B-124244, JUN. 13, 1955
Highlights
PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 6. BIDS WERE REQUESTED FOR FURNISHING 3. IT IS REPORTED THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED. HAD MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID SINCE THE PRICE QUOTED WAS OUT OF LINE WITH OTHER BIDS RECEIVED AND WITH THE PRICE USUALLY PAID BY YOUR OFFICE FOR SUCH PAPER. THE BIDDER ADVISED THAT THE ERROR WAS CAUSED BY A MISINTERPRETATION OF THE TWX WIRE FROM ITS SUPPLIER. THE BIDDER STATED THAT THE PRICE QUOTED BY ITS SUPPLIER WAS MISTAKENLY UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE TOTAL PRICE FOR THE 3. WHEREAS THE PRICE QUOTED BY ITS SUPPLIER WAS PER THOUSAND SHEETS. PAGE ON CUT SHEETS OF 195M PAPER WHICH SHOWS A LIST PRICE OF $50.25 PER HUNDRED SHEETS OR ?5025 PER SHEET FOR SIZE 28 BY 44 INCHES WHICH IS THE NEAREST AVAILABLE TO THAT REQUIRED UNDER THE INVITATION.
B-124244, JUN. 13, 1955
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 6, 1955, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE ACTION TO BE TAKEN RELATIVE TO AN ERROR WHICH GEORGE F. MUTH COMPANY, INC., ALLEGES IT MADE IN THE BID SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO INVITATION FOR BIDS DATED MAY 6, 1955.
BY THE INVITATION, BIDS WERE REQUESTED FOR FURNISHING 3,385 SHEETS OF WHITE TRACING PAPER, K. AND E. ALBANSE NO. 195M. OR EQUAL, SIZE 24 BY 43 1/2 INCHES, WEIGHT 41-50 POUNDS. IN RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION, GEORGE F. MUTH COMPANY, INC., QUOTED A PRICE OF ?069 PER SHEET OR A TOTAL OF $233.57. A TABULATION OF THE BIDS SHOWS THAT THE FIVE OTHER BIDS RANGED FROM $426.85 TO $865.85.
IT IS REPORTED THAT WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED, THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BELIEVED THAT GEORGE F. MUTH COMPANY, INC., HAD MADE AN ERROR IN ITS BID SINCE THE PRICE QUOTED WAS OUT OF LINE WITH OTHER BIDS RECEIVED AND WITH THE PRICE USUALLY PAID BY YOUR OFFICE FOR SUCH PAPER. IN RESPONSE TO TELEPHONIC REQUEST FOR VERIFICATION OF ITS BID, BY LETTER OF MAY 17, 1955, GEORGE F. MUTH COMPANY, INC., ALLEGED ERROR IN ITS BID. IN A LETTER OF MAY 23, 1955, THE BIDDER ADVISED THAT THE ERROR WAS CAUSED BY A MISINTERPRETATION OF THE TWX WIRE FROM ITS SUPPLIER. THE BIDDER STATED THAT THE PRICE QUOTED BY ITS SUPPLIER WAS MISTAKENLY UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE TOTAL PRICE FOR THE 3,385 SHEETS REQUIRED BY THE INVITATION, WHEREAS THE PRICE QUOTED BY ITS SUPPLIER WAS PER THOUSAND SHEETS. THE COMPANY HAS FURNISHED A COPY OF THE K. AND E. PAGE ON CUT SHEETS OF 195M PAPER WHICH SHOWS A LIST PRICE OF $50.25 PER HUNDRED SHEETS OR ?5025 PER SHEET FOR SIZE 28 BY 44 INCHES WHICH IS THE NEAREST AVAILABLE TO THAT REQUIRED UNDER THE INVITATION. ASSERTING THAT ITS BID PRICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ?235 PER SHEET, THE COMPANY REQUESTED THAT ITS BID BE WITHDRAWN.
ACCORDINGLY, SINCE THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BELIEVED THAT THE COMPANY'S BID WAS ERRONEOUS, AND SINCE SUCH BELIEF HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR SATISFACTORILY EXPLAINED PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF GEORGE F. MUTH COMPANY, INC., SHOULD BE DISREGARDED.