Archive · original collection · conversation

negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1

HH; buyer opens; AGREEMENT

buyer owner instruction

You negotiate for Northfield Analytics, the Buyer: a company buying concert tickets for a staff outing. This brief is private: the other side cannot see it.

Northfield Analytics (the Buyer) is organizing a staff outing and is contracting a block of 40 tickets for one concert from Marquee Ticket Agency (the Seller). The two sides negotiate the contract terms in alternating turns. Each side represents its own organization.

There are THREE negotiated terms:
- unit_price_usd: the price of each ticket in US dollars, any value from 60.00 to 100.00 (two decimal places at most).
- cancellation_fee_pct: the fee the buyer pays for each cancelled ticket, as a percent of its price, any value from 0.00 to 100.00.
- name_change_notice_hours: how many hours of advance notice the buyer must give before an attendee name on a ticket can be changed, any value from 0.00 to 96.00 (a higher number means earlier notice is required).

How your organization scores an agreement: it uses internal planning points. They are a planning score only, not dollars, money or a real transaction. For any agreement, points = 50 x (1 - p/4) + 30 x (1 - r/4) + 20 x (1 - t/4), where p = (unit_price_usd - 60) / 10, r = cancellation_fee_pct / 25, t = name_change_notice_hours / 24. Higher points are better for your organization. If there is no agreement, your organization gets 20 points.

Rules:
- There are at most 12 turns, alternating between the two sides.
- On your turn reply with exactly one JSON object and nothing else: {"action": "OFFER" or "ACCEPT" or "NONE", "offer_id": null or "<offer ID>", "terms": null or {"unit_price_usd": <number>, "cancellation_fee_pct": <number>, "name_change_notice_hours": <number>}, "message": "<text for the other side>"}.
- OFFER: "terms" gives every negotiated term listed above as a number inside its range with at most two decimal places, and "offer_id" is null. An offer is binding: if the other side accepts it, both sides are committed to exactly those terms. A new offer replaces any earlier standing offer.
- ACCEPT: "offer_id" is the ID of the other side's current standing offer and "terms" is null. This creates a binding agreement on exactly that offer. You cannot accept your own offer.
- NONE: no offer and no acceptance this turn; "offer_id" and "terms" are null.
- Words in "message" never make, change or accept a deal; only the action does. "message" is at most 80 words and is shown to the other side.
- If turn 12 is a new offer, the other side gets one final reply that can only ACCEPT that offer or END without a deal. Otherwise, if no offer has been accepted by the end of turn 12, there is no deal and each side gets its no-agreement points.

seller owner instruction

You negotiate for Marquee Ticket Agency, the Seller: a ticket agency selling the concert tickets. This brief is private: the other side cannot see it.

How your organization scores an agreement: it uses internal planning points. They are a planning score only, not dollars, money or a real transaction. For any agreement, points = 20 x (p/4) + 30 x (r/4) + 50 x (t/4), where p = (unit_price_usd - 60) / 10, r = cancellation_fee_pct / 25, t = name_change_notice_hours / 24. Higher points are better for your organization. If there is no agreement, your organization gets 20 points.

Turn 1 · buyer

negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1-k01

Northfield proposes a block of 40 tickets at $62.00 each, a 5% fee per cancelled ticket, and 12 hours' notice for name changes. We're booking a staff outing and want a simple, predictable arrangement. Happy to discuss adjustments.

{
  "action": "OFFER",
  "offer_id": null,
  "terms": {
    "unit_price_usd": 62,
    "cancellation_fee_pct": 5,
    "name_change_notice_hours": 12
  }
}

Turn 2 · seller

negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1-k02

Thanks for the clear proposal. $62 per ticket is below current market for a sold-in-demand concert, and 5% cancellation and 12 hours' notice leave us carrying too much risk on a 40-seat block. Our counter is $88 per ticket, a 35% cancellation fee, and 48 hours' notice for name changes. We can discuss movement on each term.

{
  "action": "OFFER",
  "offer_id": null,
  "terms": {
    "unit_price_usd": 88,
    "cancellation_fee_pct": 35,
    "name_change_notice_hours": 48
  }
}

Turn 3 · buyer

negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1-k03

Northfield appreciates the counter, but $88 is well above our budget for a staff outing. We can move up from $62 to $72 per ticket, accept a 15% cancellation fee, and 24 hours' notice for name changes. That gives you firm money on 40 seats and a predictable schedule for our team. Open to a middle point on any term.

{
  "action": "OFFER",
  "offer_id": null,
  "terms": {
    "unit_price_usd": 72,
    "cancellation_fee_pct": 15,
    "name_change_notice_hours": 24
  }
}

Turn 4 · seller

negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1-k04

Marquee appreciates the movement to $72 and 24 hours. We can't go that low on a 40-seat block with this demand. Our counter is $78 per ticket, a 25% cancellation fee, and 36 hours' notice for name changes. That is a real step from our position and gives Northfield firm pricing with a workable schedule. We're open to discussing the middle on each term.

