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New lower .au wholesale pricing is happening

DomainNames

Top Contributor
Afilias has called for lower .au wholesale pricing.

https://domainnamewire.com/2017/12/...transition-3-million-au-domain-names-afilias/
"LaPlante suggested that the price it will charge is less than the current contract with Neustar.
“We expect that the price of a .au domain will be a little bit less than what has been charged in the past,” LaPlante said. “It will be up to the board, but we recommended to take it down a bit.”

What is the new .au wholesale pricing:
  • auDA price
  • auDA Foundation price
  • Icaan price
  • Afilias price
Total .au wholesale price

What additional price drops have been negotiated and under what circumstances and time frames?

https://www.auda.org.au/news/auda-extends-ausregistrys-au-registry-term-to-2014/
Posted by Jo Lim on 26 February 2009
"new pricing that sees a drop in the AusRegistry wholesale price to $14 (for a 2 year licence) for com.au and net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase"

http://www.smh.com.au/small-busines...n-name-owners-ripped-off-20170807-gxqpzs.html

The Sydney Morning Herald – 9 Aug 17

Millions of Australian domain name owners 'ripped off'
Australian domain name owners say they are being overcharged by the organisation governing domain names.
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
Is it true Afilias has offered an up to 50% reduction on their wholesale .au pricing to auDA?

Will auDA pass on this to Supply Registrars - Resellers .au who could potentially make more from the price pie and or pass on some to .au Domain Name registrant Consumers.

Questions.


1. Why did auDA not pass on the lower wholesale pricing 10 years ago as stated they would as .au domain registration numbers increased?

2. Why does the "NOT FOR PROFIT" auDA have over $20 million now in the bank and questions also about how much their related auDA Foundation is profiting?

3. Why is the current CEO Cameron Boardman and auDA Board refusing to pass on the previous wholesale price decreases and will they reduce the wholesale price by as much as 50% on 1st of July as Afilias themselves have suggested and offered as part of their new contract?

4. How can hundreds of other extensions be sold as low as 99 cents retail and those organisations still be secure and successful which is now proven as possible?

5. How can extensions such as .SG, .UK etc be given away FREE successfully which has occurred numerous times to stimulate growth?

6. Are auDA and the auDA Board aware of the serious implications for any organisation or person relating to these:
If I was a director and I knew the wholesale pricing could be made lower as much as the 50% available I would want it on the auDA public minutes I was FOR this to happen 1st July 2018.


The facts are a much lower wholesale price has been offered to auDA by the new Wholesale Registry subcontractor Afilias. Will auDA's CEO and the auDA Board pass it on to Registrars, Resellers and ultimately think of the consumers or will auDA keep it for themselves?

https://www.auda.org.au/about-auda/our-org/constitution/
3.2 Activities
Without reducing the effect of clause 4, auDA will see to achieve its principal purposes as set out in clause 3.1 through:
a. ensuring the continued operational stability of the domain name system in Australia;
b. establishing mechanisms to ensure it is responsive and accountable to the supply and demand sides of the Australian Internet Community;
c. the promotion of competition in the provision of domain name services;
d. the promotion of fair trading;
e. the promotion of consumer protection;
f. adopting open and transparent procedures which are inclusive of all parties having an interest in use of the domain name system in Australia;
g. ensuring its operations produce timely outputs which are relevant to the needs of the Australian Internet Community.

(Amended by Special Resolution, 14 August 2006)​
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
The Afilias price they won at was not 50% lower but 60% lower that it currently is.... could this be true??

