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Distinction Between Offer, Invitation to Treat and Advertisement

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Submitted By FarzanaRifat
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Contractual agreement has traditionally been analysed in terms of offer and acceptance. One party, the offeror, makes an offer which once accepted by another party, the offeree, creates a binding contract. Key concepts that are needed to familiarise with in relation to offer and acceptance include the distinction between an offer and an invitation to treat – is needed to be able to identify specific examples of where an offer or an invitation to treat exists.

If the maker of the statement clearly intends to be bound by acceptance of the stated terms the statement will amount to an offer. In Harvey v Facey [1893] ,Harvey sent a Telegram to Facey which stated: -
"Will you sell us Bumper Hall Pen? Telegraph lowest cash price-answer paid;"
Facey replied by telegram:-
"Lowest price for Bumper Hall Pen £900."
Harvey then replied:-
"We agree to buy Bumper Hall Pen for the sum of nine hundred pounds asked by you. Please send us your title deed in order that we may get early possession."

The Privy Council held that there was no contract concluded between the parties. Facey had not directly answered the first question as to whether they would sell and the lowest price stated was merely responding to a request for information not an offer. There was thus no evidence of an intention that the telegram sent by Facey was to be an offer.

An invitation to treat, on the other hand, is merely an invitation for customers to submit an offer. While it indicates a willingness to deal, it is distinguishable from an offer in that it lacks an intention to be bound. Similar to an invitation to bid in the public procurement process, invitations to treat (sometimes referred to as invitations to bargain) often arise in the context of pre-contractual negotiations, advertisements and store displays. In some jurisdictions, however, advertisements and displays may be treated as

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