Greece B2B Debt Collection: Mediterranean Maritime Guide

• Net 30-60 terms routinely drift to Net 120-180+ with "μετά τη σεζόν" (after season) or "περιμένουμε έγκριση" (awaiting approval) responses
• Acceptance disputes appear only after payment requests (cargo condition on arrival, tourism service quality, construction milestone completion)
• Entity confusion: Athens headquarters vs Piraeus port operations vs island subsidiaries (nobody owns the invoice during restructuring)
• Decision-maker who signed during peak season is now "unavailable" or "assigned to different vessels/properties"
• Evidence scattered: English contracts, Greek port documentation, delivery notes, seasonal service agreements across systems
• Language barriers: Greek business culture requires formal documentation and relationship maintenance for payment priority
• Cross-border EU complications: you're in Western Europe, unsure of Greek/Mediterranean collection approaches and court timelines
• Tourism seasonality: "we'll pay after next season starts" becomes indefinite—especially post-COVID recovery patterns
• Greek banking delays: "the bank is processing the transfer" extends for months with no tracking
• "Checking with our accountant/lawyer" stalls with no timeline, especially during August vacation month

• Evidence pack assembled in first 48 hours (charter parties, bills of lading, delivery confirmations, Greek/English correspondence)
• Entity and decision-owner mapping across Greek locations (who actually approves payments in Athens, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, island operations—season-aware)
• Industry-aware, Greek-capable outreach (we work in Greek and English for shipping, tourism, construction, understanding Mediterranean business rhythms)
• Acceptance reconstruction when "cargo condition" or "service quality" disputes appear post-delivery
• Greece/EU-aware escalation routing (European Payment Order eligibility, Greek court thresholds, seasonal cash flow considerations, August timing)
• Documented reporting cadence (you know what's happening, why, and what's next—in English)
• Relationship-smart persistence (Mediterranean business ties protected where possible, understanding Greek relationship culture and smaller market dependencies)

Collecty works Greece B2B files from €3K to €800K+, across shipping/maritime, tourism, construction, and manufacturing—evidence-first, Greek-capable, EU-compliant across Athens, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, and Patras.

Greece presents a unique collection environment shaped by its position as the world's largest shipping nation, its Mediterranean tourism economy, and its EU membership with distinct local business culture.

Shipping industry dominance: Greek shipowners control approximately 20% of global merchant shipping. This concentration creates an industry where relationships matter enormously, payment terms are negotiated vessel-by-vessel, and reputation travels fast through Piraeus port networks. Collection approaches that work for German manufacturers may damage irreplaceable Mediterranean maritime relationships.

Tourism seasonality: The Greek economy swings dramatically between peak season (May-September) and off-season. B2B suppliers to hotels, restaurants, and island services often face "after season" payment expectations that stretch indefinitely. Evidence of acceptance during peak season becomes critical when pursuing payment during winter months.

EU member with Greek characteristics: While EU frameworks like the European Payment Order apply, Greek court timelines can extend significantly. Language requirements for legal proceedings, relationship-based business culture, and the August vacation shutdown create collection timing considerations that don't exist in Northern Europe.

Regional complexity: Athens/Piraeus serves as the financial and maritime hub, Thessaloniki handles northern manufacturing and Balkan trade, island operations (Crete, Rhodes, Mykonos) run semi-autonomously during tourist season. Entity structures (A.E., E.P.E., I.K.E.) and decision-making authority often blur across these regions.

The Greece Mediterranean Protocol™ follows a structured approach designed for Greek business culture and Mediterranean trade patterns:

1. Evidence pack intake + Greece/EU compliance check — We gather charter parties, bills of lading, purchase orders, delivery confirmations, and Greek/English correspondence. Verify EU Payment Order eligibility and Greek court thresholds. Proof
2. Entity + decision-owner mapping — Greek companies often have complex structures: Athens headquarters, Piraeus operations, island subsidiaries. We identify who actually approves payments—not just who placed the order—across A.E., E.P.E., and I.K.E. entities. Accountability
3. Industry-aware, Greek-capable outreach — Shipping requires different communication than tourism hospitality. We work in Greek and English, respecting Mediterranean business rhythms (August shutdown, seasonal patterns) while maintaining professional persistence. Resolution
4. Acceptance/delivery reconstruction — When "cargo arrived damaged" or "service wasn't as specified" disputes emerge post-invoice, we reconstruct the acceptance trail: delivery receipts, captain signatures, installation sign-offs, usage evidence. Clarity
5. EU Payment Order routing + Greek court compliance + reporting — If amicable resolution stalls, we assess European Payment Order suitability, Greek court jurisdiction (based on amount and contract type), and provide documented escalation paths with realistic timeline expectations. Control

Every Greece B2B file falls into one of four quadrants based on evidence strength and debtor responsiveness. Each requires a different approach:

Where does your Greek file sit? Each quadrant needs a different approach.

