Legally, “Withdrawal” and “Revocation” are two different concepts. Withdrawal means that before the offer comes into effect, the offeror takes action to prevent it from coming into effect. The Convention provides that: “An offer, even if irrevocable, may be withdrawn if the notice of withdrawal reaches the offeree before or at the same time as the offer.” According to this provision, under the conditions of e-commerce, the offer reaches the offeree immediately after it is issued and becomes effective upon arrival. It is almost impossible to withdraw an offer. Unless the system server fails and delays the receipt of the offer, so that the notice of withdrawal reaches the offeree before or at the same time.
Revocation means that after the offer comes into effect, the offeror cancels the effectiveness of the offer in a certain way. According to the Convention, an offer can be revoked, provided that the offeror’s notice of withdrawal must be communicated to the offeree before the offeree issues a notice of acceptance. However, the offer cannot be revoked in the following circumstances: ① The offer specifies the validity period, or indicates in other ways that the offer is irrevocable; ② The offeree has reason to believe that the offer is irrevocable and has acted in reliance on the offer and cannot revoke it.