Millions of Australian domain name owners 'ripped off'

[Scott7]

auDA are in the mainstream news under the same heading as this thread.
The links below contain the article in full.
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Age

 

[DomainNames]

Maybe they should have included this or the current auDA Bank balance?

https://www.crn.com.au/news/118m-payday-for-melbourne-domain-name-firm-407350

http://www.afr.com/technology/there...nologies-sold-for-1185-million-20150731-k9zvg

https://www.ausregistry.com.au/product-innovation-will-produce-the-next-3-million-au-domains/

https://www.dntrade.com.au/content/domain-registrars/

As Some resellers have stated THEY will pass on the wholesale price reduction if auDA and Ausregistry do it..so who is keeping the wholesale price high and who exactly has made the money from it?

Or How about the resellers get the chance at least to make some benefit from a wholesale price reduction and still remain globally competitive with other extensions?

The issue is this.. It was a wholesale contract renewal term which appears to have never been met by Ausregistry or auDA. Why?

When AusRegistry's contract was renewed in 2008 AusRegistry's media statement documented "new pricing that sees a drop in AusRegistry's wholesale price to $14 (for a two-year licence) for .com.au and .net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase."

________

auDA CEO "The wholesale price paid for domain names is internationally competitive, however, we are currently in the middle of a tender to test the market."

 

[snoopy]

Sean you are the man! This is exactly the kind of publicity needed!

 

[snoopy]

Congrats to Jim Stewart for speaking out also!

I hope all this issues AUDA currently faces helps to spread the word about the disgraceful .au proposal which is a double tax and a cash grab by AUDA.

 

[DomainNames]

auDA and numerous Board members in both Supply and Demand had been requested to act on the wholesale .au pricing for many years and avoided it. Over the recent weeks it was again highlighted to the CEO and some board members for a response and information... again no email was forthcoming .. No information but a set up phone call which did not occur...

Let's get the focus back on;

1. What is auDA & the auDA Board doing to benefit the 3 million existing paying .au domain name registrants?

2. Lower and more competitive wholesale pricing for BOTH supply Registrars / Resellers and Demand - Why has the 2008 contract terms not been met? $$$

3. auDA's role is also to promote the existing .au extensions and they have really lacked efforts in this for some time as they instead where pushed into focus on other matters including and the potential cash grab for more $$ themselves via another competing .au extension.

4. I see no comment by auDA or Ausregistry about this contract term not being met but deflection by both... Why $$$.

5. auDA wanted their own snout in the wholesale registry trough $$ and they also wanted the wholesale price to probably remain high for their own benefits... SHAMEFUL.

When AusRegistry's contract was renewed in 2008 AusRegistry's media statement documented "new pricing that sees a drop in AusRegistry's wholesale price to $14 (for a two-year licence) for .com.au and .net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase."​

Be assured although many are focused on other issues and who is running things these issues are 4 of the biggest issues others also to need to get working on and the media will be doing a lot more now and in the future to ask questions;

1. Wholesale .au pricing has not been reduced as per 2008 contract term requirements. When can this happen? Why the delays?
2. The proposed .au extension
3. Wholesale Registry contract terms now and in the future. Foreign ownership, Board Membership, Pricing, Security, Personal financial gains..
4. Conflicts of Interest at auDA, contractors and auDA Board?

The CEO mentioned the wholesale .au price reduction will be part if the future registry transformation project.. why the delay of 10 years when it was due from 2008 as part of that contract renewal?

 

[Lemon]

Adrian Kinderis, chief executive of AusRegistry, claims an increase in volume in domain names brings with it an increase in costs for service, marketing and security

No comment

 

[Andrew Wright]

Adrian Kinderis, chief executive of AusRegistry, claims an increase in volume in domain names brings with it an increase in costs for service, marketing and security

Adrina, surely (such a pretty name).

 

[DomainNames]

Adrina, surely (such a pretty name).

https://www.crn.com.au/news/118m-payday-for-melbourne-domain-name-firm-407350

http://www.afr.com/technology/there...nologies-sold-for-1185-million-20150731-k9zvg

+ the many years of other profits and financial benefits.... Seriously??
"Driving around with Trucks loads of cash" might have been more accurate?

 

[snoopy]

Adrina, surely (such a pretty name).

Must have been slipped a little truth serum.

 

[robert]

As reported by Fairfax earlier this week, auDA members, led by former auDA board member Josh Rowe, objected to the removal of board minutes from the organisation's website, the introduction of a code of conduct that sought to allow the board to judge how members were publicly representing the organisation and a push by auDA to in-house its previously outsourced registry, which some said was the organisation trying to be both a regulator and wholesaler of domain names...
​

Hmmm - not sure Josh Rowe was our "leader" but he, and many others have done well to help get us to this point... where auDA must be taking domainers extremely seriously for the first time in.... ever?!

 

[Bacon Farmer]

I loved the argument about why prices haven't come down and why a higher cost price is better.

Better for whom?

Who has "...wads of cash in their pockets..."?

Why direct registrations? To protect those wads of cash?

 

[DomainNames]

??
https://www.accc.gov.au/business/anti-competitive-behaviour/misuse-of-market-power
https://www.accc.gov.au/business/anti-competitive-behaviour/anti-competitive-agreements
https://www.accc.gov.au/business/anti-competitive-behaviour/cartels
https://www.accc.gov.au/business/anti-competitive-behaviour/imposing-minimum-resale-prices
____

" When AusRegistry's contract was renewed in 2008 AusRegistry's media statement documented "new pricing that sees a drop in AusRegistry's wholesale price to $14 (for a two-year licence) for .com.au and .net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase."

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

 

[snoopy]

why a higher cost price is better.

Better for whom?

That is classic Kinderis.

 

[DomainNames]

IF there was in fact a contract term which had a drop in wholesale .au price obligation which has not been passed it MAY open the door to a Class Action for this to be refunded plus interest.

I have written to auDA to request more information.

There may be some document floating around with a minimum $3 AUD or more obligation..

Has auDA and the auDA Board dropped the ball on this or what is the real story and facts?

• 3.1 million+ .au registrants affected
  
• Period 2008 - Now
• $3 per year decrease or what was the contract term obligation for wholesale .au price decrease as .au registration numbers increased?
• Both Supply Registrars, Resellers Demand and .au Consumers "may" be eligible for some form of compensation.
• Who will pay the compensation?
• Why is Ausregistry's Adrian Kinderis making public media comments about keeping wholesale pricing high in opposition to their own announcement and auDA's announcement in 2009?

 

[snoopy]

IF there was in fact a contract term which had a drop in wholesale .au price obligation which has not been passed it MAY open the door to a Class Action for this to be refunded plus interest.

I have written to auDA to request more information.

There may be some document floating around with a minimum $3 AUD or more obligation..

Has auDA and the auDA Board dropped the ball on this or what is the real story and facts?

Agree, something feels "not quite right" about it all. AUDA needs to explain exactly what has gone on and why it looks like the wholesale price has not been decreased.

I'm curious also why AUDA has built in 3 seperate fees of their own into the cost of a domain. Why are registrants are having to contribute money to the AUDA Foundation?

 

[DomainNames]

auDA Foundation is another major issue.... But for now auDA etc could be facing a rather large rebate back to the millions of .au registrants who have been affected since 2008 from the non passing on of the contracted lower wholesale .au price.

Besides the payback of $$ this could turn rather serious for some. People are now digging and I expect more will get into it.