step 10: Verify Clean Separation

Six weeks after your final bill, check:

No direct debits have been re-attempted
No letters from 4Com or the finance company chasing charges
Credit file is clean — no defaults, no open credit lines
All numbers are live on the new provider
No 4Com hardware still connected

If anything is wrong, challenge in writing immediately.

Timing the Whole Thing

Rough realistic timeline:

Week 1: gather documents, request SAR, request exit fees in writing
Weeks 2-3: compare alternatives, raise misselling complaint if applicable
Weeks 3-6: new provider onboarding, order hardware, configure VoIP
Weeks 6-8: port numbers, go live in parallel, test thoroughly
Week 8: cancel 4Com in writing
Week 8-12: settle final bill, settle finance agreement, verify clean separation

Budget 8 to 12 weeks. If you are running a misselling claim through CISAS, extend by 2 to 4 months.

Common Themes Reported on Trustpilot

According to 1-star reviews on uk.trustpilot.com/review/4com.co.uk, recurring themes when customers try to leave include:

Discovery of a 7-year finance agreement they say they did not knowingly sign
£27,000 to £28,000 exit quotes
Retention agents ringing repeatedly with new 7-year renewal offers
Confusion between the 4Com, Hihi, Campfire and Propel entities
Verbal retention promises customers say did not survive the written contract
Difficulty getting a deadlock letter
Handset return disputes

We report what reviewers publicly state. Read the 1-star reviews yourself at uk.trustpilot.com/review/4com.co.uk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just stop paying 4Com to force them to let me leave?

No. Stopping the direct debit without a formal cancellation and dispute on record creates default risk, county court judgments and credit damage. Always leave through the proper written process — and if you are running a misselling claim, get the claim on record first.

Does cancelling my 4Com service cancel the Hihi equipment lease?

Usually no. The finance agreement is a separate contract with a separate entity (commonly Propel Finance or BNP Paribas Leasing). Cancelling the 4Com service does not terminate the finance. Settle them separately — see our 4Com finance agreement trap article.

Can I keep my business numbers when I leave 4Com?

Yes. Under Ofcom rules your numbers are portable. Request a PAC for mobiles (text PAC to 65075) and ask your new provider to raise the landline/VoIP port. Do not cancel 4Com until the port has completed.

How long does it take to leave 4Com?

Realistically 8 to 12 weeks for a clean exit. Longer if you are running a CISAS misselling claim — add 2 to 4 months. Do not rush — rushed exits lose numbers and lose leverage on fees.

Is there any way to leave 4Com without paying the exit fee?

Possibly — via a successful misselling claim at CISAS (for the service) or the Financial Ombudsman (for the finance). If you were told the deal was 2 years and only discovered the 7-year element later, you may have grounds. Always complain in writing, never verbally. See our 4Com complaints and CISAS guide.

Explore Your Options

Get a free VoIP quote or get a mobile quote. We compare honest providers on 24-month terms with transparent pricing.

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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.

How to Leave 4Com: Step-by-Step Switching Guide (2026)