B-128302, JUN. 26, 1956
Highlights
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 18. OF $0.47 EACH FOR ITEM 123 WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS ON THAT ITEM. THE CORPORATION STATED THAT ITS QUOTATION ON ITEM 123 WAS BASED ON THE REQUIRED TEXT WITHOUT THE COLOR PLATES. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE CORPORATION MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID. SINCE IT WAS BELIEVED THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED PRIOR TO AWARD.
B-128302, JUN. 26, 1956
TO HONORABLE H. V. HIGLEY, ADMINISTRATOR, VETERANS ADMINISTRATION:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 18, 1956, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN CONCERNING AN ERROR CHARLES E. LAURIAT COMPANY, INC., BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ALLEGES IT MADE IN ITS BID OPENED ON MAY 18, 1956.
THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, PROCUREMENT DIVISION, WASHINGTON, D.C., BY INVITATION NO. VB-104, REQUESTED BIDS FOR FURNISHING, AMONG OTHER ITEMS, AN ESTIMATED QUANTITY OF 50 COPIES OF A TEXT, LOWENFELD MOSAIC TEST, BY MARGARET LOWENFELD, COMPLETE WITH 144 COLOR PLATES, DURING THE PERIOD BEGINNING JULY 1, 1956, AND ENDING JUNE 30, 1957, ITEM 123. IN RESPONSE CHARLES E. LAURIAT COMPANY, INC., SUBMITTED A BID OFFERING TO FURNISH, AMONG OTHERS, ITEM 123 AT A PRICE OF $0.47 EACH.
THE LIST OF BIDS IN YOUR LETTER SHOWS THAT THE FOUR OTHER BIDDERS ON ITEM 123 SPECIFIED PRICES OF $7.30, $8.75, $8.90, AND $10 EACH. THUS, THE BID OF CHARLES E. LAURIAT COMPANY, INC., OF $0.47 EACH FOR ITEM 123 WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS ON THAT ITEM.
UPON BEING REQUESTED TO VERIFY ITS BID, THE CORPORATION ADVISED BY TELEGRAM DATED JUNE 4, 1956, THAT AN ERROR HAD BEEN MADE IN ITS BID ON ITEM 123 AND REQUESTED THAT ITS BID ON THAT ITEM BE WITHDRAWN. IN A LETTER DATED JUNE 7, 1956, THE CORPORATION STATED THAT ITS QUOTATION ON ITEM 123 WAS BASED ON THE REQUIRED TEXT WITHOUT THE COLOR PLATES.
ON THE RECORD, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE CORPORATION MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID, AS ALLEGED. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE IT WAS BELIEVED THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF CHARLES E. LAURIAT COMPANY, NC., AS TO ITEM 123 SHOULD BE DISREGARDED IN MAKING THE AWARD.