Karma Basran ran a successful BC trucking company for 35 years until he passed away in 2009
Karma's wife Pearl and her daughters–Janis and Tammy–knew he trusted Ritchie Bros., so they could too
Ritchie Bros. is very understanding. They aren't just trying to take advantage of the situation.
In the mid-1970s Karma Basran started a trucking company in Kelowna, BC with one truck and one employee—himself. Karma loved his job, and by 2009 the Karma Basran Trucking Ltd. fleet included trucks, trailers and other various pieces of construction and farm equipment.
Unfortunately, Karma passed away in 2009 and his family—wife Pearl and daughters Janis and Tammy—was left with the decision of what to do with the company he worked so hard to build.
Over the years Pearl and her daughters had heard Karma talk about Ritchie Bros. They knew he trusted the company, but still had reservations about selling through Ritchie Bros. because they didn't know anything about industrial auctions. Still, they wanted to look at all their options, so Janis' fiancé Ken Huber called the Ritchie Bros. auction site in Chilliwack, BC and made contact with Guido Claudepierre, one of the sales representatives.
"We were immediately impressed with Guido," says Janis. "He was honest, explained everything clearly and never rushed us to sign something. My mom quickly felt confident with choosing Ritchie Bros. to sell my father's equipment."
Janis felt that Guido genuinely cared about her and her mother. He was always checking in to see how things were going and ask if they had any questions or concerns.
"I really appreciate the fact that any questions or things needed were directed to myself first—Guido understood how hard all of this was for my mom and he knew deep down she was a bit scared of the possible outcome. He wanted things to go as smoothly as possible for her so she wouldn't have any doubts," says Janis.
When auction day finally arrived, Janis and Ken were there to represent the Basran family.
"I had never been to a Ritchie Bros. auction before and, now that I have, I think everyone should go to one at least once in their lifetime," Janis says. "The whole experience was really amazing—I still cannot get over the fact that everything sells—it's like women at a shoe sale!"
While watching her father's equipment cross the ramp, Janis met a lady who was in the same position as herself.
"We spent a few hours together where she told me how wonderfully she was treated and how much contact there had been with Ritchie Bros. staff right up to auction day, which made her feel better about things," says Janis. "There will be more women in the same situation as us in years to come and it's nice to know that Ritchie Bros. is understanding. They aren't just trying to take advantage of the situation. I would not hesitate to tell anyone that I am 100 percent confident that Ritchie Bros. is the way to go when considering selling your equipment."
Nothing could make up for the loss of Karma, but the auction offered some peace of mind to both Pearl and her family.
Written and published: 2010
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