B-132049, JUN. 6, 1957
Highlights
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF MAY 31. RELATIVE TO AN ERROR IN BID ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN MADE BY PILOT PRESS. IT WAS FURTHER NOTED THAT THE QUOTED PRICE OF $75 FOR ADDITIONAL LOTS OF 1. 000 BOOKS WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE UNIT PRICE PER THOUSAND ($30.70). ADVISED THAT THE UNIT PRICE WAS IN ERROR. - THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN $80.70 WHICH WOULD MAKE THE NET AMOUNT $564.90 AS SHOWN IN THEIR BID. THIS ALLEGATION OF ERROR SUBSEQUENTLY WAS CONFIRMED IN A LETTER FROM THE BIDDER DATED MAY 24. THERE APPEARS LITTLE DOUBT THAT A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR WAS MADE BY PILOT PRESS. SINCE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE BID OF PILOT PRESS. WAS ERRONEOUS. SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER PRIOR TO AWARD.
B-132049, JUN. 6, 1957
TO THE HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF MAY 31, 1957, RELATIVE TO AN ERROR IN BID ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN MADE BY PILOT PRESS, INC., IN THE SUBMISSION OF ITS BID FOR FURNISHING 7,001 BOOKS TO THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. YOU REQUEST A DECISION WHETHER THE SUBJECT BID MAY BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING AWARD FOR THIS WORK.
IT APPEARS THAT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER NOTED THE PROBABILITY OF AN ERROR IN THE BID OF PILOT PRESS, INC., SINCE THE UNIT PRICE OF $30.70 PER THOUSAND WHEN EXTENDED BY THE AMOUNT REQUESTED AMOUNTS TO $214.93 INSTEAD OF $564.90 AS SHOWN ON ITS BID. IT WAS FURTHER NOTED THAT THE QUOTED PRICE OF $75 FOR ADDITIONAL LOTS OF 1,000 BOOKS WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE UNIT PRICE PER THOUSAND ($30.70). THE OTHER BIDS RANGE FROM A NET AMOUNT OF $275.10 TO $469.
IN RESPONSE TO A TELEPHONE INQUIRY MADE BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER, A REPRESENTATIVE OF PILOT PRESS, INC., ADVISED THAT THE UNIT PRICE WAS IN ERROR--- THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN $80.70 WHICH WOULD MAKE THE NET AMOUNT $564.90 AS SHOWN IN THEIR BID. THIS ALLEGATION OF ERROR SUBSEQUENTLY WAS CONFIRMED IN A LETTER FROM THE BIDDER DATED MAY 24, 1957.
ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD, THERE APPEARS LITTLE DOUBT THAT A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR WAS MADE BY PILOT PRESS, INC. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE BID OF PILOT PRESS, INC., WAS ERRONEOUS, AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF PILOT PRESS, INC., SHOULD BE DISREGARDED.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BIDDER'S LETTER OF MAY 24, 1957, THE PAPERS SUBMITTED WITH YOUR LETTER ARE RETURNED.