We post this as a cautionary tale because it could be so damningly bad for your business.
TL;DR:
Graphic designer Gary Pride from Bradford signed a 7-year deal with a telecoms company for theirphone system.
A two-year “introductory offer” seemed to keep his bills low at first, then his payments jumped from just over £200 to more than £550 a month.
Over 10 years, he’ll pay more than £54,000 just to rent five phones and software he doesn’t even own.
When he tried to exit, he faced a £24,000 penalty.
He says the deal has nearly ruined him financially and mentally.
He’s one of 160+ small businesses who told the BBC they were trapped in similar leases with hidden finance terms and pushy “upgrades.”
Don’t be next.
Read the full story: £54k to rent five phones is killing my business.
Stay sharp, one contract can cost you everything.
Imagine keeping your business alive through a recession, a fire, and a global pandemic, then nearly losing it all over your phone bill.
That’s what’s happening to Gary Pride, a graphic designer from Bradford, and his story is a warning every small business should read.
You can see the full BBC investigation here: £54k to rent five phones is killing my business.
A phone contract gone wrong
Gary has run his graphic design firm for 19 years. He’s survived setbacks that would have closed many businesses.
But now he says he’s on the brink because of a deal he signed in 2017 with telecoms company 4Com.
Gary agreed to a seven-year finance deal for 4Com’s HiHi phone system, five desk phones and related software.
At first, the payments seemed reasonable. He paid just over £200 a month under a two-year “introductory offer.”
But after that ended, his bills shot up to more than £550 a month.
When he added it up, he realised he was paying £54,432, excluding VAT, over ten years just to rent the phones.
He says he was never told clearly that he wouldn’t actually own the equipment.
When he complained, 4Com offered him an “upgrade” deal, but it tied him into yet another seven-year contract. He’s now paying for the original and the upgrade at the same time.
Trying to exit would cost him over £24,000, money he just doesn’t have.
“I feel like I’ve been conned. I could get a top-of-the-range Range Rover for what I’ve paid for these phones,” Gary told the BBC.
“I feel I’ve let myself down and I’ve let all my staff down.”
His mental health has suffered. He’s not been paying himself so he can pay the phone bill instead.
Not just one business
Gary is far from alone.
The BBC found more than 160 small businesses who feel they were mis-sold phone leasing contracts by 4Com and similar companies.
Some have been hit with multi-year finance deals they didn’t fully understand.
Many say the sales reps pushed them to sign on the spot, using smooth sales lines that didn’t match the written contracts.
Some were told they’d own the phones later, only to find out they were just renting through third-party finance firms.
One former 4Com manager told the BBC that it was common to tie customers into repeated “upgrades,” so they end up paying for new leases while still paying off the old ones.
The HiHi phone systems they were renting weren’t even cheap. Telecoms experts who reviewed the contracts said the prices were “outrageous”, sometimes many times higher than industry standard.
Once you sign, you’re trapped
Unlike personal contracts, there’s no cooling-off period for business-to-business phone deals in the UK.
Once you sign, you’re in, even if you realise too late that the costs are more than you can afford.
Trying to cancel means huge exit fees and extra costs.
Many small business owners now feel stuck paying thousands for phones that never truly belong to them.
Hard lessons for every small business
This could happen to any small business owner, from graphic designers like Gary to family shops and trades.
So how can you protect yourself?
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Never sign on the spot.
Take every contract home. Read it slowly, line by line. -
Ask who owns the equipment.
Renting can make sense short-term, but not at huge mark-ups for years. -
Watch for upgrades.
“Upgrades” can mean a new lease on top of the old one. -
Check for third-party finance deals.
Know who’s actually getting your money. -
Get promises in writing.
A verbal sales pitch means nothing if the contract says otherwise.
One signature can drain your cash for years.
How Voyced keeps you safe
At Voyced, we never want you to feel like Gary does, trapped, frustrated, and paying through the nose.
Here’s how we do things differently:
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No rentals or sneaky leases.
We do not rent or lease phones. You own your equipment outright from day one. -
Low-cost hardware.
Our own-brand desk phones start at just £64.99 for a 4 SIP account device. You get a fair price, no “grossly inflated” mark-ups. We do supply all other major brands of VoIP equipment, such as Fanvil, Yealink, etc. as well, of course. -
No hidden extras.
All but two features come included with your Free Hosted IPPBX (our online management system). -
Flexible, clear contracts.
No tricks, no lock-in upgrades. If you grow, we help you adjust your service, not tie you up in more finance deals. -
Real people to help you.
No pushy reps, no hidden clauses. If you have questions, we answer them honestly, before you sign anything.
Thousands of businesses stick with Voyced because they trust us. And they trust us because we make it easy to understand exactly what you’re paying for.
A final word
Read Gary’s full story: £54k to rent five phones is killing my business.
Share it with your team.
Ask yourself: Could we spot this before it’s too late?
One small contract shouldn’t wreck your whole business.
Stay sharp.
Ask the tough questions.
Work with partners who want your business to grow, not bleed you dry.
At Voyced, your phones belong to you.
Your contract is clear.
And you stay in control.
