An online company that charged UK customers a fee to help with free visa applications, but then failed to deliver, has been wound up in court.
London-based International Visa Services Limited was wound up in the public interest in the High Court of Justice on Tuesday after an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
Founded in August 2015, the company operated under a number of different websites, including
www.franceshengenvisa.co.uk and www.portugalschengenvisa.co.uk.
The company claimed it could help UK travellers with Shengen visa applications for a fee, even though the applications are available for free on embassy websites.
Customers would share their personal information and expect the company to arrange appointments with the relevant embassies or consulates on their behalf.
But when customers arrived at the embassies for these appointments they were told no appointments had been made.
When they tried to make their own appointments directly with the embassy, they couldn’t because International Visa Services had used their details.
The court heard that several customers believed they had been dealing directly with the relevant embassy or consulate, not a third party.
The company’s director, Misha Sharma, refused to provide any information about the company when contacted by the investigators.
She was only contactable via a third-party email address and telephone number.
All information eventually obtained by investigators was secured from customers.
Helen Cosgrove, chief investigator for the Insolvency Service, said: “International Visa Services had the audacity to charge customers for assistance using a free service – when help was readily available for free – and then not deliver on the promises they made.
“Furthermore, Misha Sharma was wholly un-co-operative with Insolvency Service investigators seeking to uncover the truth of this situation. Thankfully the courts have now put a stop to this activity, preventing anyone else falling victim to their practices.”
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A spokesperson for the Insolvency Service said: “The Official Receiver has been appointed liquidator by the courts. It is their duty now to wind up the business in the best interests of its creditors and investigate the causes of failure of the business, including the conduct of the directors.
“Should any evidence of wrongdoing be found on the part of the directors, disqualification proceedings can be brought. The Official Receiver has three years from the date of the winding up order to bring these proceedings, and this is legally binding.
“In practice, most disqualification proceedings are brought well within that three-year window. If there is evidence of criminal wrongdoing, this is passed to the relevant prosecuting authority.”
