From: "Tim" 
Newsgroups: uk.finance uk.legal
Subject: Re: C&P at supermarkets
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 16:12:19 +0000 (UTC)

> > "Ronald Raygun" wrote
> >> Two way acceptance?  No.  Offer + Acceptance = Contract.
> >> I've offered to buy the can, and the shop have agreed to sell it to me.
> >
> "Tim" wrote:
> > AIUI, the contract is only valid if there was a "meeting of minds".
> >
> > But your opinion is that the contract did *not* include terms
> > for payment, yet the shop's opinion is that the contract
> > *did* include terms for payment (ie, using one of their
> > advertised methods with payment before leaving the shop).
> >
> > Sounds like there wasn't a proper "meeting of minds"...
>
"Ronald Raygun" wrote
> There could be some room for doubt, I admit, but
> on the whole some people pay cash on the spot,
> others don't.  They just show their brownie badge and
> settle up some time next month.  If there should arise a
> minor technical glitch in the processing of the badge...

But that "brownie badge" (aka credit card) is, usually,
nothing to do with the store - it's dependent on a contract
between yourself and the (independent) "badge-issuer".

Anyway, the "minor technical glitch" from the start of this
thread was simply the OP refusing to enter his PIN (or
pay by any other means) - hardly a reasonable exception?

> > "Ronald Raygun" wrote
> >> Not yet having agreed how and when
> >> delivery and payment are to take place is not
> >> incompatible with a contract being in place.
> >
> "Tim" wrote:
> > Agreed, but the contract itself can include terms
> > & conditions describing delivery & payment.
>
"Ronald Raygun" wrote
> Trouble is, in the absence of a written
> contract, and of written Ts&Cs, it can get
> a bit woolly what the precise terms are.

Doesn't the supermarket display
them somewhere in-store?   ;-)