3. When Offers End (OIR)

A - Offer can only be accepted while open

An offer can only be accepted while it is open – once it has ended, it cannot be accepted. An offer can be revoked before acceptance.

A - Revocation must be communicated

Revocation must be communicated to the offeree by the offeror (Routledge v Grant) or by a 'reliable person' (Dickinson v Dodds).

B - Rejected offer cannot be accepted

An offer which is rejected cannot be accepted by the person rejecting the offer – this may be done by a counter-offer (Hyde v Wrench).

B - Request for information is not a counter-offer

A request for information is not a counter-offer (Stevenson v McLean).

C - Offer can end by lapse of time

An offer can come to an end through a lapse of time (Ramsgate Victoria Hotel v Montefiore).

D - Effect of death on offer

If the offeror dies, acceptance can still take place until the offeree learns of the offeror's death (unless it is for a personal service). If the offeree dies, then the offer ends and cannot be accepted by their estate.