uSwitch.com has found that many customers of Sky and Virgin Media's TV services are unhappy with the customer support they receive.
In a survey of more than 10,000 digital TV customers, uSwitch found that only 41 per cent of punters signed up to Virgin Media or Sky were satisfied with the support offering.
Steve Weller of uSwitch said: "Sky and Virgin will have quite a challenge on their hands convincing customers to part with their hard-earned cash whilst expecting them to accept the current levels of customer service on offer."
The other major player in the digital TV market, Freeview, which as the name suggests involves no monthly subscription charges, was voted as best for value for money by its customers, with Sky rated worst.
Weller said that another new free service, Freesat, could also see people turn their backs on Sky and Virgin Media.
"With a one-off cost for the set-up and a box, consumers will no doubt see these services as offering greater value for money when compared to the traditional monthly subscriptions offered by Sky and Virgin.
uSwitch also said that the big three - Freeview, Sky and Virgin - accounted for 95 per cent of the UK's digital TV market. Other providers offering digital TV services include Tiscali and BT.
www.uswitch.com www.sky.com www.virginmedia.com www.freeview.co.uk www.freesat.co.uk www.tiscali.co.uk/products/tv www.btvision.bt.com
Topic: Free beats paid-for in TV stakes (Read 4022 times)