Where the Myths Come From — and Who Benefits
After major incidents at marketplace warehouses, the same misconceptions reliably appear in seller communities. They suppress the will to act and push people toward accepting unfavourable settlements.
Who benefits? Obviously — the marketplace. Here are the four myths that cost sellers their money.
Myth 1. “The agreement mentions drones — that officially makes it force majeure”
Reality: adding a clause to the user agreement does not override the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Wildberries is a professional custodian under Article 901 of the Civil Code. The fact that a drone was involved does not automatically release the marketplace from liability — especially if there were fire safety or storage violations at the warehouse.
Under Article 428 of the Civil Code, oppressive conditions in a standard-form contract (which is exactly what a marketplace user agreement is) can be successfully challenged in court.
Myth 2. “We agreed to the terms — there’s nothing to be done”
Reality: under Article 425 of the Civil Code, a law has no retroactive force. If your goods were accepted into the warehouse before the new drone force-majeure clause took effect, the old storage conditions apply. Applying force majeure “backwards in time” is legally impossible.
The date your goods were delivered to the warehouse is a critical fact for the legal position.
Myth 3. “If we go to court, the account will be blocked”
Reality: blocking a seller’s account as retaliation for exercising the lawful right to judicial protection is a straight path to proceedings with the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). Large platforms fear antimonopoly sanctions far more than they fear individual property disputes.
Myth 4. “Preferential rates will cover the losses”
Reality: simple arithmetic. A 2–3% discount on future logistics fees covers burned goods worth 5 million roubles only at a turnover of 166–250 million roubles. Do you have that much free capital? And if another warehouse burns tomorrow?
This is not compensation — it is a mechanism for making you fund someone else’s negligence out of your own pocket.
The Bottom Line
Case law on marketplace warehouse fires is being established right now. Those who accept the “discount” and stay silent lock in their losses permanently. Those who begin systematic pre-litigation work receive real payments.
Do not allow legal myths to deprive you of your business.
Read Also
- Court Filing Fees for Marketplace Claims: Three Legal Routes When You Cannot Afford 300,000 Roubles
- Behind the Scenes: How a Lawyer Builds a Defence Strategy for Marketplace Sellers
Want an objective legal assessment of your situation? Contact us — we will review your documents, check delivery dates, and give you an honest evaluation of your prospects for recovering the loss.