Elderly customers of a carpet cleaning company have told a jury at their shock and anger at being charged much more than they expected.

The pensioners said they agreed to a special offer to have two carpets cleaned for £19 but ended up paying many times that much.

Businessman Adam Vallier is on trial at Exeter Crown Court where he is accused of defrauding customers of his two companies, A Star and Premier Carpet Cleaning.

The prosecution allege he used a special offer as bait to lure in customers who were then charged up to £449 for ’deep cleaning’’and the use of supposedly specialist fluids and techniques.

He is also alleged to have denied consumers their rights by failing to give them a statutory seven-day cooling off period before carrying out the work.

The jury have been told the total income of the two companies in 2014 to 2016 was £487,000 but out of 1,650 customers, only 68 actually paid the £19 or £20 which was promised in the ’special offer’.

One customer in Teignmouth was charged £449, an 86-year-old woman from Newton Abbot was charged £150 and others from Exmouth and Paignton £240 and £300.

Vallier, aged 34, of Hennington Road, Pokesdown, Bournemouth, denies four counts of fraud, one of misleading customers, and two of converting criminal property.

He says he and the companies explained the scale of charges to clients before work was done and had not overcharged or misled anyone.

Customer Agnes Taylor, aged 86, from Newton Abbot, told the court said she was a cold called by ’a very nice young lady’ offering to clean two carpets for £19.

She said: ’It sounded good. I thought, that’s nice, I can afford that. When the young man came he said my carpet would need a deep clean and he would have to use some liquid which was quite expensive and Scotchguard as well.

’When I found out it was £150 I was so stunned I could not say anything. I should have said: "That’s quite a leap from £19" but I didn’t. That was what set the alarm bells ringing.

’He seemed to be in quite a hurry. I think he was only there for half an hour even though he had to move all the furniture. He was a very nice young man, very pleasant; but I suppose it is always like that.

’I told a neighbour who said she didn’t like the sound of it and called Trading Standards.’

Under cross examination, she said she was not sure if the price was mentioned before or after the work was done and accepted she signed a receipt in which a box was ticked which said she had been given the right to cancel.

Susan Sharp, aged 68, from Paignton, said she agreed to the £19 deal but the problems started when the cleaner turned up.

She said: ’He looked around and gestured a bit and said: "Your carpets are cream". He said he had to measure up and said he could not do it for the offer price because of the cream carpets.

’He said it would be £355 and when I said that was too much he rang his office and said he could do it for £235. He did the job and I saw him going round with a water spray like you use on plants.

’I realised something was not quite right but I had moved all the ornaments and had everything ready but when I realised what had happened I and angry and upset.’

Her daughter Joanna Sharp, who is a police special constable, said she complained on behalf of her mother.

She said: ’I complained it was what is known as bait and switch. He laughed it off when I said my mother was a vulnerable person.’

The trial continues