Watson Blinds & Awnings ACT, Canberra
Verified456 reviews
The strength of a business is not judged on when things go right, it is judged on what happens when things go wrong. After waiting some time for our installation to take place we were so pleased when the day arrived. The installer successfully fitted the first curtains and sheers, all good with this fitting, but on installing the next curtain, it… Read more
went up Ok but when invited to try opening it via the draw string, it completely fell down, just missing me and damaging the wall. The installer was so embarrassed and advised us that the store manager would contact us within 24 hours to rectify it. Did they? No, not after 24 hours, not after a week, it was only when I called them that we saw any action. The reason that the track had fallen down, was that the installer had failed to mount the brackets into the wall battens and had just screwed them into plaster board which of course was unable to hold the weight. Watson did eventually come out and repair the wall and repaint it, then reinstall the curtain, but it was a lengthy process and we were not happy with their customer service. For a company that prides its self on supposedly superior customer service, they let themselves down. Tomorrow we are having the rest of the house curtained, but not by Watson. I would like to say that the curtain quality is very good material wise.
Good products, but very poor customer service after installation. In May 2020, I paid almost $10,000 for Watson Blinds to install honeycomb blinds in my house. While I was and am very happy with the products and the look, their subsequent customer service has left me angry and out of pocket. In August 2022, the first of five blinds for very tall… Read more
windows broke. The winding mechanism had pulled out from the top. After paying the $210 call out fee for repairs, this was eventually refunded after the repair guy said the winding mechanism was missing a part (apparently this was an extra screw to hold the winder in). Given another four blinds were installed at the same time, I asked if they could also be missing the part. The repair guy tested the others and deemed them ok so it was highly unlikely anything was wrong with them. He put this in his notes this so any similar break in the future would have the service fee refunded.
In February 2023 the second cord winding mechanism broke and was fixed for free, and the cord tension on two of the other tall blinds was loosened, as the repair guy said they were all originally installed too tightly. He'll make a note in my file to say if they break again under same conditions, it'll be free to fix.
In September 2024 the third and fourth broke, suffering from exactly the same problem. These were repaired for free.
Now in November 2025, the fifth winding mechanism broke and I had to pay a $199 call out fee to book the repair. Again, it was the exact same problem and repaired in the same way as the other four blinds, and the cord was loosened as it was too tight when first installed. When I asked for the call out fee to be refunded, I was told the product was out of warranty and no refund was forthcoming, despite arguing the product was missing a part when installed and the cord was too tight (as the repair guy told me). So even a defective product and incorrect installation, as said by multiple repair guys, doesn't mean Watson Blinds will stand behind their product.
21 January 2026 As a follow up to my original post, I complained to Access Canberra about the poor customer service from Watson Blinds (WB). The ACT Govt wrote to WB on 15 Jan and on 21 Jan advise me that WB is prepared to refund the $199 call out fee as a "gesture of goodwill". While I'm very happy with the final outcome (dependent upon actually receiving the refund), I'm incredibly disappointed in WB for their gesture of last resort (no goodwill here!) only when pushed. It took a formal intervention from a Govt agency to get them to finally do the right thing and be honest. I will never use this company again. Buyer beware!!
Reviews with attachments
Looks fantastic. And will cool the room in Summer – Great colours of Monument metal with a dark grey fabric was a very good choice. It looks so smart. Wide awning covers bedroom and bathroom windows. Bring it on Summer time! Show details
- +4
We are tenants in a two-story Unit and a hailstorm had previously smashed the Perspex dome and shredded the ceiling blind (as shown in the final photo) in both the stairwell and bathroom. Our Property Managers were having difficulty finding a company that would take the job on, and fortunately Watson's said "Yes". Two installers, Russ and Ivan… Read more
arrived spot on the arranged time, erected scaffolding and had the job completed in around two hours. Their attention to detail and the care that they took resulted in no marks or damage to walls etc and they left our place spotless. What appeared to me as a very difficult job went seamlessly and communication from the Office/Admin team was excellent.
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A Deeply Disappointing Experience – Poor Workmanship and Unprofessional Service. My experience with Watson Blinds was profoundly disappointing, marred by a lack of professionalism, carelessness, and substandard workmanship. Damage to My Property – During the removal of my old blinds, the fitter carelessly dropped them against my wall, resulting… Read more
in a visible hole. Rather than taking full responsibility, the company offered nothing more than a reimbursement for a sample pot of paint—an inadequate response given the extent of the damage. They fail to account for my time and extra equipment to rectify their own fault.
Unprofessional Presentation – The installer arrived in an unkempt and disheveled state at 7.30am. This lack of basic professionalism was both surprising and unacceptable for a company that claims to provide quality service.
Inferior Installation – The curtains were improperly fitted, lacking the necessary clips for proper hanging. There was 9 clips on one length of Sheer and 8 on the other which caused the curtains to sag, the fitter didn’t have any more clips in his truck (Just basic requirement). As a result, I was forced to correct the installation myself and rehang them with clips I had—an inconvenience that should not have arisen given the service I paid for.
The clincher was that the fitter tried to pass off the hole in the wall and terribly fitted curtains at the time, as normal. It’s not normal. I worked in soft furnishings industry for 10 years in Sydney.
Despite raising these concerns with Watson Blinds via email and multiple phone calls, their response was dismissive and insufficient. Given this experience, I cannot in good conscience recommend them to anyone seeking reliable and professional service. Proceed with caution
Disappointing I purchased three electronically operated sun blinds from Watson Blinds just over two years ago (photos below). Watsons requested 50% of the purchase price on ordering the blinds and the balance of the purchase price PRIOR to installation. They are the only company I have ever dealt with that has demanded full payment before a… Read more
service is delivered.
When the blinds were installed they had "ripples" in the fabric of all three blinds. When I asked about it, I was advised they should smooth out with time.
Two years later the "ripples" are still there and one blind had come out of its track. Because Watsons only provide a two year warranty I had to pay for a service call (again in full and in advance). The service person, who was very helpful, fixed the blind where it had come out of its track but told me he couldn't do anything about the ripples - it was how the blinds had been made. It also turned out that I was overcharged for the service call and it took me six phone calls and nearly five weeks to get my overpayment returned.
My recommendation - avoid Watson Blinds
Our Outside Blind – We had an outside blind installed in January and found it difficult to attach with the straps when wound down. After further consultation Toby came out and installed bolts, making it so much easier to fasten. Thank you Watson Blinds. Show details
Positive reviews
Troy & Ivan were very proficient with the installations of our roller shutters & awning - very impressed with their courtesy and cleaning up on completion. Thanks guys! Show details
Great service – Out-of-warranty blinds service - one honeycomb blind needed an offsite repair and then re-installation and another blind needed an onsite repair and re-installation. This second blind was in an awkward place. Ray and Austin did a great job solving the issues with the re-installation. Show details
Excellent service and quality products – We are very happy with our dealings with Watsons Blinds - from our initial enquiry to the installation of the curtains and shutters in May 2024. Everyone was very professional, efficient and pleasant. We can highly recommend this great team from Watsons. We are very happy customers. Thank you, Katie. We appreciate your time, advice and expertise… Read more
- even meeting us on your day off. We made several changes to our quotes and Katie went out of her way to make sure we were happy with our choices. The curtains and shutters look fabulous.
Thank you Steve, for your positive suggestions and meticulous measurements of the bedroom windows. The shutters fit perfectly.
The installation team was very professional and gave excellent service. David R and Russ turned up on time and did a brilliant job. They had to carry the various parts of the curtain that wouldn’t fit in the lift up 6 flights of stairs. They did this several times and still smiled. We salute you. David R and Russ, a very big thank you for your neat and hard work installing the curtains and shutters - they look and work beautifully.
Negative reviews
Loved their service and product when it was installed. When I had to have a blind removed because I was changing a window, they charged a $199 call out fee which on the basis of time spent on the job worked out to be $1200 per hour. I now need the blind put back. When I called, I was told there was nothing that could be done, the $199 call out fee… Read more
applies. Needless to say, I didn’t go ahead this time! $400 could have replaced the blind! After sales service is very disappointing.
Warranty on older products – This issue was successfully resolved on the 7th June 2024. We are happy with the outcome but sad that it had to be resolved in this manner. Show details
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Pay Deposit Then Prepare for Stress – I recently obtained a number of quotes for curtains and a blind but quickly decided to select a local manufacturer in Canberra and came up with two options (Watsons or Regency Knight). The quote experience for both was excellent but the showroom experience for Regency Knight was definitely the better of the two. Having been a previously happy… Read more
customer of Watsons, I decided to proceed with their quote. However, as soon as I paid my deposit the process became very frustrating and stressful. There was unwanted duplication in respect of invoices and receipts, a lack of communication by office staff and the need for three (3) service calls within weeks of installation.
1. UNWANTED DUPLICATION OF INVOICES AND RECEIPTS After paying one deposit I received two separate receipts which I found very confusing.
Sometime later I received two emails and two separate invoices.
Despite having advised C on 17.11.22 that the balance of my payment had been made, later that afternoon I received two outstanding invoices. I rang Watsons and advised that the required balance was paid and supplied the receipt number. Later that day I received two receipts.
Even thought I had raised the matter of unwanted invoices and despite the fact that the first service call was carried out under warranty, I received another unwanted invoice for $0.00. Surely if it was a warranty service call there was no need to send me an unwanted invoice for $0.00.
I eventfully required three service calls in total, but received no invoice in respect of the second and third service calls which again raises the issue as to why I received one for the first service call.
I do not care how Watsons deal with their accounts in house, but surely it is not too much to ask that a customer be only sent one invoice and if they make one payment, they receive only one receipt.
2. LACK OF COMMUNICATION At the time of the original quote it was agreed that the curtains and blind would be installed on the same day. However, I later received a call to arrange an installation date for one blind but no curtains. Once again I advised that I required the curtains and blind to be installed on the same date.
Shortly afterwards I received a second call for an installation date for the curtains and blind. I agreed on a time and date but when I received the confirmation email I found that that the agreed time had been amended and an incorrect outstanding balance was shown. I rang Watsons and advised N regarding the two calls in two days as well of the discrepancies in the confirmation email.
On 11.10.22 I received an email from P advising that the fabric I ordered was delayed and asking if I would like to choose another fabric. I rang Watsons and advised I wanted to proceed with the original fabric and asked when it might be available. T advised she would call me back. I never received the promised call.
I rang T again on 14.10.22 and advised that I wanted the curtains and blind installed on the same day. T advised that the fabric had still not been received and that she would check with the supplier and would call me back that day or on the following Monday. I never received the promised call.
I rang Watsons again on 20.10.22 and asked T to get someone else to call me back. I never received the promised call.
I rang Watsons on 21.10.22 and spoke to A about my problems with the Purchasing Team. A advised he would make enquiries, enter me in his diary and ring me back. I never received the promised call.
I rang Watsons on 07.11.22 and spoke to O who advised he would get A to contact me. A rang back and advised that the curtains had still not been received, but the installation was still scheduled for Monday 14.11.22. He advised that he would ring me back on the prior Wednesday or Thursday to confirm the installation.
However, on 09.11 22 I received a call from H to advise that as the curtains had still not arrived and the installation date was being amended to 17.11.22.
As I needed to remove some existing vertical blinds and curtains as well as make the final payment, I rang Watsons on 14.11.22 and was advised by J that the curtains had still not arrived. He suggested that I ring on 15.11.22 to verify delivery.
I rang Watsons 15.11.22 and was advised by N that she did not know if the curtains had been received and that she would get someone to ring me. A rang back and advised that they were receiving a special delivery of my curtains on 16.11.22 and that the curtain installation was still booked for 17.11.22. He advised that he would call me on 16.11.22 to confirm the delivery and installation. I never received the promised call.
Despite not knowing if the curtains had been received and the installation would take place on 17.11.22, I made the final payment on 16.11.22.
As I did not receive the promised call from A, I rang Watsons at 4.30PM on 16.11.22 to confirm the delivery and installation of my curtains and blind. After waiting a while I received a call back option saying that I would not lose my place in the queue. I selected the option and received a call back at 5PM. When I answered the phone I heard voices in the background but then I was hung up on. I immediately rang back and received a message that the office was closed. I left a frustrated message requesting that someone ring me as soon as possible to confirm the receipt of my curtains and installation on 17.11.22. I never receive a call back.
The installation did take place on 17.11.22 and whilst the installation was in progress I received a message on my answering machine regarding a payment. I rang back and advised C that the payment had been made. I also advised C of all my concerns and asked if the matter could be escalated. C advised that she would refer my complaint to S and that I should expect a call back by the end of the week. I never received the promised call.
I rang Watsons on 22.11.22 and spoke to N about a broken blind. I also raised the issue of no call back from S. She advised that she would get S to ring me. She also advised that my complaint had been referred to management.
S rang back and we discussed my complaint. She advised that Watsons were aware of the problems I experienced and were taking action to rectify. I advised that I would forward her an email outlining my experiences and she promised to give me a detailed response in writing.
I sent an email to S setting out my concerns and received a very disappointing and generalised response stating in part that “I am deeply sorry for all the inconvenience we have caused you” and “I will pass this on to the leadership team for staff training and feedback”. I had hoped that the response would have at least stated that the people who had not returned promised calls had been spoken to, and that the matter of multiple unwanted invoices and receipts would have been addressed, but this was not the case.
I did not respond immediately to the email from S as several other issues arose and I decided to see how these were handled prior to responding. (See comments on “ 3. Service Calls” and “4. Second Complaint” below).
3. SERVICE CALLS (a) Service Call 1 Within 24 hours of the installation there was a problem with the blind that required a service call. The blind was fixed within 5 minutes, but if the blind been correctly installed there would have been no need for the service call.
(b) Service Call 2 Within a few days of installation the track in my family room came off the bracket and was no longer firmly attached to the wall. A service request was submitted on line on 25.11.22 and was acknowledged shortly afterwards. As S had previously stated “Please reach out to me if you need anything in the future and I will be more than happy to assist you”, I rang Watsons on 25.11.22 and asked to talk to S, thinking that she might be able to expedite the repair of the curtain track. N advised S would not be available until after 12 noon, so I asked N to request that S you ring me.
After waiting nine (9) business days without any contact from S, I rang Watsons on 08.12.22 to see when I might expect the required service call. N advised that the whole scheduling team was at a meeting but someone would ring me back. I later received a message from S on my answering machine requesting that I phone her to confirm an appointment for 09.12.22. When I rang back and asked to be transferred to S, I was asked the nature of my call. I advised that I was returning S call but was again questioned about the nature of the call. Once again I requested to be transferred to S. I was not transferred and I was apparently hung up on.
When S called back she seemed surprised when I told her that that I tried to contact her earlier but that my call was not transferred. Surely if a customer is returning a call to a particular person, the call should simply be transferred to that person without the customer being put through the third degree.
On 09.12.22, after several attempts R reconnected the track. While R was here I requested that he also fit 14 missing bracket plates. He did not have the required colour with him, but advised the original installer S would call in later that day and fit the missing bracket covers.
(c) Service Call 3 S arrived on 09.12.22 and installed the missing bracket covers.
Had the blind, the curtain track and bracket covers been correctly installed at the time of installation, there would have been no need for the three (3) service calls.
4. Second Complaint Having not received a satisfactory response to my first complaint, I requested that my original and new concerns be escalated to senior management for their comment and response. I did receive a more detailed response from J apologising for my experience and lack of service I received. J addressed my concerns regarding multiple invoices and receipts, the lack of responses from various employees and the installation problems experienced. Had I received a more detailed response from my first complaint, there might have been no need to lodge a second complaint.
5 Summary If you are looking for a smooth installation process for curtains and blinds don’t use Watsons Blinds.
Recent reviews
Ben H and Sam installed my outdoor blind today. Absolutely a great job done. Nothing was to hard. Well done guys. Have used Watsons many times before but will use again if needed. Show details
Outdoor awnings – Second time using Watson blinds & awnings in the last twelve months. The company still provides excellent service & absolutely no complaints at all. Highly recommend Watson to everyone & we will still continue to use them for future projects. Show details
Great results – Very happy with the result of our blinds and curtains. We needed to fit both in a small room and for a corner window. So, blinds within the window frame and single track for blockout curtains. I didn’t agree with the style advice of the young lady who came out to quote but in the end we got what we wanted because I went to the showroom. It’s now… Read more
been 9 months since we had them installed and have had no problems. The installer was fantastic (they bend the track on site to fit the corner window).
Fabulous – From beginning to end it's been a great experience with Watson Blinds. Could not have been a nicer team to deal with. Mick installed the blinds perfectly and was a very pleasant, well-mannered helpful young man. I am delighted with my choices and the results. I would very happily use Watson Blinds again and would confidently recommend them to my friends. Big thank you everyone , most appreciated. Show details
Excellent, fast, great price – Super happy with Watsons Blinds. Got them to supply and install some internal window blinds for us in a new self contained studio we’ve built. Really competitive price, excellent service and the blinds are amazing. Show details
Beautiful blinds and friendly team – We ordered a range of blinds and curtains from Watson blinds. We love our beautiful products and the team were great to deal with from quote to installation. We sought quotes and reviewed the showrooms of a few others in the Canberra area and Watson was professional, efficient and came in at the best cost for value. I highly recommend Watson blinds. Show details
Exceptional customer service – Excellent products and exceptional customer service from measure and quote to showroom service and install. I have had roller blinds installed and would highly recommend this company. Show details
Great products and wonderful customer service – I ordered four dual blinds and one single blockout blind for my fairly large windows for sun on the west side and for privacy in the lounge. The blinds were all made to measure and all fitted perfectly. I would like to thank all involved but especially Mick who put the blinds up. Mick was friendly and professional. He was also tidy and a good… Read more
instructor when he explained how to use the remote on adjusting the blinds. I got blinds that matched the wall paint and it has made the rooms feel larger and more streamlined. I’m a very happy customer. Thanks Watson Blinds
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Ben S and Ben Hill – Last week the boys installed an outdoor awning they were on time, while they were here they kept me informed of their progress and made sure I was completely satisfied with their work. I would recommend the boys in a heartbeat, they did a fantastic job. Both my husband and I are so happy with the install and the awning.
Professional and professional – Watson blinds provided clear and concise communication about my replacement exterior blind. They turned up when they said that they would and completed the job in a professional manner. The company representative was pleasant and professional. Show details
Excellent Product and excellent installation – We have had a couple of retractable shutters installed and are very happy with their functionality and look. The people who installed them were excellent in every way. They turned up when they said they would, knew exactly what they were doing and we would be very pleased to deal with them again. Show details
Perfect – Watson installed safe doors and plantation shutter. In my house recently. The work was very good. People are very professional and care about every detail. Show details
Second time customer – I purchased shades afew years ago in my old place. Customer service was so good I saved up and purchased them when I moved into my new place. They look good and keep the sun out. Show details
Fantastic service from start to finish! – I was hugely pleased with all aspects of ordering my plantation shutters. The staff were professional, their responses timely (from booking a quote, to the measuring, to delivery and installation). David our installer was a gem, very friendly and it’s obvious he takes immense pride in his work. The cost was also reasonable. We’ll be ordering more plantation shutters for our bedrooms soon based on our positive experience. Show details
Well designed solution perfectly executed – We returned to Watson to design an awning blind and curtain solution for two adjoining windows in the one room. We got a seamless 6m track for the curtains that gave the room a real lift. Show details
Newly installed awning not working – I have had very good experiences with Watson over a number of separate products and installations. Recently I had an external track awning fitted to a west facing structure now housing an expensive spa. After three uses the latest awning ceased working and closer inspection showed one side was jammed. Watson responded after the Christmas break and, as Murphy decreed, the track awning worked perfectly for the repair team. All good now. Show details
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Dear Mick, Thank you for sharing your… Read more (+1 reply)