B-128891, AUG. 16, 1956
Highlights
PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 8. THAT WHEN THE BID WAS EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER. HE NOTED THAT THE BID WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE THE PRICE APPEARED TO BE UNUSUALLY LOW FOR A JOB OF THIS TYPE AND WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $1. THE COMPANY WAS REQUESTED TO CONFIRM THE SPECIFICATIONS AND ITS BID PRICE ON THIS JOB. ADVISING THAT THE FIGURES USED IN COMPUTING ITS QUOTATION HAD BEEN REVIEWED AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR OF $300 IN THE ADDITION. THE ESTIMATE SHEET ON WHICH THE QUOTATION WAS BASED. WHICH AMOUNT IS APPROXIMATELY $300 MORE THAN THE AMOUNT ORIGINALLY QUOTED. THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BELIEVES THAT THE UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY MADE AN ERROR IN QUOTING ON THIS JOB AND THAT THE PRICE QUOTED IS UNUSUALLY LOW FOR A JOB OF THIS TYPE.
B-128891, AUG. 16, 1956
TO THE HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 8, 1956, WITH ENCLOSURES, RELATING TO AN ALLEGED MISTAKE IN A BID SUBMITTED BY THE UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY, 1531 WASHINGTON AVENUE, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, IN RESPONSE TO AN ADVERTISEMENT BY YOUR AGENCY FOR 200 COPIES OF A BOOK OF 128 PAGES, COVER, AND 8 FOLD-INS FOR SHIPMENT ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 31, 1956. UNDER THE FACTS REPORTED, YOU REQUEST A DECISION AS TO WHETHER THE BID OF THE UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY MAY BE DISREGARDED.
YOU REPORT THAT THE COMPANY QUOTED A PRICE OF $912.06 FOR 200 COPIES OF THE BOOK AND A PRICE OF $191.06 FOR ADDITIONAL HUNDREDS, IF RUN AT THE SAME TIME; THAT WHEN THE BID WAS EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER, HE NOTED THAT THE BID WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE THE PRICE APPEARED TO BE UNUSUALLY LOW FOR A JOB OF THIS TYPE AND WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $1,617.19.
YOU REPORT FURTHER THAT ON AUGUST 1, 1956, THE COMPANY WAS REQUESTED TO CONFIRM THE SPECIFICATIONS AND ITS BID PRICE ON THIS JOB, AND THAT BY LETTER OF THAT DATE THE BIDDER REPLIED, ADVISING THAT THE FIGURES USED IN COMPUTING ITS QUOTATION HAD BEEN REVIEWED AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR OF $300 IN THE ADDITION. THE BIDDER REQUESTED THAT IT BE ALLOWED TO WITHDRAW ITS QUOTATION, THERE BEING SUBMITTED WITH THE LETTER OF AUGUST 1, 1956, THE ESTIMATE SHEET ON WHICH THE QUOTATION WAS BASED. THE ITEMS INCLUDED IN THE ESTIMATE SHEET ADD UP TO A TOTAL OF $1,212.15, WHICH AMOUNT IS APPROXIMATELY $300 MORE THAN THE AMOUNT ORIGINALLY QUOTED. THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BELIEVES THAT THE UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY MADE AN ERROR IN QUOTING ON THIS JOB AND THAT THE PRICE QUOTED IS UNUSUALLY LOW FOR A JOB OF THIS TYPE.
THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED APPEARS TO ESTABLISH THE EXISTENCE OF THE MISTAKE AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, THE ERROR HAVING BEEN ALLEGED AND SATISFACTORILY EXPLAINED PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF THE UNIVERSAL PRINTING COMPANY SHOULD BE DISREGARDED.