Melbourne IT to buy Netregistry Group

[Cooper Mills DomainLawyer]

Melbourne IT is buying Netregistry Group for $50.4 million http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/539305/melbourne_it_acquire_netregistry_group_50_4m/

 

[snoopy]

Would have expected competition issues with this.

 

[Joel]

Congrats to Larry and the team! It's great for them, considering 2013 earnings were only $6m.

The downside for me is now I have to move everything away from them as I'm not a MelbourneIT fan at all

 

[ttfan]

Considering the poor reputation that MelbourneIT have when I comes to customer service (see numerous Whirlpool threads!), I'd be pretty worried if I was a Netregistry customer!

 

[VentraIP]

Congrats to Larry and the team! It's great for them, considering 2013 earnings were only $6m.

The downside for me is now I have to move everything away from them as I'm not a MelbourneIT fan at all

Only $6M? Remember, that's not revenue, that's EBITDA.

Revenue I would expect to see at around $70-80M.

Congrats to Larry and the team though!

 

[snoopy]

Only $6M? Remember, that's not revenue, that's EBITDA.

Revenue I would expect to see at around $70-80M.

Congrats to Larry and the team though!

Joel said it was earnings.

 

[nt81]

F@&king Damn it!!!

For all of those people who JUST had domains with Telstra moved them from MelbourneIT to Netregistry, I hope that they all get to keep the pricing that Telstra promised when Melbourne IT decide to re-instate their ridiculous 2002 domain pricing for Netregistry.

I have no time for MelbourneIT. Good luck to them.

Looks like i'm going to Dreamscape...

 

[helloworld]

lols sucked in...

 

[Sim]

So who are the best of the rest in the .au registry space?

I've been with NetRegistry for nearly 12 years - haven't seen much in the way of innovation in that time, only lower prices due to competition. Not expecting much of either from now on?

 

[DomainNames]

Melbourne IT is buying Netregistry Group for $50.4 million http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/539305/melbourne_it_acquire_netregistry_group_50_4m/

Melbourne IT have the most expensive prices in the market and their service is no better in many cases far worse from my own experience.

Wouldn't this be bad news for anyone using the of services at Netregistry? ( is netfleet linked up some how to netregistry?.. will this affect netfleet.com.au's pricing or services in any way?) . I will move all my names out of Netregistry as fast as possible. I only used netregistry as this is how netfleet set it up for names bought via netfleet.com.au at the daily domain drops it seems ( which lead to higher renewal costs via netregistry.com.au than other available $19.90 registrar options if people bothered to change registrar for the savings )

Just look at the crazy prices for domain names, change of registrant, renewals via Melbourne IT.

https://www.dntrade.com.au/domain-registrars.php. This is a joke and they come in last place!

Domain registration $140.00
COR ( manual / paper) $339.00

 

[nt81]

This may seem a bit knee-jerk, but I've already transferred 5 domains away from TPP today. They were close to expiration anyway. The rest will go over the next 6 months. I am not going to have anything to do with MelbourneIT.

Nothing good can come of this.

 

[Cooper Mills DomainLawyer]

While Melbourne IT are to expensive for us on the forum, if they have customers prepared to pay them the prices they are asking, good luck to them.

Many businesses think $70 per year is insignificant so there is no point putting in the time and energy to move a domain particularly where they have 1 or 2 domain names.

I meet many lawyers who act for corporates who insist on using them, they are not interested in the other .au registrars (and they know many other Registrars are cheaper). I can understand that these people see Melbourne IT as a safe bet because they are listed on the ASX. That is the mentality / loyalty of many of their customers.

 

[plano]

This may seem a bit knee-jerk, but I've already transferred 5 domains away from TPP today. They were close to expiration anyway. The rest will go over the next 6 months. I am not going to have anything to do with MelbourneIT.

Nothing good can come of this.

I was quite happy with DistributeIT. Seems we are running out of options now.

 

[Cooper Mills DomainLawyer]

there is still plenty of competition

Just take a look at the forum sponsors, I use all of them Drop.com.au, Netfleet.com.au, Domainshield.com.au and Ventraip.com.au - all good registrars who support our forum.

 

[DomainNames]

While Melbourne IT are to expensive for us on the forum, if they have customers prepared to pay them the prices they are asking, good luck to them.

Many businesses think $70 per year is insignificant so there is no point putting in the time and energy to move a domain particularly where they have 1 or 2 domain names.

I meet many lawyers who act for corporates who insist on using them, they are not interested in the other .au registrars (and they know many other Registrars are cheaper). I can understand that these people see Melbourne IT as a safe bet because they are listed on the ASX. That is the mentality / loyalty of many of their customers.

It would appear some people and lawyers are stupid to pay 700% more or 1400% more using MelbourneIt when the actual product /service / results of a registering, renewing, CORing the customer gets in the end is the same as far less costly providers.

Those lawyers may be doing a great disservice to their clients it seems by overcharging when they could be saving their clients considerable money....sometimes as lawyers often are known for sadly.... but thats another issue. I know you are the exception to that thats why we all like you!

I feel pity for Melbourne IT users. I was one years ago and gave them a lot of money as I too was being hit with the crazy prices until I bothered to move. In my opinion and as the market pricing table shows their customers are being ripped off for .au domain name registrations, renewals and COR by using them.

For clarity Melbourne IT is not $70 for a .com.au or COR etc it is $140! and again COR is $339. Compare that to available competitor market pricing of $19.95 for both .com.au registration, renewal and COR.

 

[snoopy]

For clarity Melbourne IT is not $70 for a .com.au or COR etc it is $140! and again COR is $339. Compare that to available competitor market pricing of $19.95 for both .com.au registration, renewal and COR.

The position they are in it would make no sense to cut prices though. They need other sites/brands for that kind of thing because they can never give lower prices to existing customers.

If I ran MelbourneIT I'd probably do a verisign and put prices gradually up (e.g. $10 a year or something $140-->$160-->$180 etc). They are in absolutely the strongest position they could be in despite gradually losing market share. They have a captive market of customers who are not very price sensitive.

Better to have money than market share.

 

[nina]

This may seem a bit knee-jerk, but I've already transferred 5 domains away from TPP today. They were close to expiration anyway. The rest will go over the next 6 months. I am not going to have anything to do with MelbourneIT.

Nothing good can come of this.

I agree - I'm in the process of reviewing all my domains and the problem we had when they took over planet domain was pretty poor.

*sigh* the illusion of choice is coming around to bite us I think.

 

[nt81]

Better to have money than market share.

And this is what destroys things for the punters

 

[Horshack]

Looking at MelbourneIT's profit result, their growth has slowed and they need this purchase to keep growing and to stifle competition at the same time. Someone has to pay for the purchase so inevitably prices at Netregistry will have to rise as everyone has flagged.

 

[nt81]

Looking at MelbourneIT's profit result, their growth has slowed and they need this purchase to keep growing and to stifle competition at the same time. Someone has to pay for the purchase so inevitably prices at Netregistry will have to rise as everyone has flagged.

This is exactly why i'm packing up my TPP domains right now...

I wonder why their growth has slowed? Maybe because they make people pay for a premium service that can be had for 10% of the price elsewhere.

My prediction : I bet they run Netregistry / TPP into the ground and lose oodles of market share, raise prices because that's all they know how to do, then try to buy out someone else after that.

Dinosaurs will be Dinosaurs.