When we originally got Comcast, there was no other competition so they wouldn't negotiate. Then competition came in at a lower price and the first time I spent a couple of hours with them on the phone. Then it got a lot easier. My wife told me that Americans don't like to haggle (it's customary in a lot of countries) and that was true for me but I got used to haggling. We've had Comcast for 11 years now and $30/month really adds up over time.