.au pricing & innovation to stay globally competitive

[DomainNames]

I support VentraIP / Synergy for their lower .au domain name pricing and commitment they have made on this forum to lower their prices if auDA and ausRegistry does.

For many years there have been numerous quality, safe, secure registrars/ resellers selling .com.au for under $20 for 2 years. People who pay more for a .com.au / .net.au registration or renewal are wasting their money.

Let's see if the auDA Board decides to drop wholesale prices on Monday at the board meeting or when they will even table this for agenda discussion and member input. It would be great to see the public auDA meeting minutes to see who has stopped this for so long and their reasons why..

auDA and the board MUST start to think it terms of the Australian Domain Name Registrants and even the Registrars/ Resellers who also want lower wholesale .au pricing.

The fact is the 100% foreign owned "Ausregistry / Neustar Inc/ Golden Gate" monopoly wholesale registrar takes out $10 million + profits per year from Australia made off .au registrations and renewals. auDA also is supposed to be a "not for profit" yet anyone who has seen the real auDA financials knows auDA have always been flush with cash and has burn't through tens of millions of dollars on wastage... plus they have now over $12 million in the bank in profits still....

Both auDA and Ausregistry/ Neustar Inc have been overcharging both supply registrars/ resellers and demand for too long.

auDA MUST reduce the wholesale .au price to $2-3 AUD per year when it runs the monopoly wholesale registry and the foreign owned Ausregistry middle man is taken out of the price chain. This can be done while running a safe, secure system and anyone who says it cannot is lying or not qualified to be running the system, contracts and globally competitive pricing models that are needing now there are over 3000 competing domain name extensions against the .au option.

Registrars and resellers can then charge what they like on top of the $3 ..au wholesale price.

Current wholesale price is $7 for registrars This anti competitve pricing monopoly has allowed auDA and Ausregistry making the massive money over the years for no good reason.

Smart registrars/ resellers know the domain name is just the initial cost for a customer. The real benefits of registrars to their customers comes when they offer add ons such as hosting etc.

Here is an example what can be done by a competitive domain name registrar/ reseller and host .. I do not see any Australian .au registrars/ resellers offering such innovation in the market here... why not?

auDA Board : FREE WHOIS .AU PRIVACY OPTION AND POLICY CHANGE IS NEEDED ASAP

auDA needs to update policy to allow free whois .au privacy.

How can they justify the continued security threat open whois risk causes on .au registrants?

Most extensions now allow free whois privacy to help stop spammers and scammers.

.AU has been left behind by auDA and the auDA Board.. Do the auDA Independent Board Directors know even what whois privacy is or why auDA has not updated policy to allow it?

Free .au whois privacy is an example of what the auDA board should be working on and engaging indysyr and registrants about to show progress and benefits.

auDA : Features like these mean many Australians do buy non .au domain name extensions from overseas registrars / resellers, Buy/ sell a .com etc and you can get far more benefits plus a lot less auDA red tape or policy limitations!

https://www.1and1.com/domain-names#your-domain
Included with all 1&1 Domains

• 1 email account with 2 GB mailbox space & unlimited email forwarding
• For each individual domain order you'll receive a free SSL certificate
• Advanced DNS management
• Whois privacy is included to secure your personal information

• 24/7 customer support
• Secure your domain from hijacking risks with domain lock
• Special offers for 1&1 customers

 

[neddy]

Current wholesale price is $7 for registrars This anti competitve pricing monopoly has allowed auDA and Ausregistry making the massive money over the years for no good reason.

You do make some good points occasionally @DomainNames (though in a very long winded way).

But please get your facts right. Having been a registrar, I can tell you that the current wholesale price for registrars is not $7.

 

[Scott.L]

You do make some good points occasionally @DomainNames (though in a very long winded way).

But please get your facts right. Having been a registrar, I can tell you that the current wholesale price for registrars is not $7.

it doesnt add up - I see that data from the auDA website but it doesnt seem correct when compared to the advertised Ariservices renegotiated pricing; there was a significant increase in "creates" from 2014 onward yet, no price drops as indicated in the announcement. perhaps, I'm overlooking something?

auDA extends AusRegistry's au Registry term to 2014
New pricing that sees a drop in AusRegistry's wholesale price to $14 (for a 2 year licence) for .com.au and .net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase.
https://www.ariservices.com/contract_extension.php


.

 

[DomainNames]

You do make some good points occasionally @DomainNames (though in a very long winded way).

But please get your facts right. Having been a registrar, I can tell you that the current wholesale price for registrars is not $7.

Thank you Ned but I am not sure your information is correct? This overpricing is even worse than I wrote then?

Crazy Domains advised me their wholesale buy price is $7 AUD per year ( $14 for 2 year minimum) and another register advised me their wholesale price as the largest in Australia is $6 AUD. Perhaps due to their market power, tight relationship etc they had managed a deal with the wholesale registry directly who would know..

