Problem
Professor Dennis wants to sell his Mac laptop computer to a student and offers it to his class for $100.00. Professor Dennis tells his class that a student may accept his offer by sliding a note under his office door on Monday morning. Ten students slide a note under Professor Dennis' door on Monday morning and one student sends Professor Dennis an email at 12:01 AM, Monday morning, accepting the offer to buy the professor's computer. Another student, Ava, sneaks into Professor Dennis' offices on Sunday night at 11 PM and slips a note under his door accepting the offer and she dates her note Monday, 8 AM.
1. Was Professor Dennis' offer a firm offer? An irrevocable offer? Why or why not?
2. How many contracts, if any, does Professor Dennis have for the one computer? How and when were the various contracts formed, if at all?
3. What could Professor Dennis have done differently to make the exchange he had hoped for go more smoothly and what does this tell you about best practices in making offers to contract?