UNSKILLED, UNRELIABLE. Haven Cycles might do acceptable work with simple, everyday repairs, but they lack the skill to do anything more than that - or the integrity to admit their mistakes and make things right for their customers.
I went to Haven numerous times over the past couple years for simple, easy adjustments (derailleurs and such), and their work seemed to be fine. So when I recently needed to rebuild a bike wheel with a new rim, I decided to turn to them for that job as well. Big mistake. Haven rebuilt my wheel with a different color scheme from my original wheel (different-colored spoke nipples), so now it wasn't my color of choice and didn't match the other wheel on my bike. To top it off, the rebuilt wheel wasn't even true - the wheel wobbled when it spun.
I asked them to redo the work with the right colors at their expense. To my astonishment, they refused, arguing that the color scheme wasn't in the work order. Which was bizarre - it never occurred to me that a mechanic would pick colors that deviated from the original.
Finally they said they could redo the wheel with the correct colors and charge $35, and I agreed. Then, when they finished the work over a week later, they charged me not $35 but $50. I reminded them the price we agreed on, and they simply said the work was more involved than the original and that I was undercharged on the original work. I later asked for a refund of the $15 difference, and they refused, explaining among other things that I was undercharged for the original work - which they contended was excellent work, despite it being the wrong colors and not even true.
I was astonished that Haven would treat a customer this way. A skilled, attentive mechanic would've rebuilt the wheel properly from the start. But mistakes do happen, and that's where integrity comes in - a business with integrity would recognize its errors and redo the work at its expense. Unfortunately, Haven did neither. If you need a bike repair beyond simple, everyday maintenance, do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. Haven will disappoint you.
I went to Haven numerous times over the past couple years for simple, easy adjustments (derailleurs and such), and their work seemed to be fine. So when I recently needed to rebuild a bike wheel with a new rim, I decided to turn to them for that job as well. Big mistake. Haven rebuilt my wheel with a different color scheme from my original wheel (different-colored spoke nipples), so now it wasn't my color of choice and didn't match the other wheel on my bike. To top it off, the rebuilt wheel wasn't even true - the wheel wobbled when it spun.
I asked them to redo the work with the right colors at their expense. To my astonishment, they refused, arguing that the color scheme wasn't in the work order. Which was bizarre - it never occurred to me that a mechanic would pick colors that deviated from the original.
Finally they said they could redo the wheel with the correct colors and charge $35, and I agreed. Then, when they finished the work over a week later, they charged me not $35 but $50. I reminded them the price we agreed on, and they simply said the work was more involved than the original and that I was undercharged on the original work. I later asked for a refund of the $15 difference, and they refused, explaining among other things that I was undercharged for the original work - which they contended was excellent work, despite it being the wrong colors and not even true.
I was astonished that Haven would treat a customer this way. A skilled, attentive mechanic would've rebuilt the wheel properly from the start. But mistakes do happen, and that's where integrity comes in - a business with integrity would recognize its errors and redo the work at its expense. Unfortunately, Haven did neither. If you need a bike repair beyond simple, everyday maintenance, do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. Haven will disappoint you.