Does this Harvard Business School professor not have better things to do with his time?

Parent Cafe
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<p><a href=“http://www.boston.com/food-dining/restaurants/2014/12/09/harvard-business-school-professor-goes-war-over-worth-chinese-food/KfMaEhab6uUY1COCnTbrXP/story.html”>http://www.boston.com/food-dining/restaurants/2014/12/09/harvard-business-school-professor-goes-war-over-worth-chinese-food/KfMaEhab6uUY1COCnTbrXP/story.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Some people have too much free time on their hands…

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<p>He should have better things to do with his time, but if attracting attention to the “malfeasance” by restaurants was his objective, you may give him props. The ridicule and the absurdity of fighting over 4 bucks helped stories like this burn the airwaves. </p>

<p>Fwiw, as anyone considered that “slightly” padding the bills for a great number of consumers is quite profitable? When was the last time you checked your grocery store or takeout bill for accuracy? The answer might surprise you. </p>

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<p>I took a pair of boots in to have the heels replaced last week. He said the price was $23. I then gave him a 10% off coupon, and he told me the price was now $22.50. Say whaa?? He claimed the price as $23.50 (not $23) and the price he was giving me included tax. Hogwash. Oh, and he said he was replacing my non-replaceable heels with replaceable heels. Um… if they were non-replaceable, how was he replacing them? I needed the heels done so did, but will never go back to those sheisters again.</p>

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<p>The threatening tone of Edelman’s emails was so uncalled for. The only “threat” I got re: my boots was that he was closing at 5 and would be gone for a week, so if I didn’t pick them up then I’d have to wait. Pretty tame in comparison. </p>

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<p>That’s when having tenure is awesome. You can freely spend your time being as big an arrogant donkey-ditch as u want, and still get a guaranteed salary.</p>

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<p>I am sorry but I am with the HBS professor on this one. Some businesses (knowingly or unknowingly) overcharge customers and if caught, the respond is always : “Oh, I am sorry. Blah blah blah…” .
What about all the previous customers who were not aware that they were being overcharged? </p>

<p>I think the threatening tone of Edelman’s emails was necessary. This one is for all the consumers who have been overcharged. ^:)^ </p>

<p>Sorry @jym626, :stuck_out_tongue: </p>

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<p>The way I read the chain of emails, the website hadn’t been updated and it had a disclaimer. Doesn’t sound like the guy overcharged his customers with his current menus in the restaurant.</p>

<p>I think the restauranteur stepped on Edelman’s toes (probably accidentally) and Edelmen responded by putting his claws in Duan’s jugular. </p>

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<p>****I think the restauranteur stepped on Edelman’s toes (probably accidentally) and Edelmen responded by putting his claws in Duan’s jugular.</p>

<p>I think you are right. lol</p>

<p>****and it had a disclaimer.
Well, Edelman’s said there was none & Duan said that Edelman was looking at the website of the wrong store location (not Duan’s location). Edelman disagreed and said he took a screenshot of it.</p>

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<p>That was tremendously entertaining. Thank you @jym.</p>

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<p>I read the article befire I posted it, Lana. think he is being a blowhard for $4. </p>

<p>He accuses the owner of “intentionally” overcharging (which I doubt) and thereby demanding his legal right to 3X his overcharge. A whopping $12. Jerkola.</p>

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<p>Does anyone think that the Professor has a sense of entitlement? </p>

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<p>This story actually came up on my newsfeed but I didn’t read it before. Since it involved a Harvard prof, I assumed that it involved like millions of dollars of imported Chinese food or something. </p>

<p>Guess not.</p>

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<p>Wonder what the fortune was in his fortune cookies…</p>

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<p>You guys missed the best part: where he teaches in the Negotiation, Organizations & Markets unit..</p>

<p>Way to get to “yes,” there, Ben. On the plus side, he may have just qualified for a joint appointment at the law school. </p>

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<p>Ben Edelman was called out for being wrong about his interpretation of the “treble damages” part of the law according to a Georgetown Law Prof as seen here:</p>

<p><a href=“Harvard professor rages at Chinese restaurant: He may have even gotten the law wrong.”>http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/12/10/harvard_professor_rages_at_chinese_restaurant_he_may_have_even_gotten_the.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>He has also issued an apology…however weak it may be to some…including some Harvard alum FB friends:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/12/10/ben-edelman-sorry/KHSxhY6GiT4EgYd4GefEGL/story.html”>http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/12/10/ben-edelman-sorry/KHSxhY6GiT4EgYd4GefEGL/story.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I did like the suggestion of one Harvard fb friend’s friend who suggest students interested in protesting his jerky actions consider opening up and eating durians in the lecture hall during class and possibly tossing the husks in his direction to show him some love. :smiley: </p>

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<p>Not the first time he did something like this…</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.boston.com/food-dining/restaurants/2014/12/10/there-more-edelman-did-this-before-and-worse/00mTW39jcyXb3VNHZoXEYN/story.html?p1=trending_article_page_2”>http://www.boston.com/food-dining/restaurants/2014/12/10/there-more-edelman-did-this-before-and-worse/00mTW39jcyXb3VNHZoXEYN/story.html?p1=trending_article_page_2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Oh man, he’s a serial price nazi. (bad choice of words but I couldn’t think of another term…)</p>

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<p>I was in a convenience store a couple of months ago, and the customer ahead of me was buying two gallons of milk. There was a price posted on the door of the refrigeration unit that held the milk. The price was stated on a 9" by 12" sheet, that was computer printed, illustrated, and laminated. When the customer got to the counter, the clerk charged him 10 cents more per gallon, because that was how it rang up. The clerk refused to honor the posted price, and said that they just hadn’t received the poster with the higher price on it yet. I think in my state, the stores are actually required to honor the posted price, except in cases of obvious error–which this wasn’t.</p>

<p>This is even less money–20 cents all together–but I wonder about your thoughts on it.</p>

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<p>The issue wasn’t the HBS Prof’s pointing out he’s been overcharged. It’s the arrogant officious tone in which he went about it…especially after the restaurant representative explained the discrepancy, apologized, and offered to refund the $4. </p>

<p>This is especially after said Prof went off citing the law and stating the law automatically entitles him to triple damages…while leaving out the fact that’s only if he takes this to court, there’s due process for both sides, and the judge makes that one possible ruling of many at his/her discretion. </p>

<p>That part not only was over-the-top and makes him out to be an arrogant officious jackass, but also caused him to be called out by a Georgetown Law Prof who pointed out exactly what I stated in the previous paragraph. </p>

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<p>Of course, Cobrat, and you have never met arrogant jackasses who routinely overcharge unsuspecting customers at grocery stores and restaurants. </p>

<p>Fwiw, since you are such a detail oriented person, check how long it took for the innocent restaurant operator to reply with the excuse of having an outdated webpage. Practice makes perfect. </p>