To whom an offer is made according to the Indian Contract Act?

An offer may be ‘specific’ or ‘general’. When an offer is made to a definite person or a particular group of person, it is known as specific offer and it can be accepted only by that definite person or that particular group of persons to whom it is made, if an offer which is not made to a definite person, but to the world at large or public in general, it is called a general offer.

A general offer can be accepted by any person by fulfilling the terms of the offer. Offers of reward made by way of advertisement for finding lost articles are the most appropriate example of a general offer. For example, B issues a public advertisement to the effect that he would pay Rs. 100 to anyone who brings back his missing dog.

This is a general offer and any member of the public can accept the said offer by finding the lost dog. S. 8 declare “performance of the conditions of a proposal is an acceptance of the proposal.” In a famous case Cargill Vs. Carbolic Smoke Ball Company (1893) 1B. 25, the company advertised that it would pay £100 to anyone who contacts influenza after using the smoke balls of the company for a certain period according to the printed directions.

Mrs. Cariill used the smoke balls according to the directions of the company but subsequently she contacted influenza, she filed a suit for the reward. It was held that she would recover the reward as she had accepted the offer by complying with the terms of the offer i.e., using of the smoke balls as per the printed directions.