[jonifen]

NTL need the money to improve their services, otherwise people will continue to have problems.

However... people have a right to haggle for the best deal. The levering point on haggling is the threat of going elsewhere. If you are genuinely going to go elsewhere, then haggle away.
But if you're just after a good deal and would not go elsewhere if NTL said "no, you'll pay the proper going rate", then you're not being fair to the whole user community.

May be worth calling some people's bluff when they try such things... see if they're aware of what they're being offered elsewhere and are not just trying to get a cheaper bill at the end of the month.

Its the empty threats that are the problem here, not people looking around to see if the grass could be greener and NTL offering them a package to stay a while longer.

But NTL do need to get some sort of contract incurred when people accept these special offers, otherwise they're gonna continually be taken for a ride by freeloaders.