The most popular legal misconception among Russians is the myth that it is impossible to return goods without a receipt.

The most popular legal misconception among Russians is the myth that goods cannot be returned without a receipt, the press service of the National Research University Higher School of Economics said. Faculty of Law experts found that this query accounted for more than 21 percent of search demand. In total, 20 persistent misconceptions were identified, around which the greatest interest of users is concentrated.

The university explained that the myth that it is impossible to return a product without a receipt does not comply with the law: the absence of a cash or sales receipt does not in itself deprive the consumer of the opportunity to confirm the purchase with other evidence. The possibility of exchange or return depends on the type of product and the basis for the request.

Second place in the ranking was taken by the simplified “14-day rule”: the law does provide for the exchange of non-food products of proper quality within this period, but subject to a number of conditions.

Third place is the myth that the buyer is obliged to pay for accidentally broken goods in the store. There is no automatic “break - pay” rule; the question depends on the buyer’s fault and the organization of the retail space, experts explained.

Among the misconceptions about the rules of inheritance, according to the university, the myth stands out that missing a six-month period completely deprives you of your rights to inheritance. In fact, the court can restore the term, and the inheritance can be accepted with the written consent of other heirs or by proving actual acceptance. Another myth is that a will completely determines the fate of property: the law protects the right of certain categories of heirs to an obligatory share. Also, experts say, Russians mistakenly believe that a gift agreement cannot be canceled - in fact, the law allows this in special cases.

According to the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the top 20 included other misconceptions: about photo and video shooting without consent, about an apartment registered for one spouse, about the power of a receipt without a notary, and about the return of an erroneous translation.

“The right is exercised in specific actions: when purchasing goods, concluding an agreement or accepting an inheritance. In such situations, you want to reduce complex norms to simple formulas, which is why conditions, deadlines and requirements for evidence are lost,” explained Vadim Vinogradov, dean of the Faculty of Law at the Higher School of Economics.