Around 38 percent of European Union (EU) citizens are worried that they will not be able to pay their bills, while 35 percent fear that they will not be able to afford their favorite foods, a survey on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day showed.
The report published by the European Commission (EC) also stated that 74 percent of respondents said that product packaging had been reduced, and 52 percent believed that goods were of lower quality, without a change in price.
When it comes to online shopping, EU citizens are 60 percent more likely to experience problems than if they had purchased the same products in stores, research has shown, reports Tanjug.
For example, 26 percent of people said they had encountered problems when shopping online and felt they had legitimate reasons to complain, compared to 16 percent of consumers in stores.
At the same time, the survey states that the trend of online shopping has continued and that 76 percent of all purchases are now made online.
Additionally, 93 percent of online shoppers expressed concerns about personalized advertising, 71 percent feared their data being collected without consent, 63 percent opposed the inability to opt out of personalization, and 67 percent expressed concerns about excessive advertising.
Nearly 45 percent of consumers reported being scammed online, while many consumers experience unfair practices, including fake reviews (66 percent) and misleading discounts (61 percent).
However, the majority of consumers, 68 percent, believe in the safety of the products they buy and a small number have reported safety problems.
When purchasing a defective product, 40 percent of respondents exchanged it for a new one, while 35 percent of consumers opted for repair and nine percent for buying another one from second-hand stores.
The survey also showed that 43 percent of EU citizens make decisions about products based on their environmental impact.
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