Ways to reply to an offer

'It is honourable to settle with your neighbour' 

Honourable: 

1) Full Acceptance: taking control over a document (or could be an oral statement), completing it, adding the consideration, and returning it. In the private, this is an agreement. 

In the public, all notices will have either a signature or a corporate seal, because we are dealing in commerce, it is the Bills of Exchange Act 1882 which regulates commerce in which 'acceptance' means an acceptance completed by delivery or notification. As soon as the notice has been delivered, it is deemed to have been accepted. 

2) Conditional Acceptance: "the one that makes the claim bears the burden of proof." This is considered to be a superior form of response. You are prepared to accept the offer upon validation of proof of claim. It is dishonourable depending on intent. An example of this can be found here. 

Dishonourable: in the public (the commercial realm) these two forms of response are considered a commercial default. In the private realm (the realm of substance) it is a dishonour. 

3) Argue: does not settle the matter, only makes the matter worse. 

4) Silence (commercial default after three notices and it is considered a default judgement against you; you have agreed to the terms of the offer by default)