• Hour 0-8: Evidence intake, Greek document review, seasonal timing assessment (are we approaching August shutdown?), EU Payment Order eligibility check, shipping industry context review
• Hour 8-24: Contract analysis + entity/decision-owner research (A.E. vs E.P.E. vs I.K.E. structures, Athens/Piraeus/Thessaloniki/island locations, vessel ownership if maritime)
• Hour 24-36: Industry-specific outreach strategy mapped (shipping/maritime tone vs tourism hospitality vs construction, Greek-language preparation, seasonal awareness, August timing consideration)
• Hour 36-48: First contact attempt (Greek or English as appropriate, seasonal timing considered, relationship-aware framing) + reporting cadence confirmed

You'll know: What evidence gaps exist, who owns the decision across regions/vessels, Greek documentation requirements, seasonal cash flow factors, shipping industry relationship considerations, and the next three moves.

Greece's tourism economy creates predictable but challenging payment patterns. Peak season (May-September) generates the revenue. Off-season (October-April) is when many hospitality businesses expect to pay suppliers—but cash flow constraints often extend payment further.

Evidence timing matters: Acceptance documentation obtained during busy July is far more valuable than trying to reconstruct what happened in January. If your service was delivered during peak season, confirming acceptance before September protects against "quality disputes" that emerge only when payment is requested.

Contract terms vs industry norms: Many tourism B2B contracts specify standard payment terms (Net 30, Net 60), but informal expectations often assume "after season" timing. Clear contract language about payment timing—not contingent on seasonal revenue—provides legal weight that industry customs don't.

The August factor: Greek business essentially shuts down for 2-3 weeks in August. Collection timing around this period requires planning. Files submitted in late July may not see meaningful response until September—but this also means August is poor timing for escalation threats that won't be read.

The European Payment Order (EPO) procedure allows creditors to collect uncontested cross-border claims within the EU through a streamlined process. Greece, as an EU member, recognizes and enforces EPOs issued by courts in other member states.

When it works: Uncontested claims with clear documentation—signed contracts, delivery confirmations, undisputed invoice amounts. If the Greek debtor doesn't contest within 30 days, the EPO becomes enforceable without full Greek court proceedings.

Limitations for Greece: If the debtor contests (common when relationships have deteriorated), the claim moves to ordinary civil proceedings under Greek court rules—which can take 18-36 months. The EPO is a tool for clear-cut cases, not disputed situations.

Documentation requirements: EPO applications require specific evidence formats. Greek-language translations may be needed depending on the issuing court and Greek enforcement requirements. This is where evidence pack preparation during the collection phase pays dividends.

Greece's position as the world's largest shipping nation means maritime collections require specialized evidence and industry understanding.

Charter party documentation: The charter party agreement defines payment terms, bunker fuel responsibilities, and dispute resolution. Collecting against shipping companies requires clear reference to specific charter terms and vessel identification.

Bill of lading and delivery confirmations: For freight and cargo services, the bill of lading, delivery receipts, and any condition notes at discharge are essential. Maritime disputes often center on cargo condition—photographic evidence at loading and discharge protects against "arrived damaged" claims.

Port service documentation: Piraeus port services (agency fees, stevedoring, bunker delivery) require signed service confirmations. Vessel captain signatures carry weight, but identifying the correct shipowner entity for invoicing is critical—vessel ownership transfers are common.

Relationship considerations: The Greek shipping community in Piraeus is tight-knit. Aggressive collection approaches damage reputation quickly. Evidence-first persistence with relationship awareness protects future business while pursuing current receivables.

Collecting from Greek companies as a Western European business involves EU advantages alongside Greek-specific challenges.

EU framework benefits: The European Payment Order, Brussels Ia Regulation for jurisdiction, and EU enforcement mechanisms apply. Greek courts recognize EU judgments, and cross-border enforcement is procedurally simpler than collecting from non-EU Mediterranean countries.

Language and documentation: While EU frameworks exist, Greek court proceedings require Greek-language documentation. Translation costs and requirements should be factored into escalation decisions. Business communication in English is common, but formal legal weight requires Greek translation.

Timing and culture: Mediterranean business culture operates on different rhythms than Northern Europe. The August shutdown, relationship-based payment prioritization, and "Mediterranean time" are real factors—not excuses, but context for collection timing and approach.

Banking realities: Greek bank transfers, especially for smaller businesses, can genuinely take longer than in Western European banking systems. "The bank is processing" isn't always an excuse—but shouldn't extend indefinitely without documentation of the transfer request.

If you're hoping to avoid Greek documentation requirements, want guaranteed outcomes regardless of seasonal cash flow realities, or need someone to make aggressive legal threats without understanding Mediterranean maritime culture and tight-knit shipping industry relationships—we're not the right fit. The Greece Mediterranean Protocol™ works evidence-first and industry-aware, which means sometimes the honest answer is "your contract allowed seasonal payment delays" or "acceptance wasn't documented before the vessel changed ownership."

Greece B2B collections work when evidence is organized (charter parties, Greek contracts, seasonal service agreements), decision-owners are mapped correctly across mainland and island structures, acceptance is reconstructed from your paper trail, seasonal and shipping-industry factors are assessed realistically, and escalation follows Greek court and EU Payment Order requirements.

No guarantees—but structured Greek-capable, industry-aware persistence beats English-only scattered follow-ups that ignore Mediterranean business realities. If your invoice is stuck in Athens, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, or the islands, and you've tried the standard moves, let's map the next step.