On September 10, a major fire completely destroyed a warehouse complex in the village of Nekrasovskoye, located along Dmitrovskoye Highway. Hundreds of clients, whose property was stored in individual boxes, are now demanding compensation. The company states its readiness to review all claims, but currently, communication with those affected is limited to automated messages.
Affected clients of the large “Cherdak” warehouse complex in the Moscow Region are seeking compensation after their property was destroyed by a fire on September 10 in the village of Nekrasovskoye on Dmitrovskoye Highway. Clients are just beginning to receive official notifications about the loss of their belongings and express concern about receiving reimbursement for their losses.
Two days after the incident, a statement was published on the “Cherdak” website confirming the irretrievable loss of items stored in the warehouse. The company expressed regret, emphasizing that the fire was not its fault, and explained that it could not proceed with compensation claims due to the warehouse being closed for an ongoing investigation.
The company remains unreachable by phone, providing only standardized automated responses. Elena, one of the affected clients whose belongings were stored there, shared her experience:
“I learned about the fire on September 12 when my order wasn`t delivered, and the app showed a cancellation. I wrote to all of Cherdak`s social media accounts, and only the next day did I receive confirmation of the fire and the complete destruction of property. For three years, I paid monthly for storage, and also paid for return shipping. That money was not refunded. Everything I owned was stored there: clothes, unique travel souvenirs that cannot be replaced, and electronics, including an iPad. The company promises to help, but so far, it`s just boilerplate responses. `We are investigating,` `we will inform you,` `we understand you, but please wait`—there`s no specifics. Honestly, there`s little hope, because going to court requires significant expense. Plus, the company could declare bankruptcy, which would make legal action pointless.”
Elena estimates her material losses at 350,000 rubles, in addition to the storage fees already paid. The warehouse service costs started from 990 rubles per month. The service also informed clients that all further charges have been suspended.
Another affected client, Natalia, lost household appliances worth over a million rubles in the fire:
Natalia shared: “We stored household appliances there: a complete set, including a refrigerator, washing machine, and dishwasher. The total value, I believe, is at least a million rubles. All of it burned down. To all our inquiries, only bots respond with a standard message: `An investigation is underway, we will contact you.` I haven`t been able to reach a live company employee. It`s a nightmare, of course. We have an acceptance certificate and a photo of the received items in the `Cherdak` app. However, our plan was basic, with minimal insurance—only 1000 rubles per square meter. So far, the situation doesn`t look very promising. This is a huge amount of money for our ordinary family, our savings.”
Natalia noted that prior to the incident, the company had an impeccable reputation and service, as evidenced by Cherdak`s high ratings on Yandex. However, the lack of direct communication with staff and responses solely from bots are causing panic among clients. Those affected have united in a chat group called “Cherdak Victims,” with nearly 600 participants ready to fight for their rights. According to Oleg Pavlov, head of the consumer rights organization “Public Consumer Initiative,” their chances of receiving compensation are quite high.
“Consumers who had a storage contract are fully entitled to claim compensation for all confirmed and documented losses incurred due to inadequate service. If the property was accepted for storage with a detailed inventory specifying individual items, the process of proving loss will be significantly simplified. In such cases, it will be sufficient to assess the damage based on the provided list of stored property. The liability of the custodian, warehouse operator, or owner might have been insured, and payments could be made by the insurance company. In any event, the extent of the damage must be substantiated. The first step should be to draft a claim, including a list of the lost property. If this claim is ignored or rejected, the next step would be to go to court.”
Arkady Usachev, founder and CEO of “Delicate Relocation,” reminds us that in this situation, “Cherdak” is also an affected party, emphasizing that it is a reliable company with a good reputation:
“I know the people who work at this company, and I know they approach everything with care. I`ve been to this warehouse complex myself. These are responsible people who have been in this business for quite some time, with the right approach. I believe that their distribution of responsibilities and accountability between client and company is well thought out. It`s important to understand that a company never bears absolute responsibility for everything, just as clients always have certain obligations. Insurance exists. For example, we insure both the building we`re in and our liability to people. I don`t know the specifics, but I`m confident that these are people who understand what responsibility means. Cherdak, perhaps, simply suffered as a company from this event.”
When asked about the perceived lack of communication from the company, Arkady Usachev replied: “That`s just a perception. Perhaps people are currently dealing with urgent issues and are not ready to comment right now.”
On its website, “Cherdak” published a statement emphasizing that it does not disclaim its obligations and promises to review all claims. The message reads: “We remain in touch and will regularly inform you about the course of events. Thank you for your understanding and trust in this difficult moment.” However, clients are currently facing difficulties with trust, which is likely due to the lack of direct, human communication during such a stressful situation.
In response to an inquiry from Business FM, “Cherdak” stated that all clients had been informed via SMS messages and messengers. The company`s official position, in addition to its website, is also published across all its social media platforms. Furthermore, a Telegram channel has been launched for real-time updates for those affected. The company stated it strives to maintain communication, but due to the overwhelming volume of inquiries, the support service is operating under heavy load.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth