Go Canvas on Jones Street in Parow East holds a 3.7-star rating on Google from 25 reviews. That average hides how divided those reviews are. There are no 2, 3 or 4-star ratings at all, only the top mark and the bottom one. Customers don’t describe an average experience at this workshop. They describe one of two opposite ones. I have dealt with Go Canvas myself, and I’ll come to that below.
What customers praise
The positive reviews are about custom work. One customer thanked the team for a canvas case made for a large outdoor umbrella. Another thanked them for kitting out a Vagabond Rogue offroad camping trailer, calling the quality and service amazing. If you need something stitched to fit a specific piece of kit, the workshop clearly can deliver, at least some of the time.
What customers complain about
The 1-star reviews are blunt. One reviewer, a Google Local Guide with 192 reviews, headed their review “Great products, terrible service – avoid!” and described placing an order with the Parow branch. Even this unhappy customer says the products are good. The problem they describe is how they were treated. Another reviewer called it the most unprofessional, poor workmanship they have ever experienced, said the business was dishonest, and said it made promises it could not deliver. Both reviews are about six months old.
My own experience
These complaints match what I experienced when I dealt with Go Canvas:
- Calls went unanswered.
- Work was promised and then not done.
- Delays came with excuses instead of a new, firm date.
- Commitments to return my calls were not honoured.
From where I stand, it seems the company is selective about who it helps. That is my impression from my own dealings, and I can’t say why it happens. Other customers clearly get a very different result.
The pattern worth noting
The complaints are about promises and professionalism, not about canvas. Custom work leaves little room for vague quotes, loose deadlines or unreturned calls. The customer is paying upfront for something that doesn’t exist yet and can’t be returned to a shelf. A business that makes confident commitments and then misses them does more damage than one that quotes honestly and delivers late. Two reviewers and my own experience point the same way.
A shop that can do the 5-star jobs should be able to stop producing the 1-star ones. Both sets of reviews come from the same workshop, which suggests the craftsmanship isn’t the weak point.
The silence question
I couldn’t find any public replies from the business under the complaints I viewed. A public, specific response, whether an apology, a correction or a fair account of the disputed job, is the cheapest credibility a small business can buy. Without one, prospective customers are left with only the complainant’s version, and the shop’s silence reads as indifference.
What customers should do
- Get the specification, price and completion date in writing before paying.
- Ask what happens if the date slips.
- Keep photos, messages and receipts.
- Raise problems early, in writing.
What Go Canvas should do
Answer the phone, return calls when promised, put quotes and deadlines in writing, and reply to the 1-star reviews. Don’t promise dates the workshop can’t meet.
Ratings and reviews are from Google as of October 2026 and are the opinions of individual customers. The experience described above is the author’s own. We have not independently verified the reviews.
