Chinese restaurant, Ben Edelman, war of words, all add up to one strange story that has gone viral. A Chinese Restaurant charged a $4 extra fee to Ben Edelman, a Harvard professor, and the lengthy email exchange between the two parties that followed is beyond bizarre.
A war of words has been ignited between a Chinese restaurant and Ben Edelman over $4. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ben Edelman, a brilliant Harvard professor, who has been given the nickname “Doogie Howser of online investigative work,” for he has been tackling internet giants like Facebook and Google for misleading users, since he was very young.
On the evening of December 5th, 2014, at around 6 PM, the Ben Edelman Chinese restaurant war began with a simple phone call. Edelman called Massachusetts’ famous Sichuan Garden located in Brookline, where he ordered several items, including sauteed prawns with roasted chilli and peanut, and stir-fried chicken with spicy capsicum that was supposed to add up to $53.35.
But when Edelman received his $57.35 bill, he sent an email to the manager of the Chinese restaurant, Ran Duan, asking for an explanation.
Duan, who is also the son of the owners of the restaurant, replied by saying that the website is outdated and; therefore, some of the prices were not accurate, according to The Inquisitr.
Ben Edelman replied with a menacing tone and he demanded that the company eliminate the website, or he will contact the proper authorities to handle the matter. In his second email, Edelman stated:
“Thanks for the reply and for explaining what went wrong.We enjoyed the food, but we don’t need to trouble you for an updated menu.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.”
The Chinese restaurant Ben Edelman feud went on and on for several days via countless emails. At some point, Edelman asked the restaurant manager to refund three times what the business took from him.
A fedup yet polite Mr Duan asked Mr Edelman, how can a man so educated find time to harass a mom-and-pop eatery that has already apologized for its practice?
Edelman replied by revealing that while he does have a busy schedule, he still finds time to make sure businesses that are scamming clients are sanctioned. He explained:
“You’re right that I have better things to do. If you had responded appropriately to my initial message – providing the refund I requested with a genuine and forthright apology – that could have been the end of it. The more you try to claim your restaurant was not at fault, the more determined I am to seek a greater sanction against you.”
The pair has not really solved the matter, which has pushed Duan to hire a legal team to represent his company. Check out all of the emails between the professor and the restaurant manager below.
What are your thoughts on this Chinese restaurant Ben Edelman heated exchange over $4?
