B-126730, JAN. 30, 1956
Highlights
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JANUARY 20. TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THEIR BIDS. WHEN THE BIDS WERE OPENED ON DECEMBER 14. WERE OUT OF LINE WITH THE PRICES THAT HAD BEEN PAID PREVIOUSLY FOR THE REQUIRED TYPE OF STOPWATCH. THE BIDDERS WERE REQUESTED TO VERIFY THEIR BIDS. THE COLONIAL PAPER COMPANY ADVISED THAT ITS QUOTATION WAS IN ERROR IN THAT THEY HAD MISINTERPRETED THE SPECIFICATIONS AND THAT ITS BID SHOULD HAVE BEEN $39.75 EACH FOR THE TYPE OF STOPWATCH REQUIRED AND SUBMITTED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE STOPWATCHES INVOLVED IN ITS ERRONEOUS BID AS WELL AS ITS INTENDED BID. THE RECORD SHOWS THAT SEVEN OTHER BIDS WITH QUOTATIONS RANGING FROM $13 TO $21 WERE RECEIVED. YOU STATE IN YOUR LETTER THAT FIFTEEN DOLLARS IS THE LOWEST PRICE WHICH HAS BEEN PAID BY THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION FOR A STOPWATCH MEETING THE SPECIFICATIONS APPLICABLE TO INVITATION NO.
B-126730, JAN. 30, 1956
TO HONORABLE H. V. HIGLEY, ADMINISTRATOR, VETERANS ADMINISTRATION:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JANUARY 20, 1956, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN RELATIVE TO ERRORS ALLEGED BY THE COLONIAL PAPER COMPANY, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, AND THE FISHER SCIENTIFIC COMPANY, SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND, TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THEIR BIDS, SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO INVITATION NO. A-152-I, DATED NOVEMBER 28, 1955, COVERING WATCHES, STOP, GRADUATED TO 1/5 SECOND, CONTINUOUS RUNNING, SINGLE ACTION, FOR DELIVERY TO THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION SUPPLY DEPOT, HINES, ILLINOIS.
WHEN THE BIDS WERE OPENED ON DECEMBER 14, 1955, THE CONTRACTING OFFICER NOTED THAT THE BIDS OF THE COLONIAL PAPER COMPANY IN THE AMOUNT OF $8.75 EACH, AND THE FISHER SCIENTIFIC COMPANY IN THE AMOUNT OF $11.33 EACH, WERE OUT OF LINE WITH THE PRICES THAT HAD BEEN PAID PREVIOUSLY FOR THE REQUIRED TYPE OF STOPWATCH, AND THE BIDDERS WERE REQUESTED TO VERIFY THEIR BIDS. BY LETTER DATED DECEMBER 23, 1955, THE COLONIAL PAPER COMPANY ADVISED THAT ITS QUOTATION WAS IN ERROR IN THAT THEY HAD MISINTERPRETED THE SPECIFICATIONS AND THAT ITS BID SHOULD HAVE BEEN $39.75 EACH FOR THE TYPE OF STOPWATCH REQUIRED AND SUBMITTED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE STOPWATCHES INVOLVED IN ITS ERRONEOUS BID AS WELL AS ITS INTENDED BID. THE FISHER SCIENTIFIC COMPANY BY LETTER DATED DECEMBER 29, 1955, ADVISED THAT IT HAD MADE AN ERROR IN THAT IT HAD BID ON A STOPWATCH FOR TIMING A CONTINUOUS INTERVAL, AND NOT A CONTINUOUS RUNNING STOPWATCH, AND REQUESTED PERMISSION TO WITHDRAW ITS BID. THE RECORD SHOWS THAT SEVEN OTHER BIDS WITH QUOTATIONS RANGING FROM $13 TO $21 WERE RECEIVED. YOU STATE IN YOUR LETTER THAT FIFTEEN DOLLARS IS THE LOWEST PRICE WHICH HAS BEEN PAID BY THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION FOR A STOPWATCH MEETING THE SPECIFICATIONS APPLICABLE TO INVITATION NO. A-152-I.
ON THE BASIS OF THE EVIDENCE OF RECORD THERE APPEARS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE COLONIAL PAPER COMPANY AND THE FISHER SCIENTIFIC COMPANY MADE ERRORS IN THEIR BIDS AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THESE BIDS WERE ERRONEOUS AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERRORS EXPLAINED PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BIDS OF THESE BIDDERS SHOULD BE DISREGARDED.