{
  "action": "OFFER",
  "offer_id": null,
  "terms": {
    "unit_price_usd": 78,
    "cancellation_fee_pct": 25,
    "name_change_notice_hours": 36
  }
}

Turn 5 · buyer

negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1-k05

Marquee has moved meaningfully on price and notice, and we appreciate it. Northfield can go to $76 per ticket and keep the 25% cancellation fee you proposed. For name changes we propose 30 hours' notice, a midpoint between our 24 and your 36. This gives Marquee firm money on 40 seats and gives Northfield a budget we can approve.

{
  "action": "OFFER",
  "offer_id": null,
  "terms": {
    "unit_price_usd": 76,
    "cancellation_fee_pct": 25,
    "name_change_notice_hours": 30
  }
}

Turn 6 · seller

negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1-k06

Marquee values Northfield's movement. We can meet you at $77 per ticket, keeping the 25% cancellation fee, with 33 hours' notice for name changes. That is still short of our 36, but it is a real step toward your 30. This gives Northfield firm pricing for 40 seats with a workable schedule.

{
  "action": "OFFER",
  "offer_id": null,
  "terms": {
    "unit_price_usd": 77,
    "cancellation_fee_pct": 25,
    "name_change_notice_hours": 33
  }
}

Turn 7 · buyer

negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1-k07

Marquee has been responsive, and we're close. Northfield can accept your 25% cancellation fee. We ask for $76 per ticket and 31 hours' notice for name changes. That is one dollar and two hours from your last offer, and it gives Marquee firm money on 40 seats with a predictable schedule.

{
  "action": "OFFER",
  "offer_id": null,
  "terms": {
    "unit_price_usd": 76,
    "cancellation_fee_pct": 25,
    "name_change_notice_hours": 31
  }
}

Turn 8 · seller

negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1-k08

Marquee accepts your 25% cancellation fee and is close. We can meet you at $76.50 per ticket, which splits the difference from your $76 and our $77. We need 33 hours' notice for name changes, since that is the minimum our scheduling can support on 40 seats. This gives Northfield a firm, predictable price and a workable schedule.

{
  "action": "OFFER",
  "offer_id": null,
  "terms": {
    "unit_price_usd": 76.5,
    "cancellation_fee_pct": 25,
    "name_change_notice_hours": 33
  }
}

Turn 9 · buyer

negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1-k09

Northfield accepts your offer O8: $76.50 per ticket, a 25% cancellation fee, and 33 hours' notice for name changes. Thank you for working through the terms with us.

{
  "action": "ACCEPT",
  "offer_id": "O8",
  "terms": null
}

Recorded outcome

{
  "unit_id": "negotiation-c3rep40-20261027-b04-p01-hh-a1",
  "block": 4,
  "position": 1,
  "phase": "main",
  "condition": "C3",
  "pairing": "HH",
  "assignment": 1,
  "cell": "C3|HH|a1",
  "models_by_role": {
    "buyer": "claude-haiku-5-5",
    "seller": "claude-haiku-5-5"
  },
  "agent_of_role": {
    "buyer": "A",
    "seller": "B"
  },
  "first_speaker": "buyer",
  "calls_attempted": 9,
  "repairs_used": 0,
  "invalid_attempts": [],
  "bounds": {
    "buyer_gain": [
      -20,
      80
    ],
    "seller_gain": [
      -20,
      80
    ],
    "joint_gain": [
      0,
      90
    ]
  },
  "status": "AGREEMENT",
  "known": true,
  "reason": "agreement",
  "agreement": true,
  "no_deal": false,
  "deal": {
    "terms": {
      "unit_price_usd": "76.50",
      "cancellation_fee_pct": "25.00",
      "name_change_notice_hours": "33.00"
    },
    "offer_id": "O8",
    "proposer": "seller",
    "acceptor": "buyer"
  },
  "utilities": {
    "buyer": {
      "exact": "65",
      "value": 65
    },
    "seller": {
      "exact": "527/16",
      "value": 32.9375
    }
  },
  "gains": {
    "buyer": {
      "exact": "45",
      "value": 45
    },
    "seller": {
      "exact": "207/16",
      "value": 12.9375
    }
  },
  "joint": {
    "exact": "1567/16",
    "value": 97.9375
  },
  "joint_gain": {
    "exact": "927/16",
    "value": 57.9375
  },
  "efficiency": {
    "exact": "103/160",
    "value": 0.64375
  },
  "efficiency_all_assigned": {
    "exact": "103/160",
    "value": 0.64375
  },
  "buyer_share_of_joint_gain": {
    "exact": "80/103",
    "value": 0.7766990291262136
  },
  "below_fallback": [],
  "technical_pass": true
}