Morphine Prince 109,655 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Last week, Ben Edelman, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, ordered takeout from a local Chinese restaurant. Upon his return, Edelman discovered the restaurant, Sichuan Garden in Brookline, Mass., had overcharged him a total of $4 on his $53.35 order. Now most people in this situation might call the restaurant to point out the error, get a refund or future credit for takeout, or just swallow the $4. But Edelman, who received a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and a law degree from Harvard Law School, fired off a series of emails to the restaurant, threatening legal action and vowing to report the incident to the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Division. Ran Duan, who helps his parents run the family-owned restaurant, explained the prices on their website were outdated. "I apologize for the confusing [sic]," Duan wrote. "Our websites prices has been out of date for quite some time. I will male sure to update it, if you would like I can email you an updated menu." "Thanks for the reply and for explaining what went wrong," Edelman, who admitted he "enjoyed the food," responded. "Under Massachusetts law, it turns out to be a serious violation to advertise one price and charge a different price. I urge you to cease this practice immediately. If you don't know how to update your web site, you could remove the web site altogether until you are able to correct the error." Edelman continued: In the interim, I suggest that Sichuan Garden refund me three times the amount of the overcharge. The tripling reflects the approach provided under the Massachusetts consumer protection statute, MGL 93a, wherein consumers broadly receive triple damages for certain intentional violations. Please refund the $12 to my credit card. Or you could mail a check for $12 to my home: Ben Edelman [ADDRESS REDACTED] When Duan offered to refund Edelman the original overcharge, Edelman went into lawyerly overdrive: It strikes me that merely providing a refund to a single customer would be an exceptionally light sanction for the violation that has occurred. To wit,, your restaurant overcharged all customers who viewed the web site and placed a telephone order  the standard and typical way to order takeout. You did so knowingly, knowing your web site was out of date and that consumers would see it and rely on it. You allowed the problem to continue, in your words, "for quite some time." You don't seem to recognize that this is a legal matter and calls for a more thoughtful and far-reaching resolution. Nor do you recognize the principle, well established in applicable laws, that when a business intentionally overcharges a customer, the business should suffer a penalty larger than the amount of the overcharge  a principle exactly intended to punish and deter violations. I have already referred this matter to applicable authorities in order to attempt to compel your restaurant to identify all consumers affected and to provide refunds to all of them, or in any event to assure that an appropriate sanction is applied as provided by law. Duan replied that he would wait to be contacted by those "applicable authorities," as Edelman continued his barrage. Edelman did not immediately return a request for additional comment. He told Boston.com he plans to take a few days before before deciding whether to pursue any further legal action. “It certainly seems like a situation that could call for legal redress," he said. "But this is a small business in the town where I reside.†Full exchange of emails: http://news.yahoo.com/harvard-professor-chinese-takeout-sichuan-garden-email-viral-161139427.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
inuborg 4,136 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 b---h, what? I root for you. I love you. You, you, you, you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
teo 609 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 That's why I don't trust people with too many university degrees... They're all CRAZY! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PdogtheDaibutsu 726 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 What a jerk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calmar 22,768 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 This is why I never want to go to school at Harvard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepingSun 1,385 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Often it's not even just people with degrees, but in general people who think they are superior to others due to some kind of knowledge, power or position they have. That's when they show their true face, and often it's an ugly grimace. One second I'm a troll, then suddenly the troll is me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staryu 6,162 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Is he for real rn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnpe 916 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 woah... us .... suing ppl about literally EVERYTHING MAKE IT WORK Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Pancake 693 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Well that's what the restaurant owner gets for giving customers misleading prices on their online website Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hope 2,030 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Can someone explain me what he did with a tl;dr? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael 533 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Pathetic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOriginalOne 11,603 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByeBye49 161 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morphine Prince 109,655 Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 What are they staring at here? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
T3ARS 4,132 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Well, I can kind of see his point but still... :rip: It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences. - Audre Lorde Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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