When will auDA pass it on to Registrars ... Resellers..... au domain name consumers? 1st July 2018?
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
https://www.auda.org.au/about-auda/...15/8-october-2015-auda-board-meeting-minutes/

"AusRegistry

  • G Pongas gave a summary of the Registrar Executive day held on Monday 5 October. There were approximately 30 attendees including AusRegistry and auDA staff with the focus being on marketing and growth of the name space. Outcomes included agreement that a Marketing Sub-committee consisting of Registrars/AusRegistry will be formed to promote the namespace and marketing.
  • S Johnson raised a question regarding competition law and the possible perception of a cartel, in relation to the AusRegistry Registrars Executive day and other meetings of registrars. The Board noted that Registrar meetings are common across the industry, price is not discussed and there are no issues with auDA or AusRegistry running these events. "


auDA Board Public Minutes - 9 August, 2004

"The board also considered correspondence from Theo Hranakis, Melbourne IT and
an accompanying statement signed by 7 other registrars
, in relation to auDA's
media release of 17 June 2004 entitled "auDA reduces its fee for .au domain
names". Registrars expressed concerns about the statement
"If consumers find that
their registrar has not passed on auDA's cost saving, they may wish to shop
around to find another registrar who will".


Was any .au pricing discussed at the recent auDA and Supply event which Demand are not able to attend?

https://www.auda.org.au/about-auda/our-org/constitution/

3.2 Activities
Without reducing the effect of clause 4, auDA will see to achieve its principal purposes as set out in clause 3.1 through:
a. ensuring the continued operational stability of the domain name system in Australia;
b. establishing mechanisms to ensure it is responsive and accountable to the supply and demand sides of the Australian Internet Community;
c. the promotion of competition in the provision of domain name services;
d. the promotion of fair trading;
e. the promotion of consumer protection;
f. adopting open and transparent procedures which are inclusive of all parties having an interest in use of the domain name system in Australia;
g. ensuring its operations produce timely outputs which are relevant to the needs of the Australian Internet Community.

(Amended by Special Resolution, 14 August 2006)
 
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DomainNames

Top Contributor
When will the new .au wholesale price be disclosed?

People know the Afilias pricing!... probably better if auDA comes clean asap before the media does!

_____________________________

No auDA and "Trustee for the auDA Foundation" "Not for Profits" ......we do not agree with you keeping your high fees. Lower your fees!

No auDA we do not want you to waste more money advertising the proposed competing .au and further huring the existing .au namespace with confusion! Forget it and pass on the lower pricing PLUS some of your $21 million in the bank NOW!
 
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snoopy

Top Contributor
Sounds like a still figuring out how to pass on the least amount possible to Australian businesses without causing a PR nightmare.
 

DomainShield

Top Contributor
I don't really want to disturb your conversation with yourself here but it is a curious thing to almost be a member of a cartel, it sounds very dramatic.

Ausregistry used to start group meetings with a specific and clear instruction in relation to this, so in hindsight this makes more sense. Registrars already did not discuss pricing so it always felt a bit obvious to have it stated. auDA have to at some point disclose the price that we are going to be charged so I cannot see how them telling us the new price could be deemed unfair.

With regards to the timeline for the price implementation, 1 July 2018 is the scheduled date for the new price (which is not finalised or announced yet) to be passed on to Registrars (it is coupled with the migration to Afilias so if that date changed then so would the price roll out).
Reseller and Registrars would get the new price when and if Registrars chose to pass it on to them. Traditionally retail registrars do not pass on decreases like this to registrants as the domain sales is a loss leader already. Resellers would generally need to ask for better pricing before getting it.

I have been told by auDA that the current plan is for the switch between Registry Operators to happen in Melbourne/Sydney time and not UTC so keep in mind the 11 hour difference if you are planning to hold off on renewals to take advantage of different pricing.

Just thinking out loud here, but this might be a bit of a risk for us as we traditionally pass on these savings to domainers. If the saving is as significant as you are suggesting. People might delay renewals and then expect to process thousands of renewals on the very first day of the new system being in operation. --- going to have to do a more detailed risk assessment on how to handle this.
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
"but this might be a bit of a risk for us as we traditionally pass on these savings to domainers. If the saving is as significant as you are suggesting. People might delay renewals and then expect to process thousands of renewals on the very first day of the new system being in operation. --- going to have to do a more detailed risk assessment on how to handle this."

