B-127504, APR. 12, 1956
Highlights
ACTING PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF APRIL 5. YOU STATE THAT SINCE THE BID OF THE SCHONBAR-LEIGH PRINTING COMPANY WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS. THE COMPANY WAS REQUESTED BY TELEGRAM DATED MARCH 30. THE COMPANY TELEPHONED ALLEGING THAT AN ERROR IN ADDITION HAD BEEN MADE ON ITS ESTIMATE SHEET AND THAT IT SHOULD HAVE QUOTED A PRICE OF $21.95 PER THOUSAND INSTEAD OF $11.90 PER THOUSAND. THE ESTIMATE SHEET SHOWS VARIOUS ITEMS OF COST TO WHICH CERTAIN DISCOUNTS WERE APPLIED AND THE NET TOTAL OF THOSE PRICES IS SHOWN AS BEING $11.95. THE CORRECT NET TOTAL OF THOSE PRICES IS $21.95. - THE PRICE WHICH THE COMPANY ALLEGES SHOULD HAVE BEEN QUOTED FOR FURNISHING ONE THOUSAND SETS OF FORMS.
B-127504, APR. 12, 1956
TO HONORABLE JOHN M. WILSON, ACTING PUBLIC PRINTER:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF APRIL 5, 1956, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN CONCERNING AN ERROR THE SCHONBAR-LEIGH PRINTING COMPANY ALLEGES IT MADE IN ITS BID OPENED ON MARCH 29, 1956.
THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE REQUESTED BIDS UNDER JACKET NO. 377140, FOR FURNISHING 50,000 SETS OF A 3-PART SINGLE STUB SNAPOUT STYLE FORM, CARBON INTERLEAVED. IN RESPONSE, THE SCHONBAR-LEIGH PRINTING COMPANY SUBMITTED A BID DATED MARCH 27, 1956, OFFERING TO FURNISH THE FORMS AT A PRICE OF $11.90 PER THOUSAND OR FOR A TOTAL PRICE OF $595. THE EIGHT OTHER BIDS ON THE FORMS RANGED FROM $900 TO $1,627.
YOU STATE THAT SINCE THE BID OF THE SCHONBAR-LEIGH PRINTING COMPANY WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS, THE COMPANY WAS REQUESTED BY TELEGRAM DATED MARCH 30, 1956, TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND CONFIRM ITS BID PRICE; AND THAT ON APRIL 2, 1956, THE COMPANY TELEPHONED ALLEGING THAT AN ERROR IN ADDITION HAD BEEN MADE ON ITS ESTIMATE SHEET AND THAT IT SHOULD HAVE QUOTED A PRICE OF $21.95 PER THOUSAND INSTEAD OF $11.90 PER THOUSAND, AS ORIGINALLY VOTED.
BY LETTER DATED APRIL 2, 1956, THE COMPANY CONFIRMED ITS VERBAL ALLEGATION OF ERROR AND IN SUPPORT THEREOF SUBMITTED THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE SHEET USED IN COMPUTING ITS BID PRICE FOR THE FORMS. THE ESTIMATE SHEET SHOWS VARIOUS ITEMS OF COST TO WHICH CERTAIN DISCOUNTS WERE APPLIED AND THE NET TOTAL OF THOSE PRICES IS SHOWN AS BEING $11.95--- $0.05 MORE THAN THE AMOUNT OF THE BID. THE CORRECT NET TOTAL OF THOSE PRICES IS $21.95--- THE PRICE WHICH THE COMPANY ALLEGES SHOULD HAVE BEEN QUOTED FOR FURNISHING ONE THOUSAND SETS OF FORMS.
ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT AN ERROR IN ADDITION WAS MADE BY THE COMPANY ON ITS ESTIMATE SHEET, AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE BID OF THE SCHONBER- LEIGH PRINTING COMPANY WAS ERRONEOUS, AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED BY THE COMPANY PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF THE SCHONBAR-LEIGH PRINTING COMPANY SHOULD BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING THE AWARD.
THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CONTRACTOR'S LETTER OF APRIL 2, 1956, AND ITS ESTIMATE SHEET, ARE RETURNED.