While directing the actions of any business is immensely challenging, there is perhaps no business model more demanding than that of the family-owned small business. Eclipse Aluminum Trailers is one such family-owned business, and the challenges we have faced since our foundation are exactly what one might expect. Although growth is the goal of any organization, it brings with it a need to constantly learn, improve, and develop. Over these past few years, Eclipse has not only experienced an amazingly fast rate of growth, but also many opportunities to learn from our experiences.
We have made many great decisions to propel our company forward, yet we have also faced mistakes that we have been fortunate to learn from. Regardless of how difficult a situation might be, we stick to our core values and reframe problems as challenges, and then work hard to match these challenges with solutions. The unfortunate reality, however, is that not every situation offers the outcome you hope it will; whether you are an individual or a family-owned small business. The events described in this thread perfectly reflect this reality for Eclipse, as sadly, we were clearly unable to deliver the satisfaction that we demand be given to each and every one of our customers.
There is no merit to any company engaging in a debate or argument in a public forum such as this. We have remained silent as this thread grew, but now feel that this response has been warranted to clear any misconceptions you might have as a reader.
When we became aware of an issue with this trailer, we immediately supported it being taken for an inspection and that all necessary adjustments should be made.
Once legal action was ongoing between the customer and the actual dealer, Eclipse was no longer able to comment on or be involved in the situation.
As we understood it, the customer not only received a complete refund for the purchase, but also maintained possession of the trailer.
We are no longer engaged in business with the dealer involved with this matter.
Posting in a forum such as this can often be seen as an attempt to perpetuate debate. This is by no means our intent. Again, we felt that some sort of response was necessary to “clear the air,” but not to simply argue. The difficulty of accomplishing this is further complicated by the simple fact that the author of this thread is not a customer of Eclipse Aluminum Trailers. While we appreciate the support the author is lending to a family member, we must focus our time and effort on the needs of our trailer owners. Nonetheless, we would gladly discuss this matter as much as the actual owner would like. Given our understanding that a full refund was issued, however, we were and are not surprised to have not heard back from this individual.
Our mission has always been to manufacture a trailer that the “every day” horse owner can afford, with a value that cannot be matched by our competitors. With an Eclipse Aluminum Trailer you truly do get what you pay for…Extra value. And you do not pay for things you do not get, like the large overhead that big corporations have. We do not employ a vast legal team, and we do not have to include the cost of the 50-100 ongoing lawsuits in our trailer prices that most large companies are involved in. We do not believe that this should be just “the cost of doing business.” We also refuse to follow the industry pattern of raising prices until the products become unaffordable for the average horse owner, or gradually taking materials and value away while charging more for a lesser product. Eclipse Aluminum Trailer prices have remained the same since our foundation. As the cost of our materials and production increases, we continue to absorb these costs and adhere to our vision of delivering a high-quality trailer to the public we so strongly support. By continuing this trend, the value we offer is constantly on the rise. While this approach runs contrary to the beliefs of our competitors, we are committed to these principles as an expression of what we value. In short, we are real horse people working to improve an industry that has all but forgotten about the typical horse owner.
We handle each customer personally, and we work every day to improve the ways in which we are able provide solutions to the challenges we face. As we continue to grow, we will continue to learn from both our mistakes and our successes. We will not, however, abandon our core values of delivering an unmatched value with the highest possible attention to customer care.
We encourage any Eclipse Aluminum Trailer owner or interested buyer to contact our Director of Customer Care and Quality Control if you have any questions or concerns. As a family-owned business that is dedicated to delivering value, you will not be speaking with an out-of-touch employee that is paid to shuffle you around. Instead, you will be in direct contact with one of our owners. You can reach Dan at 614-496-1547 ext. 102, or by email at customerservice@eclipsealuminumtrailers.com
Thank you for reading, understanding, and caring enough about the world to be involved with this matter. We hope that you have more knowledge of our company and what we stand for, and that anyone interested will contact us directly to address the concerns you might have. We ask that you put us to the test. Show us where we need improve, and we will show you the many areas we have improved. We stand by our value. We stand by our product. We stand by our customer.
Facta, non verba-
The Owners & Staff of Eclipse Aluminum Trailers, LLC
