Victoria Cruises Line is the topic of a brand new doc lately launched by the Fraud Investigator with the Utah Division of Commerce’s Division of Shopper Safety.
The state company has taken motion towards the Hungarian firm and primarily put a cease to its U.S. gross sales efforts based on the doc.
This was introduced on by quite a few prospects who had wired $10,000 or extra to a checking account in Hungary as a deposit for a residential-style world cruise that has now been delayed to 2025.
These customers, asking to not be named, have mentioned they imagine that the cruise reveals no indicators of taking place, with allegations that the corporate is just not issuing refunds.
“I acknowledge that customers in america and different international locations had been harmed by the conduct of Victoria Cruises Line KFT and I sincerely remorse my participation and facilitation of their actions,” mentioned Valerie Sariahlyn Linderoth within the report, who was the corporate’s U.S. model ambassador and per her cope with the state of Utah, has agreed to not signify the corporate.
“I don’t imagine that customers who paid Victoria Cruises Line KFT will obtain the promised cruise nor a refund of their funds,” Linderoth mentioned.
The corporate’s headquarters is an house in Hungary (pictured above).
In response to one buyer that requested to not be quoted, different key firm officers embrace proprietor Viktória Judit Takács-Ollram and her son and vice chairman, Marcell Herold, who can be a school pupil on the College of Florence. They’re believed to be primarily based in an house in Florence, Italy. Herold is alleged to be working the day-to-day operation.
The corporate, which beforehand operated as Akoya Gold Industrial and Service, claims to have a deal for a ship that has been laid up in Greece since 2020 and its U.S.-based gross sales consultant, Linderoth, lived in Utah, which helped set off the state’s curiosity after a mess shopper complaints.
The report was made public on Monday and is 13 pages lengthy, portray a less-than-ideal image of the corporate and its enterprise practices.
Of word, amongst many findings, the report found that firm claimed to make use of quite a few crew members, but none of these contacted confirmed their employment. It additionally alleges a faux LinkedIn profile for the corporate’s CEO and questions his existence.
Moreover, the corporate had not filed mandatory regulatory paperwork or surety bonds with the Federal Maritime Fee (FMC), nor had they reserved a departure date from the Florida Port Authority as marketed.
In response to prospects, the corporate has delayed wiring again refunds for its cruise begin up that was initially set to sail in 2022 and has been repeatedly delayed.
Publicly accessible Hungarian tax information present Viktória Judit Takács-Ollram having a private tax debt of over $150,000 as of 2020, which was diminished to only $27,000 by 2023.
Further data despatched to Cruise Business Information reveals that Vivien Eva Horvath, the model’s social media advertising and marketing supervisor, and Herold look like engaged in a separate enterprise enterprise in renting out Maseratis in Italy and Southern France. Advertisements selling the enterprise on Fb checklist Victoria Cruises Line because the advert purchaser.