Carpet cleaning con-man fined just £20

Premier Carpet Cleaning Services and A Star carpets swindled elderly victims across Devon out of £219,007.12 by convincing them to pay for work that was unnecessary or even completely fictitious. 

Founder and director Adam Vallier would offer to clean carpets for £19 or £20 but would then charge customers far more, sometimes several hundred pounds. Vallier and his staff’s would concoct excuses to carry out extra work, including faking a moth infestation, telling customers that their carpets were bigger and dirtier than expected or were in need of a deep clean.

Clients from Exmouth, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, and Torbay were also told that Vallier and his two companies were members of a trade body and were qualified to used a variety of cleaning products and to work on woollen carpets.

Vallier was found guilty of two counts of fraud, one of misleading customers, and plead guilty to three counts of engaging in unfair commercial practices. He received a 12 month suspended sentence and was ordered to perform 250 hours of community service. Each of Vallier's two companies was fined £10. The minimal amount is because both are in liquidation and have no assets.