Can anyone advise on the general legal situation regarding giving notice to a contracted supplier eg a telephone/broadband supplier?

It seems more and more common that suppliers are insisting on customers jumping through hoops to simply give notice to quit a contract, even if the agreed contract period has expired. Typically they ask that you ring an 0870 or 0845 number to speak to a particular Department. This starts a chain of events which seems hell bent on delaying or complicating cancelling the service.

My question is, legally does one HAVE to follow this procedure or does a written, one month notice posted to the Company fulfill the legal requirement to end the contract?

Hi, if the original contract states you have to give 1 months notice of cancelation, then a letter would honour that requirement. Was there a fixed time period contract, ie. 12 or 18 months and has that time period elapsed, if not certain penalties could incur. They will try every means possible to keep you as a customer, even trying to make you feel guilty about it, be firm, they could not care less about you personally but rather your money. Send the letter recorded delivery and make a copy of it, make sure it is dated, that gives them a cut off date and if they continue the service to you then do not pay for it.