I will speak for myself on this issue. I have been spending 1-2 grand a month for well over a year now after coming back to this game from classic.
I have also been pretty vocal about my unhappiness with the state of the game and the ncstore the last few months.
I keep spending because I haven't fully decided to quit. I'm still weighing that option. Spending and not spending in this game isn't a flip of a switch if you are end game and competitive. If you skip 1 item event, 1 xp event, you fall back and the choice to quit has basically been made then.
I understand your confusion on this.
However, I see myself as a paying customer who voices their opinion about a service I am unhappy about. I am fully aware I can stop spending. I am considering that in its fullest form right now. If things don't change, they will push me to not spend and move on. But I have the right to voice my unhappiness, especially as a paying customer. This is the only way we have to get changes outside of not spending, which all spenders fully understand.
If Ncsoft doesn't want to listen to our posts, they change nothing, I will move on and it will be their loss. I can find a new game rather easily, they cant find new people willing to spend 1-2 grand a month on their game anymore.
Edit: and no, I won't play essence or a remastered L2 where we start over with cool graphics and the same company running it. I would quit.