Harvard Business School Professor, Goes to War Over $4 Worth of Chinese Food

[Major Shaitan Singh]

Ben Edelman is an associate professor at Harvard Business School, where he teaches in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets unit.

Ran Duan manages The Baldwin Bar, located inside the Woburn location of Sichuan Garden, a Chinese restaurant founded by his parents.

Last week, Edelman ordered what he thought was $53.35 worth of Chinese food from Sichuan Garden’s Brookline Village location.

Edelman soon came to the horrifying realization that he had been overcharged. By a total of $4.

If you've ever wondered what happens when a Harvard Business School professor thinks a family-run Chinese restaurant screwed him out of $4, you’re about to find out.

Ben Edelman, Harvard Business School Professor, Goes to War Over $4 Worth of Chinese Food

 

[Skull and Bones]

These western educated ignorant beggars..

 

[T90TankGuy]

Now that one stupid *** prof

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

To be fair (I live in the Boston area) the professor (and lots of other people) ordered his food online from a webpage. If you read the article the restaurant admits the menu prices have not been updated "for a long time". That means everybody who has been ordering their food "for a long time" has been overcharged.

The professor is surmising they have intentionally been overcharging people "for a long time" and had no incentive to update the menu.

He threatened legal action to make them change it.

 

[VCheng]

To be fair (I live in the Boston area) the professor (and lots of other people) ordered his food online from a webpage. If you read the article the restaurant admits the menu prices have not been updated "for a long time". That means everybody who has been ordering their food "for a long time" has been overcharged.

The professor is surmising they have intentionally been overcharging people "for a long time" and had no incentive to update the menu.

He threatened legal action to make them change it.

What people forget is that in USA, most people, if they see something wrong, will speak up against it with a view to improving it, so that others may not suffer from it. In many other countries, people just let things be and then wonder why it is such a mess around them.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

What people forget is that is USA, most people, if they see something wrong, will speak up against it with a view to improving it, so that others may not suffer from it. In many other countries, people just let things be and then wonder why it is such a mess around them.

That's why our crime stats are high. People report every little thing. Maybe in other places they simply don't bother.

 

[xyxmt]

Ben Edelman is an associate professor at Harvard Business School, where he teaches in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets unit.

Ran Duan manages The Baldwin Bar, located inside the Woburn location of Sichuan Garden, a Chinese restaurant founded by his parents.

Last week, Edelman ordered what he thought was $53.35 worth of Chinese food from Sichuan Garden’s Brookline Village location.

Edelman soon came to the horrifying realization that he had been overcharged. By a total of $4.

If you've ever wondered what happens when a Harvard Business School professor thinks a family-run Chinese restaurant screwed him out of $4, you’re about to find out.

Ben Edelman, Harvard Business School Professor, Goes to War Over $4 Worth of Chinese Food

Think this is just the professor's practical lesson for his students of Negotiations.

 

[VCheng]

That's why our crime stats are high. People report every little thing. Maybe in other places they simply don't bother.

Being open about crimes and faults is integral to the process of improvement. Find out what is wrong, and then try to fix the identified faults as best as possible. Rinse. Repeat. Quite simple, really.

 

[PlanetWarrior]

These western educated ignorant beggars..

Not really dude. It is highly frustrating to be overcharged.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Not really dude. It is highly frustrating to be overcharged.

...and then find out it might be intentional

 

[PlanetWarrior]

...and then find out it might be intentional

Here in Zim, they have practically done away with the Zim dollar. Trade is done using the US dollar. The headache starts when you have to convert from Zim to US dollar whilst shopping. Every store has their own rate. It is only the South African owned stores which comply with the recognized forex rates. The locals are ruthless. Since nobody complains about it except the foreigners, nothing gets done about it. I've now made a decision to boycott the Zim owned stores and to only shop at the South African owned retailers

 

[FaujHistorian]

Ben Edelman is an associate professor at Harvard Business School, where he teaches in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets unit.

Ran Duan manages The Baldwin Bar, located inside the Woburn location of Sichuan Garden, a Chinese restaurant founded by his parents.

Last week, Edelman ordered what he thought was $53.35 worth of Chinese food from Sichuan Garden’s Brookline Village location.

Edelman soon came to the horrifying realization that he had been overcharged. By a total of $4.

If you've ever wondered what happens when a Harvard Business School professor thinks a family-run Chinese restaurant screwed him out of $4, you’re about to find out.

Ben Edelman, Harvard Business School Professor, Goes to War Over $4 Worth of Chinese Food

Obviously we see two cultures on a collision course.

North European culture pitting heads with Asian culture.

I saw the email exchange and realize that Chinese guy most likely is a high school drop out. and not very savvy in dealing with issues in a north European way.


He should have sent $12 check (or refunded CC), sent a letter of apology, and updated the website.

However the guy will play victim and delay. Then pay $300 an hour to an attorney to defend himself.

