Posted on 12/10/2014 7:16:00 PM PST by Impala64ssa
..that overcharged him $4
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 of shredded chicken with spicy garlic sauce, sautéed prawns with roasted chili and peanut, stir-fried chicken with spicy capsicum and braised fish filets and Napa cabbage with roasted chili.
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 Ran Duan, who helps his parents run the family-owned restaurant, explained the prices on their website were outdated.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 "Our websites prices has been out of date for quite some time.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."
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:
When Duan offered to refund Edelman the original overcharge, Edelman went into lawyerly overdrive:
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Sounds like a script for an episode of Big Bang Theory.
But Leonard would tell Sheldon NOT to write the emails...and then he would chip in extra for Penny’s share of the meal.
I love that show.
Scam...no. Reflection of bounces in food wholesale costs yes (and many restaurants will have “ask your server” on their menus for just that reason).
unlike a national chain, a small business owner doesn’t have a media staff to correct prices/webpage day by day.
I'm with you. I guarantee if the pricing on his website had been costing him money he would have had it updated instantly. The lawyer was still an ass though.
I wonder if he’s relate to judge Roy L. Pearson, Jr.
I think we’ve been here before but I love Brookline.
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From today’s Metro-——a student says the prof isn’t socially adept.
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“a small business owner doesnt have a media staff to correct prices/webpage day by day.”
“Our websites prices has been out of date for quite some time.”
I see your point, sorta.
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