I would hope that auDA, The Trustee for The auDA Foundation, Registrars pass on the lower costs to all .au consumers.

auDA actually has had an obligation to lower .au pricing based on things such as increasing .au registration numbers. That they subcontracted the Registry .wholesale role is their issue how they handled that.

It would seem with information that has come to hand they have been breaching that obligation which is direct conflict with their Commonwealth letter of authorisation .. and guess what... that might be the last nail in the coffin for them when the DoCA reads it all!

'Transparent and accountable'... I don't think so it would see with what people have found.

Big mistake not to have passed in on years ago as domain name registration numbers went up and I would guess if consumers do not see a substantial drop in pricing come 1st July 2018 a few million people will be looking backwards for compensation if it needs to go that far to get done.

The evidence is overwhelming but it will not be posted here to help any defense prepare.
 
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snoopy

Top Contributor
Wishful thinking by domainshield. Of course the price decrease will be passed on, many of these guys have margins of not much more than $1 so if nobody passes on price decreases I’m curious as to how we got from $45 to $22 over the space of 15 or so years.

If AUDA passed on the full decrease fivedollardomains.com.au would be starting on 1st July.
 
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DomainNames

Top Contributor
"Senator Alston also noted that, while no time frame had been initially specified for which auDA was to administer .au, it was:

implied in the [31 December 2000] letter of endorsement that the timeframe will be dependent upon auDA's adherence to the conditions set out in the letter and operating within the provisions of its company Constitution. This is confirmed in a recent letter I received from Mr Disspain, CEO, auDA concerning auDA's commitment to clause 9 of the [ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee] Principles."

" The Government's ongoing endorsement is subject to auDA continuing to meet [stated criteria including inclusiveness of, and accountability to, the Australian Internet community] as well as operating within the provisions of its company constitution and recognizing that the management and administration of the au ccTLD is subject to the ultimate authority of the Commonwealth of Australia. Should the situation arise whereby auDA was no longer administering the .au ccTLD for the benefit of the Australian community, the Government would take the appropriate action to remedy this situation, and has the legislative authority to do so. "
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
" 6.2 Termination by ICANN. This Agreement may be terminated by ICANN in any of the following circumstances:
6.2.4
After ICANN is notified by the Governmental Authority that the Sponsoring Organization has contravened the terms of the Governmental Communication, or the term of the Governmental Authority's designation of the Sponsoring Organization as manager of the Delegated ccTLD has expired, ICANN gives notice of its intent to terminate to the Sponsoring Organization.
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
"The CEO and other staff are fully accountable to the Board, who are in turn accountable to the Australian Internet community."

" .au Domain Administration Limited (auDA) is an incorporated membership based non- profit organisation with representation from supply and demand sectors of the Australian Internet community. The organisation was established in April 1999 as a result of the efforts of a NOIE sponsored working group, with a view to managing the .au country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD)."

" Because of the diverse arrangements, auDA has determined that funding pre- competition will be via a fixed licence fee model. This licence fee will be determined by a number of factors including: • the number of domains that are registered; • whether the registrar charges a fee for registration services; • if the domain is "commercial'' or "community of interest'';
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
Someone at auDA wanted me to post this new thread.

At least we have 1 person within auDA who is concerned auDA is not doing the right thing who is concerned the auDA Constitution and other obligations should met by auDA at all times..not just when they feel like it or are forced to.

"When will the new .au wholesale price be disclosed?

People know the Afilias pricing!"
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
Some nasty rumours ( and paperwork? :) ) auDA may be planning to keep the massive lower wholesale price decrease Afilias won the contract with and not get it properly passed onto Registrars/ Resellers and then Consumers.

Did auDA Management and Board learning nothing from this?

Is it true the "not for profits" auDA.org.au and their www.audafoundation.org.au now have over $24 Million in the bank?

It looks like they are continuing to give the F U finger to their Registrars / Resllers, au domain name registrant Consumers and will never change.

It is a rip off.
 
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