Examples of Offer Termination (lawteacher.net)
The first one is lapse of time. An offer lapses if it is not accepted within the stipulated time or when no time is stipulated, the offer will lapse after a reasonable time. A reasonable time is a question of fact depending on the subject matter of the contact, the means used to communicate the offer, the language used and other circumstances of the case. Usually, it is viewed from the general public.
Ramsgate Victoria Hotel Co v. Montefiore [1866] indicated that Montefiore applied for shares on 8 June but he was not sure whether he was successful or not because no one informed him. On 23 November, his offer was accepted. On the same day, shares were allotted to him. Then, Montefiore was told to pay the balance owing on the share but Montefiore refused to do so.
In case law Brodgen v. Metropolitan Railway Co [1877], the plaintiff sent a contract to the defendant setting out the terms and conditions on which it world supply coal to the defendant. The defendant did not expressly accept the offer. However, coal was supplied and accepted by the defendant, apparently on the terms set out in the plaintiff’s contract.
It was held that acceptance of the offer would be implied as the defendant accepted the offer by conduct. After the unconditional acceptance is made, the offer ceases to exist.
As a reminder and conclusion, acceptance is made after an offer will be done. Once the accepted is terminated, the only way that an offer can be revived is only if the original offeror wishes to revive it.