B-136456, JUL. 1, 1958
Highlights
PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 16. APPEARS FURTHER THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE BID SUBMITTED BY CLARKE PRINTING COMPANY WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE IT WAS SO MUCH LOWER THAN THE NEXT LOW BID OF $555.50 AND YOUR OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $890.57. THE COMPANY REPLIED BY TELEPHONE AND ADVISED THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS. WITH THE LETTER THE COMPANY ENCLOSED ITS ORIGINAL ESTIMATE SHEET WHICH SHOWS THAT THE PRICE TO GATHER AND STITCH THIS JOB HAS BEEN ERRONEOUSLY EXTENDED TO THE TOTAL COLUMN AS $82.50 WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXTENDED AS $247.50 MAKING THE TOTAL PRICE $427 INSTEAD OF $227. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE ERROR WAS NOTED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER UPON EXAMINATION OF THE BIDS AND THE COMPANY HAS CONFIRMED AND EXPLAINED THE ERROR TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICER.
B-136456, JUL. 1, 1958
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 16, 1958, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN CONCERNING AN ERROR THE CLARKE PRINTING COMPANY ALLEGES IT MADE ON ITS BID DATED MAY 21, 1958.
IT APPEARS THAT ON MAY 14, 1958, YOUR OFFICE ADVERTISED FOR PRICES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF 70,000 SETS OF FORMS, EACH SET CONSISTING OF THREE SHEETS, PRINTED FACE ONLY, GATHERED AND STAPLED TOGETHER, TRIM SIZE 14 BY 18 1/2 INCHES. IN RESPONSE CLARKE PRINTING COMPANY SUBMITTED A BID OF $227. EIGHT OTHER BIDS RECEIVED RANGED IN PRICE FROM $555.50 TO $949. APPEARS FURTHER THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE BID SUBMITTED BY CLARKE PRINTING COMPANY WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE IT WAS SO MUCH LOWER THAN THE NEXT LOW BID OF $555.50 AND YOUR OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $890.57.
YOU STATE THAT BY TELEGRAM DATED JUNE 5, 1958, THE CONTRACTING OFFICER REQUESTED THE CLARKE PRINTING COMPANY TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND CONFIRM THE BID PRICE. THE COMPANY REPLIED BY TELEPHONE AND ADVISED THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THAT THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS--- STATING THAT A MISCALCULATION HAD OCCURRED--- IN DEVELOPING THE PRICE AND REQUESTED THAT THE COMPANY BE PERMITTED TO EITHER WITHDRAW THE BID OR CORRECT ITS BID PRICE. IN A LETTER OF THE SAME DATE, THE COMPANY CONFIRMED ITS TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE CONTRACTING OFFICER. WITH THE LETTER THE COMPANY ENCLOSED ITS ORIGINAL ESTIMATE SHEET WHICH SHOWS THAT THE PRICE TO GATHER AND STITCH THIS JOB HAS BEEN ERRONEOUSLY EXTENDED TO THE TOTAL COLUMN AS $82.50 WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXTENDED AS $247.50 MAKING THE TOTAL PRICE $427 INSTEAD OF $227.
ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD, THERE APPEARS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE COMPANY MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE ERROR WAS NOTED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER UPON EXAMINATION OF THE BIDS AND THE COMPANY HAS CONFIRMED AND EXPLAINED THE ERROR TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICER, THE BID OF THE CLARKE PRINTING COMPANY MAY BE DISREGARDED.
THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE COMPANY'S LETTER OF JUNE 5,1958, ARE RETURNED AS REQUESTED.