In this process he may end up paying 1000s of dollars in settlement and attorney fees.

I suggest him to pay (if he reads PDF like the rest of us out of work lazy slobs), to pay $12 and quickly update website.


peace

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

Just another way to show the world, Harvard University doesn't mean common sense. That guy has more abbreviations in degrees than I heard of.

Degree Abbreviations | Harvard University

I always wondered why common sense was given just a term when its neither common.

What people forget is that in USA, most people, if they see something wrong, will speak up against it with a view to improving it, so that others may not suffer from it.

Obviously we see two cultures on a collision course.

North European culture pitting heads with Asian culture.

A point worthy outcome from this is whether the disclaimer "Prices are subject to change without notice", "Menu and Price may vary by location" is legal.

It's not a clash of cultures per say. Just some Harvard educated douche who wants to flaunt his book smarts. Mr. Ran Duan makes it obvious he's sorry.

I always preferred to do business with small mom and dad businesses. Because it's there were you see humanity. Where you'll see the owners "take the word of honor" on coming back to pay any expense because they only brought $20 rather than $21 or $25. Rather than the McDonald's Manager calling the cops because you are spending too much time in the 'restaurant', because your waiting for you're late bus and don't want to stand outside in the cold.

Anyways, here is what MGL 93A Section 11: Persons engaged in business; actions for unfair trade practices; class actions; damages; injunction; costs

A person may assert a claim under this section in a district court, whether by way of original complaint, counterclaim, cross-claim or third-party action, for money damages only. Said damages may include double or treble damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, as hereinafter provided, with provision for tendering by the person against whom the claim is asserted of a written offer of settlement for single damages, also as hereinafter provided. No rights to equitable relief shall be created under this paragraph, nor shall a person asserting such claim be able to assert any claim on behalf of other similarly injured and situated persons as provided in the preceding paragraph. The provisions of sections ninety-five to one hundred and ten, inclusive, of chapter two hundred and thirty-one, where applicable, shall apply to a claim under this section, except that the provisions for remand, removal and transfer shall be controlled by the amount of single damages claimed hereunder.

If the court finds for the petitioner, recovery shall be in the amount of actual damages; or up to three, but not less than two, times such amount if the court finds that the use or employment of the method of competition or the act or practice was a willful or knowing violation of said section two. For the purposes of this chapter, the amount of actual damages to be multiplied by the court shall be the amount of the judgment on all claims arising out of the same and underlying transaction or occurrence regardless of the existence or nonexistence of insurance coverage available in payment of the claim. In addition, the court shall award such other equitable relief, including an injunction, as it deems to be necessary and proper. The respondent may tender with his answer in any such action a written offer of settlement for single damages. If such tender or settlement is rejected by the petitioner, and if the court finds that the relief tendered was reasonable in relation to the injury actually suffered by the petitioner, then the court shall not award more than single damages.

Mr. Ben Edelman isn't guaranteed triple the cost of his "over-priced" Chinese food.

You forget that American loves the Underdog, if Mr. Ben Edelman was going back and forth with, say, McDonalds then the media would claim "Harvard Professor fighting for the common man".

But in the end this is just petty. For a guy who has degrees to explain his degrees, perhaps he should update this media coverage section to include this story.

 

[FaujHistorian]

Just another way to show the world, Harvard University doesn't mean common sense. That guy has more abbreviations in degrees than I heard of.

Degree Abbreviations | Harvard University

I always wondered why common sense was given just a term when its neither common.




A point worthy outcome from this is whether the disclaimer "Prices are subject to change without notice", "Menu and Price may vary by location" is legal.

It's not a clash of cultures per say. Just some Harvard educated douche who wants to flaunt his book smarts. Mr. Ran Duan makes it obvious he's sorry.

I always preferred to do business with small mom and dad businesses. Because it's there were you see humanity. Where you'll see the owners "take the word of honor" on coming back to pay any expense because they only brought $20 rather than $21 or $25. Rather than the McDonald's Manager calling the cops because you are spending too much time in the 'restaurant', because your waiting for you're late bus and don't want to stand outside in the cold.

Anyways, here is what MGL 93A Section 11: Persons engaged in business; actions for unfair trade practices; class actions; damages; injunction; costs



Mr. Ben Edelman isn't guaranteed triple the cost of his "over-priced" Chinese food.

You forget that American loves the Underdog, if Mr. Ben Edelman was going back and forth with, say, McDonalds then the media would claim "Harvard Professor fighting for the common man".

But in the end this is just petty. For a guy who has degrees to explain his degrees, perhaps he should update this media coverage section to include this story.

OK

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

Being open about crimes and faults is integral to the process of improvement. Find out what is wrong, and then try to fix the identified faults as best as possible. Rinse. Repeat. Quite simple, really.

Any demanding 50% off because you spent 30 minutes on email arguing about $4?

OK

I OKAY you 'OK'