I have recently seen a question that I would like to get clarification on if you wouldn’t mind. The question was along the lines of:
“Mary offered John to sell her car for £10,000, payable immediately. John accepted the offer but said he would pay the total amount in two instalments for £5,000”
Would this be a valid contract as Mary will be receiving £10,000 or would the contract be contract be invalid as a result of John in a sense is making a counter offer by not paying the amount of £10,000 immediately?
So John has not accepted the offer as paying in 2 instalments is a counter offer. Counter offers are not acceptance! Instead a counter offer brings the original offer to an end. In short there is no contract as there has not been an acceptance.