B-135166, FEB. 25, 1958
Highlights
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: REFERENCE IS MADE TO A LETTER OF FEBRUARY 6. IN VIEW OF AN ERROR ALLEGED BY THE COMPANY TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE BID. EIGHT OTHER BIDS WERE RECEIVED FOR THE DECALCOMANIAS AT TOTAL PRICES OF $507.74. UPON NOTICING THAT THE BID OF $260 OF THE RUEBY PROCESS COMPANY WAS USUALLY LOW ON A COMPARISON BASIS THE CONTRACTING OFFICER. THAT: "OUR QUOTATION WAS BASED ON THE ENCLOSED PRICE LIST WHICH SHOWS THE PRICE OF $130.00 PER THOUSAND IN THE THREE THOUSAND LOT. BECAUSE OF A CLERICAL ERROR HERE THE QUOTATION WAS SUBMITTED AS $130.00 FOR THE ENTIRE LOT. WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS AN ERROR.'. IT IS NOTED THAT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER IN EXAMINING THE BIDS IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE PROBABILITY OF AN ERROR IN THE BID OF THE RUEBY PROCESS COMPANY SINCE IT WAS OUT OF LINE NOT ONLY WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED.
B-135166, FEB. 25, 1958
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO A LETTER OF FEBRUARY 6, 1958, WITH ENCLOSURES, FROM THE ACTING PUBLIC PRINTER, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO WHETHER THERE MAY BE DISREGARDED A BID SUBMITTED BY THE RUEBY PROCESS COMPANY IN RESPONSE TO AN INVITATION DATED JANUARY 16, 1958--- GPO JACKET NOS. 452438 AND 452540- -- IN VIEW OF AN ERROR ALLEGED BY THE COMPANY TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE BID.
IN ITS BID, THE RUEBY PROCESS COMPANY OFFERED TO FURNISH TO THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 3,601 DECALCOMANIAS, AS SPECIFIED UNDER GPO JACKET NO. 452438 FOR $130 FOR THE LOT, AND TO FURNISH THE 3,601 DECALCOMANIAS UNDER JACKET NO. 452540 FOR $130 FOR THE LOT, OR FOR A TOTAL PRICE OF $260 FOR THE COMPLETE JOB. ALSO, THE COMPANY OFFERED TO FURNISH EACH ADDITIONAL 100 DECALCOMANIAS UNDER EACH JACKET NUMBER AT $8.50 PER C. EIGHT OTHER BIDS WERE RECEIVED FOR THE DECALCOMANIAS AT TOTAL PRICES OF $507.74, $540.15, $554.00, $648.00, $738.21, $864.00, $1,213.54, AND $1,944.54. UPON NOTICING THAT THE BID OF $260 OF THE RUEBY PROCESS COMPANY WAS USUALLY LOW ON A COMPARISON BASIS THE CONTRACTING OFFICER, BY TELEGRAM DATED JANUARY 30, 1958, REQUESTED THE COMPANY TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND AND CONFIRM ITS BID PRICE. BY TELEGRAM DATED JANUARY 31, 1958, AND CONFIRMING LETTER OF THE SAME DATE, THE RUEBY PROCESS COMPANY ADVISED THAT ITS BID SHOULD BE CORRECTED TO READ $130 PER M ON EACH OF JACKET NOS. 452438 AND 452540. THE COMPANY EXPLAINED IN ITS LETTER OF JANUARY 31, 1958, THAT:
"OUR QUOTATION WAS BASED ON THE ENCLOSED PRICE LIST WHICH SHOWS THE PRICE OF $130.00 PER THOUSAND IN THE THREE THOUSAND LOT. BECAUSE OF A CLERICAL ERROR HERE THE QUOTATION WAS SUBMITTED AS $130.00 FOR THE ENTIRE LOT, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS AN ERROR.'
IT IS NOTED THAT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER IN EXAMINING THE BIDS IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE PROBABILITY OF AN ERROR IN THE BID OF THE RUEBY PROCESS COMPANY SINCE IT WAS OUT OF LINE NOT ONLY WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED, BUT WITH THE ESTIMATE OF $443.92 OF THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE FOR THE WORK. ALSO, IT IS NOTED THAT THE BID OF THE COMPANY OF $8.50 PER C FOR EACH ADDITIONAL 100 DECALCOMANIAS WAS NOT PROPERLY APPORTIONED WITH ITS TOTAL BASIC BID, IN THAT THE BID, AS QUOTED IN THIS RESPECT, RESULTS IN A HIGHER UNIT PRICE FOR EACH ADDITIONAL 100 DECALCOMANIAS REQUIRED THAN FOR THE ORIGINAL BASIC QUANTITIES. MOREOVER, THE RUEBY PROCESS COMPANY IMMEDIATELY CONFIRMED THE CONTRACTING OFFICER'S SUSPICION REGARDING THE PROBABILITY OF ERROR BY ADVISING THAT AN ERROR HAD BEEN MADE IN ITS BID AND FURNISHED A PRICE LIST IN SUPPORT OF ITS EXPLANATION AS TO HOW IT OCCURRED.
ACCORDINGLY, THE BID OF THE RUEBY PROCESS COMPANY MAY BE DISREGARDED. THE EVENT AN AWARD IS MADE TO ANOTHER BIDDER UNDER THE SUBJECT INVITATION A REFERENCE TO THIS DECISION SHOULD BE MADE ON THE CONTRACT OR ON THE VOUCHERS COVERING PAYMENT IN THE MATTER.
THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LETTER OF THE RUEBY PROCESS COMPANY DATED JANUARY 31, 1958, AND THE PRICE LIST, ARE RETURNED HEREWITH.