B-134082, NOV. 25, 1957
Highlights
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF OCTOBER 11. YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE OPENED ON SEPTEMBER 27. E. HEINSOHN PRINTING MACHINERY AND SUPPLIES WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR. IT HAS BEEN INFORMALLY ASCERTAINED FROM THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT HE HAD IN HIS POSSESSION THE SUPPLIER'S PRICE LIST OF THE TYPE OF TROUGH PROPOSED TO BE FURNISHED AND THE PRICE WAS $306. WHEREAS DELIVERY IN THIS CASE WAS F.O.B. THE BIDDER WAS REQUESTED BY TELETYPE TO REVIEW AND CONFIRM ITS BID. ADVISED THE DIRECTOR OF PURCHASES THAT ITS BID FOR FURNISHING ONE OFFSET PLATE TROUGH SHOULD HAVE BEEN $358 DUE TO A RECENT INCREASE IN MANUFACTURER'S PRICE LIST. THUS INDICATING THAT THE BID PRICE OF $306 WAS BASED ON THE OLD PRICE PLUS TRANSPORTATION COSTS.
B-134082, NOV. 25, 1957
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF OCTOBER 11, 1957, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN CONCERNING AN ERROR IN A BID QUOTATION DATED SEPTEMBER 25, 1957, SUBMITTED BY A. E. HEINSOHN PRINTING MACHINERY AND SUPPLIES, DENVER, COLORADO.
UNDER DATE OF SEPTEMBER 9, 1957, THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE REQUESTED BIDS FOR FURNISHING ONE STAINLESS STEEL OFFSET PLATE TROUGH AS SPECIFIED IN PURCHASE REQUISITION NO. 648, DELIVERED TO ITS FIELD SERVICE OFFICE, DENVER, COLORADO. IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION, A. E. HEINSOHN PRINTING MACHINERY AND SUPPLIES, UNDER DATE OF SEPTEMBER 25, 1957, SUBMITTED A BID OF $306. THE EIGHT OTHER BIDS RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THE INVITATION RANGED FROM $333 TO $455. YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE OPENED ON SEPTEMBER 27, 1957, AND EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE BID OF $306 FROM A. E. HEINSOHN PRINTING MACHINERY AND SUPPLIES WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR. IT HAS BEEN INFORMALLY ASCERTAINED FROM THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT HE HAD IN HIS POSSESSION THE SUPPLIER'S PRICE LIST OF THE TYPE OF TROUGH PROPOSED TO BE FURNISHED AND THE PRICE WAS $306, F.O.B. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WHEREAS DELIVERY IN THIS CASE WAS F.O.B. DENVER. ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1957, THE BIDDER WAS REQUESTED BY TELETYPE TO REVIEW AND CONFIRM ITS BID. IN REPLY, A. E. HEINSOHN PRINTING MACHINERY AND SUPPLIES, BY TELEGRAM DATED OCTOBER 1, 1957, ADVISED THE DIRECTOR OF PURCHASES THAT ITS BID FOR FURNISHING ONE OFFSET PLATE TROUGH SHOULD HAVE BEEN $358 DUE TO A RECENT INCREASE IN MANUFACTURER'S PRICE LIST, THUS INDICATING THAT THE BID PRICE OF $306 WAS BASED ON THE OLD PRICE PLUS TRANSPORTATION COSTS.
ALTHOUGH IT HAS NOT BEEN CLEARLY ESTABLISHED WHAT THE BIDDER INTENDED TO BID, THE RECORD LEAVES LITTLE DOUBT THAT ITS BID WAS IN ERROR. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BELIEVED THAT THE BID OF A. E. HEINSOHN PRINTING MACHINERY AND SUPPLIERS WAS ERRONEOUS AND SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID MAY BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING THE AWARD.
THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TWO TELEGRAMS DATED SEPTEMBER 30 AND OCTOBER 1, 1957, PERTAINING TO THE ERROR, ARE RETURNED.