B-135551, MAR. 31, 1958
Highlights
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF MARCH 19. YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE BID OF $0.203 PER ROLL FROM THIS BIDDER WAS OBVIOUSLY IN ERROR BECAUSE HE HAD PURCHASED 3. ALSO HE NOTICED THAT THE BID WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED. A LETTER WAS SENT TO THIS BIDDER REQUESTING A REVIEW AND CONFIRMATION OF THE PRICE QUOTED FOR THE 3. THE BIDDER STATED THAT IT QUOTED A PRICE PER INCH RATHER THAN A PRICE PER ROLL AND THAT ITS QUOTATION SHOULD HAVE READ $0.609 PER ROLL BUT THAT IT FORGOT TO COMPLETE ITS CALCULATION. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE ERROR IN BID WAS NOTED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER SHORTLY AFTER THE BIDS WERE OPENED AND BECAUSE THE BIDDER HAS CONFIRMED AND EXPLAINED THE ERROR TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THE BID OF THE ARLINGTON SALES AGENCY.
B-135551, MAR. 31, 1958
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF MARCH 19, 1958, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN CONCERNING AN ERROR THE ARLINGTON SALES AGENCY, INC., ALLEGES IT MADE IN ITS BID DATED MARCH 5, 1958.
THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE UNDER INQUIRY NO. 46550 REQUESTED BIDS FOR FURNISHING 3,000 ROLLS (PLUS OR MINUS 10 PERCENT) OF KRAFT PAPER TAPE, GUMMED INSIDE, WITH GOOD GRADE OF GLUE, IN ROLLS 3 INCHES WIDE BY 375 FEET LONG, WITH OR WITHOUT CORES. IN RESPONSE THERETO THE ARLINGTON SALES AGENCY, INC., SUBMITTED A BID OF $0.203 PER ROLL, DATED MARCH 5, 1958. TEN OTHER BIDS RECEIVED RANGED IN PRICE FROM $0.578 TO $0.64 PER ROLL, RESPECTIVELY.
YOU STATE THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER HE NOTED THAT THE BID OF $0.203 PER ROLL FROM THIS BIDDER WAS OBVIOUSLY IN ERROR BECAUSE HE HAD PURCHASED 3,000 ROLLS FROM THIS BIDDER IN SEPTEMBER 1957 AT A COST OF $0.57 PER ROLL; ALSO HE NOTICED THAT THE BID WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED.
YOU FURTHER STATE THAT ON MARCH 10, 1958, A LETTER WAS SENT TO THIS BIDDER REQUESTING A REVIEW AND CONFIRMATION OF THE PRICE QUOTED FOR THE 3,000 ROLLS OF KRAFT PAPER TAPE COVERED BY INQUIRY NO. 46550. BY LETTER OF MARCH 12, 1958, THE BIDDER STATED THAT IT QUOTED A PRICE PER INCH RATHER THAN A PRICE PER ROLL AND THAT ITS QUOTATION SHOULD HAVE READ $0.609 PER ROLL BUT THAT IT FORGOT TO COMPLETE ITS CALCULATION.
ON THE BASIS OF THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE OF RECORD, THERE APPEARS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THAT THE BIDDER MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE ERROR IN BID WAS NOTED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER SHORTLY AFTER THE BIDS WERE OPENED AND BECAUSE THE BIDDER HAS CONFIRMED AND EXPLAINED THE ERROR TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICER THE BID OF THE ARLINGTON SALES AGENCY, INC., MAY BE DISREGARDED.
THE PAPERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LETTER FROM THE BIDDER DATED MARCH 12, 1958, ARE RETURNED AS REQUESTED.