Deleting a metacontact will delete all of the contacts beneath it as well as the metacontact itself. Uncombine a metacontact before deleting it if you want its contacts preserved!
Deleting a metacontact
Right click the metacontact on your contact list and click Delete.
A confirmation box will appear to remind you that you are deleting the contacts beneath the metacontact as well as the metacontact itself. Click Yes to confirm and initiate the deletion.
Uncombining a metacontact
Right click the metacontact on your contact list and click Uncombine Metacontact.