B-127184, MAR. 8, 1956
Highlights
PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER DATED MARCH 2. THE BIDS WERE OPENED ON FEBRUARY 23. FOUR OTHER BIDS WERE RECEIVED WHICH RANGED IN PRICE FROM $195.50 TO $372. WAS POSSIBLY IN ERROR BECAUSE THE BID WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $349.73. THE BIDDER'S WASHINGTON REPRESENTATIVE WAS REQUESTED BY TELEPHONE TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO CONFIRM ITS BID PRICE ON THIS WORK. THE REPRESENTATIVE REPLIED BY TELEPHONE AND REPORTED THAT AN ERROR HAD BEEN MADE IN THE BID AND THAT THE PRICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN $201 INSTEAD OF $101. APPARENTLY EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER GOT MIXED UP AND THOUGH THE PRICE WAS $101 INSTEAD OF $201.
B-127184, MAR. 8, 1956
TO THE HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER DATED MARCH 2, 1956, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO WHETHER A BID DATED FEBRUARY 23, 1956, SUBMITTED TO NUNNS AND HIMMLER, INCORPORATED, CINCINNATI, OHIO, MAY BE DISREGARDED IN VIEW OF THE BIDDER'S ALLEGATION OF ERROR.
ON FEBRUARY 15, 1956, INVITATION TO BID, JACKET NO. 374178, REQUESTED PRICES ON THE PRODUCTION OF 500 COPIES OF A BOOK CONTAINING 112 PAGES WITH SELF COVER, FOR SHIPMENT ON OR BEFORE MARCH 27, 1956. THE BIDS WERE OPENED ON FEBRUARY 23, 1956, AND IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION, NUNNS AND HIMMLER, INCORPORATED, OFFERED TO FURNISH THE 500 COPIES OF THE BOOK AT A PRICE OF $101. FOUR OTHER BIDS WERE RECEIVED WHICH RANGED IN PRICE FROM $195.50 TO $372. WHEN EXAMINING THE BIDS, THE CONTRACTING OFFICER NOTED THAT THE BID FROM NUNNS AND HIMMLER, INCORPORATED, WAS POSSIBLY IN ERROR BECAUSE THE BID WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $349.73. ON FEBRUARY 24, 1956, THE BIDDER'S WASHINGTON REPRESENTATIVE WAS REQUESTED BY TELEPHONE TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO CONFIRM ITS BID PRICE ON THIS WORK. THE REPRESENTATIVE REPLIED BY TELEPHONE AND REPORTED THAT AN ERROR HAD BEEN MADE IN THE BID AND THAT THE PRICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN $201 INSTEAD OF $101.
IN A LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 27, 1956, THE BIDDER'S REPRESENTATIVE STATES THAT, WHEN THE SECRETARY IN THEIR PLANT IN CINCINNATI PHONED THE PRICE INTO HIS SECRETARY IN WASHINGTON, APPARENTLY EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER GOT MIXED UP AND THOUGH THE PRICE WAS $101 INSTEAD OF $201. WITH THIS LETTER, THE BIDDER SUBMITTED ITS WORKSHEET WHICH SHOWS THAT THE CORRECT PRICE FOR THE JOB SHOULD BE $01. THUS, ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT A BONA FIDE ERROR WAS MADE IN THE BID AS ALLEGED.
ACCORDINGLY, SINCE THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BELIEVED THAT THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS, AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR, TOGETHER WITH THE REASONS THEREFOR, WAS EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF NUNNS AND HIMMLER, INCORPORATED, SHOULD BE DISREGARDED.
THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BIDDER'S LETTER OF FEBRUARY 27, 1956, AND ITS WORKSHEET, ARE RETURNED AS REQUESTED.