Hey Non-compliance with payments is on the rise in Portugal that it Companies that consumers consider “unethical” are the first to be targeted by this trend. The conclusion is from a study to intervenea debt collection company, which indicates that it has been noticed “A change in social norms.”

“Currently, there is a growing acceptance of skipping bill payments, and at the same time, consumers say they are aware of companies trying to exploit their difficulties through tactics such as 'predatory inflation.' [nome dado à tendência de aumento dos preços acima do seu custo para gerar mais lucros]”, explains the company.

Three in ten respondents, or 29%, say that, compared to a few years ago, they would feel less guilty today about neglecting to pay a bill, according to data from Intrum. actually More than two-thirds of Portuguese consumers (69%) say they would consider stopping purchasing from a company that exhibits “predatory inflation” practices.

“A consumer who cannot pay all of his bills is more likely to stop paying companies with which he has no sympathy. Among consumers who feel less guilty for not paying their bills, concern about ‘predatory inflation’ is more prominent,” notes Luis Salvatierra. , General Manager of Intrum in Portugal.

If companies deemed “unethical” can be punished, companies that stand up for consumers “should benefit from this situation.” a Payment flexibility is one of the points taken into considerationAccording to Intrum, which says that about half of consumers prefer to buy from companies with flexible payment terms.

In fact, 72% say it is a “social responsibility” for companies to offer this type of approach during periods of economic slowdown.

Economies, but not only at the European level, have been under pressure due to high inflation rates and the effects of higher interest rates by central banks to combat rising prices. According to the latest data from In the OECD, all countries in the group suffered a slowdown in GDP growth in 2023 to 1.6% – a value that compares with growth of 2.9% in the previous year.