Promise or Puff? The curious case of the Carbolic Smoke Ball

According to the passage, what did the Carbolic Smoke Ball Company claim their device could protect against?

• Only influenza

• All manner of ailments including hay fever, whooping cough, croup, and influenza

• Only hay fever

• Only whooping cough

In what year did the Carbolic Smoke Ball advertisement appear in newspapers across the UK?

• 1881

• 1891

• 1901

• 1911

Fill in the blank: The Carbolic Smoke Ball Company offered £___ to anyone who used the device correctly and still caught influenza.

• 100

• 50

• 10

• 500

Who was the person that bought the Carbolic Smoke Ball and later caught the flu after using it as directed?

• Mrs Carill

• Mr Smith

• Dr Brown

• Miss Evans

The Carbolic Smoke Ball Company immediately paid Mrs Carill the promised money after she caught the flu.

• True

• False

What was the main argument of the Carbolic Smoke Ball Company in court regarding the monetary reward?

• It was a binding contract

• It was a mere puff and not a serious offer

• It was a mistake

• It was only for men

According to the passage, what did the judges rule regarding the contract between the company and Mrs. Carlill?

• The judges ruled that the company had entered a contract with Mrs. Carlill, as the advert was restricted to those who acted upon it, and doing so meant the offer had been accepted.

• The judges ruled that there was no contract because the advert was a mere invitation to treat, not an offer.

• The judges ruled that Mrs. Carlill could not claim as she had not notified the company before using the product.

• The judges ruled that the contract was void due to lack of consideration from Mrs. Carlill.

What was the significance of the £1000 deposited with the Alliance Bank, according to Lord Justice Lindley?

• The £1000 deposited with the Alliance Bank was proof of the advertiser's sincerity in the matter and the sincerity of his promise to pay the £100 in the event specified.

• It was a security deposit required by the government for all advertisements.

• It was intended as a charitable donation unrelated to the advertisement.

• It was a penalty for breach of contract by the advertiser.

True or False: The company was taken to court again after losing the initial case and increasing its offer of recompense to £200.

• True

• False

What legal principle did the initial case come to define, according to the passage?

• The principles agreed upon in the initial case came to define a fresh way of looking at contract law and consumer protection.

• It established the foundation for criminal law procedures.

• It introduced new regulations for property ownership.

• It set the precedent for international trade agreements.