8 January 2009
Consumers would default on their paid-for TV subscriptions before going into arrears on their credit cards, according to a new survey.
Direct Line found that 22% of consumers would feel it acceptable to leave their satellite or cable TV bills unpaid if they were faced with a cash shortage.
This compares to 8% who would default on their credit card bills and 5% who would shun home contents insurance payments.
Secured and unsecured loans take priority, according to the survey, with 2% of respondents saying they would miss personal loan repayments and 1% claiming they would fall into arrears on their mortgage if their finances were tight.
In October, a report by Continental Research revealed that almost one-quarter of paid-for TV customers intended to terminate their contracts or switch to cheaper channel packages over the next 12 months.
At the same time, the survey showed that 13% of those questioned planned to get Freeview in their homes at some point in the coming year.