B-125975, NOV. 17, 1955
Highlights
PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF NOVEMBER 4. SIX OTHER BIDS WERE RECEIVED WHICH RANGED IN PRICE FROM $1. IT IS REPORTED THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE BID FROM THE VIVITONE PRESS WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE THE BID OF $985 WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $1. A TELEGRAM WAS FORWARDED TO VIVITONE PRESS REQUESTING THEM TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO CONFIRM THEIR BID PRICE FOR THE JOB. ADVISED THAT THE PLATE AND MAKE READY CHARGES OF $504 WERE OVERLOOKED IN SUBMITTING THEIR BID AND THAT THEIR NEW BID PRICE WAS $1. THE BIDDER SUBMITTED WITH THIS LETTER THE ESTIMATE SHEET WHICH SHOWS HOW THE ERROR WAS MADE.
B-125975, NOV. 17, 1955
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF NOVEMBER 4, 1955, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN REGARDING AN ERROR THE VIVITONE PRESS, 254 CANAL STREET, NEW YORK 13, NEW YORK, ALLEGES IT MADE IN ITS BID OPENED ON OCTOBER 26, 1955.
IN RESPONSE TO INVITATION TO BID, JACKET NO. 363319, THE COMPANY OFFERED TO FURNISH 4,600 COPIES OF A BOOK CONTAINING 316 PAGES AND COVER AT A COST OF $985. SIX OTHER BIDS WERE RECEIVED WHICH RANGED IN PRICE FROM $1,505 TO $2,355. IT IS REPORTED THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE BID FROM THE VIVITONE PRESS WAS PROBABLY IN ERROR BECAUSE THE BID OF $985 WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $1,650.52, AND WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED. ON OCTOBER 28, 1955, A TELEGRAM WAS FORWARDED TO VIVITONE PRESS REQUESTING THEM TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO CONFIRM THEIR BID PRICE FOR THE JOB. THE COMPANY REPLIED BY TELEGRAM DATED OCTOBER 28, 1955, AND ADVISED THAT THE PLATE AND MAKE READY CHARGES OF $504 WERE OVERLOOKED IN SUBMITTING THEIR BID AND THAT THEIR NEW BID PRICE WAS $1,489.
IN A LETTER DATED OCTOBER 28, 1955, THE BIDDER REQUESTED THAT THEIR BID BE ADJUSTED TO THE NEW FIGURE OF $1,489, OR THAT THEIR BID BE WITHDRAWN IF THE NEW PRICE COULD NOT BE ALLOWED. THE BIDDER SUBMITTED WITH THIS LETTER THE ESTIMATE SHEET WHICH SHOWS HOW THE ERROR WAS MADE. IT IS EXPLAINED ON THE ESTIMATE SHEET THAT THE CHARGES FOR PLATES AND MAKE READIES WERE NOT EXTENDED AND SHOULD BE 21 PLATES AT $18, OR $378, AND 21 MAKE READIES AT $6, OR $126, MAKING A TOTAL OF $504 ADDITIONAL TO THE BID. THE ESTIMATE SHEET SHOWS THAT IN ARRIVING AT THE ORIGINAL BID PRICE OF $985, THE BIDDER USED THE COST OF ONLY ONE PLATE AND ONE MAKE READY RATHER THAN 21 PLATES AND 21 MAKE READIES.
IT IS REPORTED THAT THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HAS STATED THAT IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THIS JOB IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO MAKE 22 PLATES AND 22 MAKE READIES AND THAT IT WOULD APPEAR THE BIDDER HAS MADE ANOTHER ERROR IN CORRECTING HIS QUOTATION ON THIS WORK IN THAT ONLY 21 PLATES AND 21 MAKE READIES ARE SHOWN ON THE ESTIMATE SHEET.
ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE VIVITONE PRESS MADE AN ERROR IN COMPUTING ITS BID PRICE. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE THE ERROR WAS ALLEGED PROMPTLY AND EXPLAINED SATISFACTORILY PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF THE COMPANY MAY BE DISREGARDED.
THE PAPERS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BIDDER'S LETTER OF OCTOBER 28, 1955, ARE RETURNED AS REQUESTED.