Leave Focus Group: A Practical Step-by-Step Switching Guide

Why You're Reading This

You want out. Maybe the service has not been what you were promised. Maybe the bills have crept up. Maybe you have found a cheaper, more honest alternative. Maybe — based on the 1-star reviews on uk.trustpilot.com/review/focusgroup.co.uk — you have had services added without consent, or been billed during an outage, or just cannot get a call back.

Whatever the reason, this article walks through how to leave Focus Group cleanly. We are Compare The Networks, an independent, OFCOM-regulated business telecoms comparison service, helping UK businesses since 2008. We are not affiliated with Focus Group.

Step 0: Before You Do Anything, Get Your Contract

You cannot leave cleanly if you do not know what you signed. Find:

The signed contract (the DocuSign PDF or equivalent)
The current terms and conditions
Your most recent 3 invoices
The contract start date and term length
The notice period required before the minimum end date

If you cannot find the signed contract, email Focus Group in writing and ask them to send it. They should. If they cannot, that is a problem in itself and strengthens your position — see our contract problems article.

Step 1: Work Out Where You Are in the Contract

Scenario A: Past the Minimum Term

You are out of the fixed contract and into the rolling period. You can leave by serving the required notice (usually 90 days, sometimes 30 — check your contract). No early termination fee should apply.

Scenario B: Within the Minimum Term

The early termination fee applies. Calculate it using the method in our early termination fee article. Then decide whether paying the ETF and switching is still cheaper than staying.

Scenario C: You Have Grounds to Exit Without ETF

Misselling: see misselling article
Unauthorised services: see unauthorised charges
Material breach: see outages article
Material change: check your contract for a clause permitting exit if prices rise significantly — see price increases

Scenario D: You Are Approaching End of Term

The common trap: a 90 or 120-day notice window before the minimum end date. Miss it and the contract auto-renews. Diary the deadline now.

Step 2: Decide on a Replacement Before You Serve Notice

Do not leave yourself stranded. Business without phones or internet is business losing money. Line up a replacement first.

Option 1: Direct Network for Mobile

Go direct to EE, Vodafone, O2 or Three. Check coverage at every postcode where your team works.

Option 2: Independent VoIP Provider

A hosted VoIP provider giving you phone system functionality over the internet. See our hosted VoIP business guide or our business VoIP page.

Option 3: Virtual Landline

If you just want a business number that forwards to mobile — not a full phone system — a virtual landline is much cheaper. Remember: VoIP and virtual landline are different products.

Option 4: Let Us Compare for You

Get a free quote or VoIP quote. We compare all four mobile networks, multiple VoIP platforms and honest business broadband. The networks pay us, not you.

Also worth reading

Step 3: Serve Written Notice to Focus Group

Email, Not Phone

Absolutely critical. A phone call leaves no trail. An email does.

Template

Dear Focus Group,

Account number: [X]. I am writing to serve notice to terminate my contract in accordance with the contract terms.

Termination date requested: [date]. I understand the required notice period is [X] days. Please confirm the termination date in writing.

Please also confirm:

The final billing date

The amount of any early termination fee, itemised

Confirmation that no further charges will apply after the termination date

The process for number porting (see below)

My numbers to be ported are: [list]. They will be ported to [new provider].

Please respond in writing only.

Yours faithfully, [Name, business, date]

Keep the Sent Email

And make a diary note of the date.

Step 4: Port Your Numbers

Under UK telecoms rules, you own your business numbers. You can port them to a new provider. Focus Group cannot refuse.

How Porting Works

Your new provider raises a porting request to Focus Group. Focus Group is required to release the numbers within the specified timeframe. There is a small admin fee sometimes (it should be in your contract).

Timing

Usually 5-10 working days for mobile and VoIP, can be longer for complex multi-line setups. Schedule the switchover carefully.

Do Not Let Focus Group Cancel Your Number Before Porting Completes

This is the classic trap: you give notice, Focus Group deactivates the number on day X, but the port takes until day X+3. Your customers cannot reach you in the gap.

Co-ordinate with your new provider. The port should happen before Focus Group deactivates. If there is any doubt, delay the Focus Group termination date.

Step 5: Get the Final Bill in Writing and Check It

Focus Group must issue a final bill. Check it includes:

Final month's service (pro-rata if relevant)
Any early termination fee, properly calculated
Any handset or equipment finance balance
Cessation charges (for connectivity — Openreach charges can be £100+)

Does not include:

Charges for services after the termination date
Charges for services you disputed and never authorised
"Admin" fees not in the original contract

If the final bill includes anything you disagree with, dispute it in writing before paying. Pay the undisputed portion. See our post-cancellation billing article.

Step 6: Cancel the Direct Debit — Carefully

Timing Matters

Do not cancel the direct debit until after the final bill has been paid and the account is closed. Otherwise Focus Group may add failed-payment fees.

What to Cancel

Once all legitimate invoices are paid:

Get Focus Group to confirm in writing that the account is closed
Cancel the direct debit at your bank
Keep evidence of cancellation

If Focus Group Tries to Take Money After Cancellation

You are entitled to claim a direct debit refund from your bank. Do not hesitate — the direct debit guarantee protects you.

Step 7: Watch for Post-Cancellation Invoicing

This is the one reviewers on Trustpilot mention most. Weeks or months after cancellation, an invoice arrives. Or a direct debit attempts to hit.

Your Response

Check the invoice against the confirmed termination date
If it covers a period after termination, dispute it in writing
If Focus Group ignores the dispute, escalate to CISAS

Full walkthrough in our post-cancellation billing article.

Step 8: Keep the Files

Everything — contract, invoices, cancellation emails, final bill, port confirmations, bank statements — for at least 6 years. If a debt collector ever contacts you about the old account, you will need it.

A Word on Emotional vs Financial Decisions

If you are leaving Focus Group because you feel let down, that is legitimate. But make sure you are also running the maths. Sometimes an ETF of £3,000 to switch to a provider saving you £250/month pays for itself in a year. Sometimes it does not.

Our early termination fee article walks through the breakeven calculation.

If you feel genuinely mis-sold or have unauthorised charges, you may be able to exit without paying the ETF. See our misselling article and unauthorised charges article.

What Happens Next

Once you have left Focus Group, you should:

Double-check the new provider's bills for the first 3 months. Make sure nothing unexpected appears.
Diary the new contract's notice period so you are never trapped again.
Leave an honest Trustpilot review describing your Focus Group experience factually.
Keep the file in case anything resurfaces.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I leave Focus Group?

Get your contract, check your notice period, line up a replacement, serve written notice, port your numbers, pay the final bill, cancel the direct debit. Do everything in writing.

How much is a Focus Group early termination fee?

Depends on your contract, but typically remaining months multiplied by your current monthly charge. See our ETF article for the maths.

Can I keep my phone numbers when I leave?

Yes. You have a legal right to port your numbers to a new provider. Your new provider handles the request — Focus Group cannot refuse.

Do I have to pay the full final bill?

Pay the undisputed portion. Dispute any items you believe are incorrect or unauthorised in writing. Do not pay disputed amounts until resolved.

What if invoices keep arriving after I cancel?

Dispute every one in writing. Escalate to CISAS if Focus Group does not respond. See our post-cancellation billing article.

Line Up Your Replacement First

Get a free quote and we will compare honest business telecoms options. Clear pricing, 24-month terms, transparent switching.

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.

Leave Focus Group: Step-by-Step UK Business Switching Guide (2026)