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The Process of Contract Formation Explaining the Methods by Which the Courts Decides Whether or Not the Parties Have Reached an Agreement.

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The process of contract formation explaining the methods by which the courts decides whether or not the parties have reached an agreement.

INTRODUCTION
To establish whether the parties have formed a contract, the courts begin from examining the elements of offer, acceptance, whether or not there was a consideration or the bargain and the contractual intent to make a binding contract and any other external positive factors. The coincidence of offer and corresponding acceptance results in a contract. In some instances contracts are inferred from the conduct of the parties without a direct offer and a corresponding acceptance. Hence the courts further tries to see if the minds of the offeror and the offeree had actually met (the principle …show more content…

Having explained the differences between an offer and invitation to treat, it is imperative to consider the various types of offer that exist. The various types of offers are
a. General offers
b. Counter offers and
c. Cross offers
A general offer is an offer made to the public at large or to a particular person by way of public notice. An example of a general offer is seen in the Carlil v Carbolic Smoke ball Company.
Counter Offer is an offer made to an original offeror when an offeree in purporting to accept an offer introduces new terms by varying, adding or subtracting from the original terms. A counter offer kills the original offer. Butler Machine Tool v Ex-Cell-O Corporation [1979] 1 WLR 401
Ex-Cell-O wished to purchase a machine from Butler. Butler sent out a quotation of £75,535 along with a copy of their standard terms of sale. The terms included a price variation clause and a term that the seller's terms would prevail over any terms submitted by a purchaser. The machine would be delivered in 10 months. Ex-Cell-O put in an order for the machine at the stated price and sent a set of their terms which did not include the price variation clause. The order contained an acknowledgement slip which required a signature by Butler and was to be returned to Ex-Cell-O.

This slip stated that the contract would be subject to the terms stated overleaf. Butler duly signed the slip and returned

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