The Dental Phone System Contract Scam

There’s a scam in the dental market that still makes my jaw drop every time I see it.

Not only did it manage to get a foothold in the first place, but it’s still going strong - and people continue to fall for it. And unlike the familiar scams involving a long lost relative's inheritance or those emails claiming someone’s hacked your webcam, this one is completely above board. It’s legal, contracts are signed, and everything is out in the open. 

What am I talking about? 5, 7 and even 9-year contracts for dental phone systems. Yes - nine years. Nearly a decade locked in, for phones. 

The Sleight of Hand

I often wonder what kind of sales magic trick does it take to convince a sensible buyer to sign up to almost a decade of the same equipment, the same service, and the same monthly fee? 

I’m reminded of that iconic scene in the original Star Wars. Obi-Wan Kenobi waves his hand: “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.” The stormtroopers obediently nod and move on. Is that what’s happening here? 

Salesperson: “It’s a nine-year contract, but that’s fine.” 

Practice Manager: “Yes, nine years sounds fine.” 

Everyone signs. 

The reality is probably even more calculated. Buyers may be reassured with lines like: 

• “Locking in this long contract keeps your price safe.” (Reality check: telecom prices usually drop, not rise. That’s why you can get unlimited mobile calls today for a fraction of what you paid ten years ago.) 

• “We’ll lease you premium equipment.” (Translation: telecom kit is neither premium nor valuable — it’s cheap, and like most IT, it depreciates fast.) 

• “You’ll get future upgrades.” (But what upgrades? And on what terms? Usually unspecified, conveniently vague, and rarely in writing.)  

  
  

Who Really Benefits? 

These contracts are not designed to benefit the buyer. The only party laughing all the way to the bank is the seller. 

Take an example: a practice signs a 7-year deal at £300 per month. That’s £25,200 guaranteed revenue for the supplier. The salesperson who landed it has basically printed money. And the company behind them? They can sell that contract on to a finance house, cashing out most of it immediately, or use it to inflate the value of their business. Either way, they win. 

And the buyer? They’ve just mortgaged their phone system for seven years — with none of the upside. 

The Buyer’s Burden 

Here’s why these long-term contracts are a terrible idea for practices: 

1. Technology leaves you behind 

Tech moves fast. Faster than 5-7 year cycles. If you signed a 7-year contract a few years ago, there’s almost no chance your system has modern AI features like call transcription, analytics, or integration with patient communication platforms. That means you’re stuck with outdated technology in one of the most important parts of your patient experience. And don’t expect your contract to say, “We’ll upgrade you to whatever’s cutting-edge in five years” - because no one can promise that. 

2. Costs don’t work in your favour 

Telecom prices generally fall over time, not rise. Call charges, line rentals, and even system hardware have trended down for years. Locking into a long fixed price doesn’t protect you — it means you’re almost certainly overpaying by year three, four, and beyond. 

3. Service goes downhill 

Once you’re trapped in a multi-year deal, the supplier has no real incentive to keep you happy. They already have your money guaranteed. So whether you’re stuck waiting half an hour on hold, or chasing them to send an engineer, or realising the integration they promised doesn’t work properly - tough luck. You signed. They know it, and you know it. 

4. It fails the common-sense test 

Let’s be blunt. Most dentists wouldn’t dream of signing up to a 7-year personal phone contract with EE or Vodafone for their iPhone. So why on earth would you commit your business to something even more restrictive from a supplier who isn’t even offering cutting-edge technology? 

The Poisoned Chalice of Resales 

Here’s something even more astonishing. I regularly go into practices that have recently changed ownership. The new owner has just spent a fortune buying the business… only to discover that the seller had signed a 5, 7 or 9-year phone contract. 

Why? Because the seller knew they were moving on, but still wanted to pocket the short-term “deal” benefits. And so the dreadful long-term contract gets handed straight down to the next owner like a poisoned chalice. 

If you’re buying a practice, always check the phone contract. Find out the buyout fee. Then deduct it from the asking price. Don’t inherit someone else’s bad decision. 

A Better Way - Our dental phone system contracts

Let me be upfront - we sell phones too. Yes, on contracts. But here’s the difference: 

• You can choose 1 year. 

• Or 3 years (and if you go for 3, we’ll even waive the install fee). 

• The monthly cost? Exactly the same either way. 

  
  

And the hardware? It’s a one-off cost so small it’s probably less than the price of a veneer. Phones shouldn’t be your financial ball and chain. 

To conclude, long contracts for phone systems aren’t clever. They aren’t good business. They don’t serve you, your staff, or your patients. They serve only the sales rep and their company. 

So, dentists: stop signing them. And buyers: stop inheriting them. 

Because in the end, you wouldn’t let a patient commit to a 9-year treatment plan when you know the science, technology, and options will change. So why would you do it for your phones? 

More on our Phone System services here.