How to Leave Hihi: Step-by-Step Exit Guide for UK Businesses

Leaving Hihi Is Harder Than Leaving Most VoIP Providers

Leaving a standard business VoIP contract is a 30-minute job: serve notice, port your numbers, plug in new kit. Leaving Hihi is not a standard VoIP contract. There are typically two agreements running in parallel — the service contract with Hihi / 4Com, and a 7-year handset finance lease with Propel or BNP Paribas. Both need to be addressed separately, and the finance lease is the one that causes most customers grief.

This article walks through the exit, step by step. We are Compare The Networks, an OFCOM-regulated comparison service with no affiliation to Hihi or 4Com. If you want help choosing a replacement, get a free VoIP quote. Otherwise, read on.

Step 1: Find Out What You Actually Signed

Before you do anything else, dig out the paperwork. You are looking for:

The Hihi / 4Com service contract — length, monthly fee, renewal terms, early termination clause
The handset finance lease — typically Propel Finance or BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions — length, monthly lease fee, buyout / early settlement clause
Any maintenance or support agreement — often bundled, sometimes separate
The DocuSign audit trail — when you signed, what you signed, IP address

If you cannot find them, email Hihi in writing: "Please provide copies of all contracts, finance agreements, and terms I am currently bound by." Do this by email. Never by phone.

Why the Split Matters

On Trustpilot, a recurring complaint is that customers thought they had one contract, when they actually had two or three. You can settle the service contract and still be paying the handset lease for another three years. See our Hihi contract problems article for the full anatomy.

Step 2: Calculate the True Cost of Leaving

Once you have the paperwork, work out:

Remaining months on the service contract × monthly service fee = service ETF
Remaining months on the handset lease × monthly lease fee = lease settlement (or ask for an early settlement figure from Propel / BNP)
Any "removal" or "deinstallation" charges in the small print

Trustpilot reviewers have quoted total exit figures of £27,000+. See Hihi early termination fees for worked examples.

Get the Early Settlement Figure in Writing

Email both Hihi and the finance company (Propel or BNP) and ask for the early settlement figure in writing. This is not optional — you need it in writing to compare scenarios, to negotiate, and as evidence if you later escalate.

Step 3: Decide Your Route Out

There are four realistic routes:

Route A: Wait Out the Term

If you are within 6-12 months of the end of both agreements, just run it out. Serve notice in the contractual window (often 90 days before the renewal date — check yours carefully). Miss the window and it auto-renews.

Route B: Pay the Settlement and Leave Early

If switching saves more per month than the settlement costs when amortised over the remaining term, leave. Worked example: if you save £500/month on a new supplier and the settlement is £9,000, you break even in 18 months. Anything beyond that is net saving.

Route C: Misselling Complaint → CISAS

If the contract was mis-sold — you were told one thing verbally and signed another, pricing was misrepresented, terms were not explained — you can complain formally. See our Hihi complaints and CISAS guide. CISAS can order contracts (including finance leases) cancelled without penalty.

Route D: Negotiate

Hihi retention teams do sometimes reduce fees, waive charges, or offer partial credits to prevent escalation to CISAS. If you approach this route: get every offer in writing, do not accept verbally.

Step 4: Serve Notice in Writing

When you decide to leave, notice must be served in writing to the right address. Check your contract for:

The notice address (email is usually acceptable, but check)
The notice period (typically 30-90 days — often 90 for VoIP)
The required format (some contracts specify "by email to X@ with subject Y")

Send the notice. Keep a copy. Get a read receipt if you can. Follow up 48 hours later asking for written acknowledgement.

Step 5: Port Your Numbers

This is the step that catches people out. Your business phone numbers are yours — not Hihi's. You have the legal right to port them to a new provider.

How Porting Works

Choose your new VoIP provider (see Step 6)
Provide them with your current phone numbers, Hihi account details, and a Letter of Authority (they will supply the template)
The new provider submits the port request to Hihi
Hihi has to release the numbers — they cannot legally refuse
The port typically takes 7-14 working days

Do Not Cancel Before You Port

Critical. If you cancel your Hihi account before the port completes, your numbers will be disconnected and you may lose them permanently. Port first, then cancel.

Step 6: Pick a Proper VoIP Replacement

The whole point of leaving Hihi is ending up somewhere better. Look for:

24-month contract maximum. 3 years is a compromise. 7 years is not a VoIP contract, it is a prison.
Transparent total-cost-of-contract pricing stated in £ and pence over the full term
No separate handset finance lease — or if there is hardware finance, get a separate quote with no leasing markup
Portable numbers written into the contract
Clear ofcom-compliant annual price increase in £ and pence (e.g. £2.50 + VAT/month) — not CPI-linked (banned since January 2025 on consumer and increasingly on business contracts)
UK-based support with published SLA response times
Proper VoIP features — call routing, auto-attendant, mobile app, CRM integrations

Our business VoIP service covers these standards. The VoIP quote form gets you comparative pricing in one go.

See also Hihi vs alternatives for a side-by-side feature comparison.

Step 7: Install and Go Live

Your new VoIP provider handles the migration. Typical sequence:

Provision your new numbers on the new platform
Configure call routing, hunt groups, auto-attendant
Ship or bring-your-own handsets (many modern VoIP systems are handset-agnostic)
Test everything before port day
Port day: numbers switch. Calls land on the new system.
Cancel the Hihi service contract (following Step 4's notice process)
Address the handset lease: either buy out, continue paying, or include in a CISAS claim if mis-sold

Special Case: If the Contract Was Mis-Sold

If you genuinely were mis-sold — you were told 3 years and signed 7, the pricing was misrepresented, key terms were not explained — do not pay to leave. Instead:

Submit a formal written complaint to Hihi (see Hihi complaints and CISAS)
Wait 8 weeks or get a deadlock letter
Escalate to CISAS
Request the sales call recording via a GDPR Subject Access Request
Include the handset finance lease in your claim

See also our Hihi misselling article for the legal basis.

Keep everything in writing throughout. No verbal resolutions.

What Not To Do

Do not stop paying to force a conversation. Missing payments triggers debt collection on the finance lease and can damage the business principal's credit file.
Do not accept a verbal settlement. It is not evidence.
Do not cancel before porting numbers. You will lose them.
Do not sign a new Hihi / 4Com / Campfire contract "to get a better deal". That is the renewal trap. See Hihi contract problems.
Do not bin the old paperwork. Keep everything for at least 6 years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I leave Hihi early?

Yes, but typically not for free. You will usually face an early termination fee on the service contract and an early settlement figure on the handset finance lease (often with Propel or BNP Paribas). See our early termination fee article for the maths.

How long is the notice period on Hihi?

Commonly 90 days before the contract end date. Check your specific contract. Miss the window and it will auto-renew.

Can I keep my phone numbers when I leave Hihi?

Yes. UK businesses have the right to port their numbers to a new VoIP provider. Your new supplier handles the port request — do not cancel the Hihi account until the port has completed.

What if Hihi refuses to release my numbers?

They cannot legally refuse a port request. If Hihi delays or obstructs, escalate in writing, then via CISAS. Ofcom regulates number portability.

Is the handset finance lease separate from the service contract?

Yes, typically. You may have a service contract with Hihi / 4Com and a separate 7-year finance lease with Propel or BNP Paribas. Settling one does not settle the other. See Hihi 7-year lease for the full explanation.

Start Your Exit

Get a free VoIP quote — we will compare options on 24-month terms. Transparent pricing, portable numbers, no 7-year leases.

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.

How to Leave Hihi: Step-by-Step Exit Guide for UK Businesses (2026)