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B-128048, JUN. 1, 1956

B-128048 Jun 01, 1956
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PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF MAY 25. THE BIDS WERE OPENED ON MAY 16. WERE FOUND TO RANGE FROM A LOW BID OF $1. YOU REPORT THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE LOW BID WAS POSSIBLY IN ERROR SINCE IT WAS MUCH LOWER THAN ANY OTHER BIDS RECEIVED. THAT WHEN THE QUANTITY INVOLVED WAS MULTIPLIED BY THE ADDITIONAL THOUSAND RATE IT RESULTED IN A TOTAL OF $4. A TELEGRAM WAS FORWARDED TO THE TOLEDO TICKET COMPANY REQUESTING IT TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO CONFIRM ITS BID PRICE ON THIS JOB. ON THE SAME DAY THE BIDDER REPLIED BY TELEGRAM TO THE EFFECT THAT A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR HAD BEEN MADE IN THE BID IN THAT THE BID SHOULD HAVE BEEN $4.

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B-128048, JUN. 1, 1956

TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF MAY 25, 1956, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO WHETHER THE BID OF THE TOLEDO TICKET COMPANY MAY BE DISREGARDED IN AWARDING A CONTRACT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES HEREINAFTER SET FORTH.

UNDER DATE OF MAY 9, 1956, THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ADVERTISED FOR PRICES ON THE PRODUCTION OF 350,005 COUPON BOOKS OF SEVEN LEAVES AND A COVER, THE OVERALL SIZE 5 1/2 BY 2 INCHES, TO BE SHIPPED ON OR BEFORE JULY 6, 1956. THE BIDS WERE OPENED ON MAY 16, 1956, AND WERE FOUND TO RANGE FROM A LOW BID OF $1,999.99 BY THE TOLEDO TICKET COMPANY, TO A HIGH BID OF $8,792 BY THE INTERNATIONAL TICKET COMPANY.

YOU REPORT THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE LOW BID WAS POSSIBLY IN ERROR SINCE IT WAS MUCH LOWER THAN ANY OTHER BIDS RECEIVED; ALSO, THAT WHEN THE QUANTITY INVOLVED WAS MULTIPLIED BY THE ADDITIONAL THOUSAND RATE IT RESULTED IN A TOTAL OF $4,620.07. YOU REPORT FURTHER THAT ON MAY 18, 1956, A TELEGRAM WAS FORWARDED TO THE TOLEDO TICKET COMPANY REQUESTING IT TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO CONFIRM ITS BID PRICE ON THIS JOB. ON THE SAME DAY THE BIDDER REPLIED BY TELEGRAM TO THE EFFECT THAT A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR HAD BEEN MADE IN THE BID IN THAT THE BID SHOULD HAVE BEEN $4,999.99.

THEREAFTER BY LETTER OF MAY 21, 1956, THE BIDDER REASSERTED ITS CONTENTION THAT ITS BID SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE SUM OF $4,999.99. IT STATED THAT THE RATE FOR EACH ADDITIONAL THOUSAND OF BOOKS PURCHASED WAS $13.20 FROM WHICH IT COULD EASILY BE DETERMINED THERE WAS A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ADDITIONAL THOUSAND PURCHASED, ACCORDING TO THE WAY THE BID WAS SET UP, WOULD BE OVER TWICE AS MUCH PER THOUSAND AS THE ORIGINAL QUANTITY, WHEREAS IT SHOULD BE A LESSER FIGURE IN VIEW OF THE COMPOSITION, MADE/READY CHARGES, ETC. WITH YOUR LETTER THERE WAS TRANSMITTED THE BIDDER'S "ANTICIPATED COST SHEET" SHOWING THE ITEMS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE WORK AND THE TOTAL COST OF $4,999.99. YOU REPORT THAT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER IS OF THE VIEW THAT THE BID SUBMITTED BY THE TOLEDO TICKET COMPANY WAS ERRONEOUS AND THAT THE BIDDER HAS FURNISHED SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SHOW HOW THE ERROR OCCURRED.

ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD THERE APPEARS TO BE NO DOUBT THAT A BONA FIDE ERROR WAS MADE BY THE COMPANY IN ITS BID, AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE IT IS BELIEVED THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED BY THE COMPANY, THE BID OF THE TOLEDO TICKET COMPANY SHOULD BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING AN AWARD IN THIS CASE.

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BIDDER'S LETTER OF MAY 21, 1956, THE PAPERS TRANSMITTED BY YOU ARE RETURNED HEREWITH.

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