Why a Simple Account Export Fails in Court
After a warehouse fire, nearly every seller does the obvious: logs into their Wildberries account, downloads Excel reports, takes a few screenshots, and waits for the court proceedings.
In 90% of cases, these files become useless in arbitration.
If the marketplace’s lawyers state in court — “We never generated such reports, these images were edited, these stock balances did not exist” — the court has every procedural right to reject your printouts as evidence.
Three Risks of a Standard ‘Personal Download’
Data disappears or is quietly corrected
The marketplace has complete control over its digital environment. Tomorrow, the status of your deliveries may change, the stock balance tab may disappear, or a “technical issue” may reset the data. You will have no recourse.
Evidence may be inadmissible in court
A standard screenshot without confirmation of who took it, when, and from which device is not proper electronic evidence under the Code of Arbitration Procedure of the Russian Federation. The court may decline to accept it.
Authenticity questions
The court needs not a file in Excel, but a legally established “digital trace” — confirmation that precisely this data existed in the system at a specific moment in time.
What a Notarial Examination Protocol Is
A notary is an independent official witness of the state. The provision of evidence by a notary — including examination of websites and personal accounts — is directly authorised by Articles 102–103 of the Fundamentals of Legislation of the Russian Federation on Notaries.
Advantages of a notarial protocol:
- Unassailable weight in court: a notarial protocol has enhanced evidentiary status — the court accepts it without additional verification.
- Frozen in time: even if the marketplace scrubs your account an hour after the examination, the notarial protocol remains permanently valid.
- Practically impossible to challenge: overturning a notarial act requires extraordinary effort from the opposing party.
How to Conduct a Notarial Examination Correctly
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Act before filing the claim. Evidence must be secured before the data in your account changes.
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Approach a notary with a written application stating that you require an examination of internet pages (your marketplace seller account) due to the risk that information will be destroyed or altered.
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The examination procedure. The notary, in your presence, accesses the account, records the full navigation path through each section, downloads reports, takes screenshots, and prints them.
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The result. You receive a bound and sealed Examination Protocol with attachments — court-grade evidence of what existed in your account on a specific date.
What the Notary Must Document
Correctly specifying which tabs and documents the notary must examine is critical. Missing key sections means an incomplete evidentiary record. Preparing this list precisely is one of the primary ways a lawyer adds value before the notarial visit.
Read Also
- Warehouse Fire: 3 Steps to Preserve Evidence Before Data Disappears
- Court Filing Fees for Marketplace Claims: Three Legal Routes When You Cannot Afford 300,000 Roubles
Need help preparing for a notarial examination? Contact us — we will prepare the exact list of sections and documents the notary must capture, so your multi-million-rouble claim does not collapse at the first hearing on a procedural technicality.