> Notice that the sentence you wrote says this is the reason people give. People are very unreliable when trying to explain their own behavior

1) The surveys are designed to figure out these things

2) Even if the surveys are not, the shift y-o-y, from previous statements, providing trend data. Respondents can always choose different masking reasons for their choices. Pricing becoming a standout reason speaks volumes.,

3) If you reject both those points, you can postulate any theory you like, and there will never been current data to back it up. At this point we can assume any reason, as a matter of preference not as a matter of fact.