So what we can see your table is auDA and the auDA board have allowed the wholesale price monopoly over pricing to continue.

The worst thing is many tens of millions have gone offshore in profits to a 100% foreign owner as the price gauging has continued with auDA Board sign off and non tendering of wholesale registry contracts.

"auDA extends AusRegistry's au Registry term to 2014
New pricing that sees a drop in AusRegistry's wholesale price to $14 (for a 2 year licence) for .com.au and .net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase."
https://www.ariservices.com/contract_extension.php
auDA extends AusRegistry's au Registry term to 2014
February 26 2009
auDA today announced that it has extended its au Registry Licence Agreement with AusRegistry. AusRegistry will now continue as Registry Operator and wholesale provider for all commercial domain names including .com.au and .net.au and non-commercial domain names, .gov.au and .edu.au until 2014.

The extension of the term is the direct result of the independent Industry Competition Panel that was established by .au Domain Administration (auDA) in May 2008. The panel was appointed by auDA to review auDA's competition model for the Australian Domain Name Industry and provide recommendations to the auDA board on what changes (if any) should be made to the competition model.

Among the many recommendations of the Panel was the following:

"Recommendation 2: The Panel recommends that auDA negotiates with the current registry operator with a view to extending the current registry licence term by up to 4 years. Such an extension should be subject to agreement being reached on (a) a suitable pricing model and (b) the inclusion of all items that auDA would require in a new license."

Chris Disspain, CEO of auDA said, "Based on the recommendations of the independent panel we entered into discussions with AusRegistry to renegotiate the Licence Agreement. I am delighted we have been able to reach agreement. auDA believes that AusRegistry continues to excel in its role as Registry Operator and provides unprecedented support and competitive pricing for the .au namespace."
The major points of the renegotiated Licence Agreement include:

• extended Customer Support Hours for Registrars
  
  • funding towards Marketing and Market Research
  • a $0.25 donation to the auDA Foundation for every .com.au and .net.au domain renewal and new registration
  • the implementation of DNSSEC
  • commitment to yearly independent Security Audits
  • continued improvement and enhancement of the Registry Software
  • new pricing that sees a drop in AusRegistry's wholesale price to $14 (for a 2 year licence) for .com.au and .net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase

AusRegistry CEO, Adrian Kinderis, said, "We are obviously extremely happy to have reached agreement to extend the licence. We are very proud of the role we have preformed as Registry Operator since 2002 and look forward to continuing to show the world .au is at the forefront of Domain Name Registry technology."

About AusRegistry
AusRegistry is located in Melbourne, Australia. It is the current Registry Operator and wholesale provider for all commercial domain names including .com.au and .net.au and non-commercial domain names, .gov.au and .edu.au. AusRegistry was first awarded the tender in 2002 and holds a Registry Licence Agreement with the .au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA)."

About auDA
.au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA) is an Australian not-for-profit company vested with the responsibility of operating the .au domain for the benefit of all stakeholders.

In its role as manager of the .au domain, auDA carries out the following functions:

• 
  
  
  • develop and implement domain name policy
  • license 2LD registry operators
  • accredit and license registrars
  • implement consumer safeguards
  • facilitate .au Dispute Resolution Policy
  • represent .au at ICANN and other international fora

 

[neddy]

it doesnt add up - I see that data from the auDA website but it doesnt seem correct when compared to the advertised Ariservices renegotiated pricing; there was a significant increase in "creates" from 2014 onward yet, no price drops as indicated in the announcement. perhaps, I'm overlooking something?

auDA extends AusRegistry's au Registry term to 2014
New pricing that sees a drop in AusRegistry's wholesale price to $14 (for a 2 year licence) for .com.au and .net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase.
https://www.ariservices.com/contract_extension.php


.

Two things:

• That article you quote is from 2009.
• You need to add GST.

I know what I paid as a Registrar. And that current information is on auDA website. There is the wholesale registry charge; plus the auDA wholesale charge.

 

[DomainNames]

From 2009 when numbers of registrations increased was the wholesale price dropped even lower than $14 as per the extended contract commitment or was the price guaging allowed to continue?
"new pricing that sees a drop in AusRegistry's wholesale price to $14 (for a 2 year licence) for .com.au and .net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase"

 

[Scott7]

it doesnt add up

There may have been no price drops, however, the rest seems to add up providing you add the GST.
AusRegistry fee $14.00 + $1.40 GST = $15.40 + $3.85 (auDA fee, GST inclusive) = $19.25

 

[neddy]

There may have been no price drops, however, the rest seems to add up providing you add the GST.
AusRegistry fee $14.00 + $1.40 GST = $15.40 + $3.85 (auDA fee, GST inclusive) = $19.25

Exactly. You need to add GST and auDA's cut. This adds up to more than "$7".

