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B-136871, JUL. 29, 1958

B-136871 Jul 29, 1958
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GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JULY 21. SEVEN OTHER BIDS WERE RECEIVED WITH NET PRICES RANGING FROM $860 TO $1. YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED THE CONTRACTING OFFICER NOTED THAT THE BID OF $646 FROM THEO. WAS POSSIBLY IN ERROR BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE NEXT LOW BID RECEIVED AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $766. WAS REQUESTED TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS ON THIS JOB AND CONFIRM ITS BID PRICE. ADVISED THAT A GROSS MISTAKE HAD BEEN MADE IN ITS BID DUE TO THE MISPLACEMENT OF A DECIMAL POINT IN THE BINDING COST ENTRY RESULTING IN THE SUBMISSION OF THE PRICE QUOTATION OF $646 WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN $1. THE BINDING ENTRY IN THE COLUMN HEADED "6451 COPIES" IS SHOWN AS "47.00" AND THE CORRECTED AMOUNT NOTED AS "470.00.

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B-136871, JUL. 29, 1958

TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JULY 21, 1958, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO WHETHER THE BID DATED JULY 7, 1958, FROM THEO. GAUS' SONS, INC., BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, MAY BE DISREGARDED BECAUSE OF AN ALLEGED ERROR IN THE BID.

ON JUNE 26, 1958, THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ADVERTISED FOR PRICES, UNDER JACKET NO. 429106, FOR THE PRODUCTION OF 6,451 COPIES OF A BOOK CONSISTING OF 176 PAGES AND A SEPARATE COVER; THE BOOK TO BE BOUND WITH TWO WIRE STITCHES AND TRIMMED TO 5 7/8 BY 9 1/8 INCHES; SHIPMENT TO BE MADE ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 15, 1958. IN RESPONSE THERETO, THEO. GAUS' SONS, INC., SUBMITTED A TELEGRAPHIC BID, QUOTING "6451 BOOKS EXACTLY ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATION SHEET $646. ADDITIONAL ONE HUNDREDTHS AT SAME TIME $11.90.' SEVEN OTHER BIDS WERE RECEIVED WITH NET PRICES RANGING FROM $860 TO $1,150 FOR THE 6,451 BOOKS.

YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED THE CONTRACTING OFFICER NOTED THAT THE BID OF $646 FROM THEO. GAUS' SONS, INC., WAS POSSIBLY IN ERROR BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE NEXT LOW BID RECEIVED AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $766. THE QUOTED RATE OF $11.90 PER 100 ADDITIONAL COPIES, WHICH SHOULD BE LOWER THAN THE PRO RATA RATE ON THE TOTAL QUANTITY OF 6,451 COPIES, AMOUNTED TO A HIGHER FIGURE WHEN COMPUTED ON THE BASIS OF $646 QUOTED FOR THE 6,451 COPIES. BY TELEGRAM ON JULY 15 THEO. GAUS' SONS, INC., WAS REQUESTED TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS ON THIS JOB AND CONFIRM ITS BID PRICE.

THE BIDDER REPLIED BY LETTER DATED JULY 15, AND ADVISED THAT A GROSS MISTAKE HAD BEEN MADE IN ITS BID DUE TO THE MISPLACEMENT OF A DECIMAL POINT IN THE BINDING COST ENTRY RESULTING IN THE SUBMISSION OF THE PRICE QUOTATION OF $646 WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN $1,069. IN SUPPORT OF ITS ALLEGATION OF ERROR, THE BIDDER SUBMITTED ITS ORIGINAL WORK SHEET ON WHICH THERE APPEARS IN THE COLUMN HEADED "ADD. 100S SAME TIME" AND ENTRY OF "7.20" FOR BINDING COST IN ARRIVING AT THE $11.90 QUOTATION FOR 100 ADDITIONAL COPIES; THE BINDING ENTRY IN THE COLUMN HEADED "6451 COPIES" IS SHOWN AS "47.00" AND THE CORRECTED AMOUNT NOTED AS "470.00; AND SUCH CORRECTION WOULD RESULT IN A TOTAL BID PRICE OF $1,069 INSTEAD OF $646 QUOTED IN THE BID FOR 6,451 COPIES.

THE RECORD LEAVES NO DOUBT THAT THE CORPORATION MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID, AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BELIEVED THAT THE BID OF THEO. GAUS' SONS, INC., WAS ERRONEOUS AND SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER PRIOR TO AWARD, ITS BID MAY BE DISREGARDED.

THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CORRESPONDENCE FROM THEO. GAUS' SONS, INC., PERTAINING TO THE ERROR IN ITS BID, ARE RETURNED.

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