 

[DomainNames]

Did Ausregistry honour its contract commitment they would drop their wholesale price further as volumes increased? No

This highlights why auDA should have gone to open market RFT/ open tender to keep wholesale pricing more competitive.... instead auDA and the auDA Board have allowed the monopoly profiteering to continue.

"new pricing that sees a drop in AusRegistry's wholesale price to $14 (for a 2 year licence) for .com.au and .net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase"
https://www.ariservices.com/contract_extension.php
https://www.crn.com.au/news/118m-payday-for-melbourne-domain-name-firm-407350
$118m payday for Melbourne domain name firm.....

 

[neddy]

Sean, no one is disagreeing that the wholesale price has the potential to be cheaper.

All I wanted to do was correct your statement that the wholesale cost is currently $7. It is not.

 

[Scott.L]

There may have been no price drops, however, the rest seems to add up providing you add the GST.
AusRegistry fee $14.00 + $1.40 GST = $15.40 + $3.85 (auDA fee, GST inclusive) = $19.25

Oh, I assumed it was built into the 15.40 yeah next colum - wow those prices have never changed?

ITS FINALLY HERE, DID YOU SEE THE BIG NEWS?

 

[Scott7]

ITS FINALLY HERE, DID YOU SEE THE BIG NEWS?

You have an innate ability to give any thread, regardless of topic, a cryptocurrency slant , so I'm assuming you are referring to Bitcoin crossing the 2,000 USD mark

Now that's a lot of .com.au hand regs - even with the current pricing structure

 

[Scott7]

Personally, apart from the two year registration requirement, I see .com.au registrations as comparable to .com

The cheapest price I have found for .com registrations (not including promo codes, first year discounted pricing or yearly fee membership programs) is 8.49 USD per year. At the time of posting, that is 11.39 AUD, which is on a par with the 11.00 AUD per year that Zuver charge for a .com.au registration.

 

[Scott.L]

You have an innate ability to give any thread, regardless of topic, a cryptocurrency slant , so I'm assuming you are referring to Bitcoin crossing the 2,000 USD mark

Now that's a lot of .com.au hand regs - even with the current pricing structure

LOL so TRUE...I'm sorry everyone...



next stop $20,000

 

[Scott7]

LOL so TRUE...I'm sorry everyone...

View attachment 458

next stop $20,000

You are not sorry. Not one bit

 

[neddy]

Personally, apart from the two year registration requirement, I see .com.au registrations as comparable to .com

The cheapest price I have found for .com registrations (not including promo codes, first year discounted pricing or yearly fee membership programs) is 8.49 USD per year. At the time of posting, that is 11.39 AUD, which is on a par with the 11.00 AUD per year that Zuver charge for a .com.au registration.

Exactly.

And have a look across the ditch to our Kiwi friends. What does a 12 month reg cost there for a .nz (extrapolated to 24 months)? Lot more than .au - and it's a crap extension (in my humble opinion).

Registrars need to make a buck to survive. Given auDA is planning on bring the registry in-house, there is the potential for cheaper wholesale prices. But don't hold your breath.

 

[snoopy]

Personally, apart from the two year registration requirement, I see .com.au registrations as comparable to .com

The cheapest price I have found for .com registrations (not including promo codes, first year discounted pricing or yearly fee membership programs) is 8.49 USD per year. At the time of posting, that is 11.39 AUD, which is on a par with the 11.00 AUD per year that Zuver charge for a .com.au registration.

Neither extensions are priced at "market levels" in my view. Suspect .com would fall to $2-3 dollars wholesale with a proper tender (tender has never been done)

Both extensions were similar situation, AUDA & ICANN both frozen and where unable to do a proper tender. Seems AUDA finally had no choice but to act with Ausregistry's proposed new owners being seen by govt as completely inappropriate.

 

[snoopy]

Exactly.

And have a look across the ditch to our Kiwi friends. What does a 12 month reg cost there for a .nz (extrapolated to 24 months)? Lot more than .au - and it's a crap extension (in my humble opinion).

Registrars need to make a buck to survive. Given auDA is planning on bring the registry in-house, there is the potential for cheaper wholesale prices. But don't hold your breath.

AUDA has been stacking cash for years (+wasting lots of money on unrelated activities) and Ausregistry was sold for $120million because of the generosity of the AUDA contract. It is more than making a buck to survive in my view.

 

[neddy]

AUDA has been stacking cash for years (+wasting lots of money on unrelated activities) and Ausregistry was sold for $120million because of the generosity of the AUDA contract. It is more than making a buck to survive in my view.

Agreed Paul.

But my point is that whilst AusRegistry and auDA get fat because they have a captive market, some of the poor old registrars have to fight it out for a few bucks margin.

 

[snoopy]

Agreed Paul.

But my point is that whilst AusRegistry and auDA get fat because they have a captive market, some of the poor old registrars have to fight it out for a few bucks margin.

Agree, they seem to be often not in a great position.