news Icann Verisign comment period on .com price increase

[Joe Styler]

I wanted to let everyone know who may not have received the email from GoDaddy yesterday about our stance on the price increase and how you can make your voice heard on the comments. The comment period is still open for another day. The proposed price increase would be 7% for 4 years.

Here is the public comment link: https://www.icann.org/public-comments/com-amendment-3-2020-01-03-en

Here is the email we sent out.

ICANN has proposed changes that could significantly impact you and your business.
Let your voice be heard.

As a large domain portfolio holder, ICANN has proposed changes that could significantly impact you and your business. ICANN has proposed an amendment to the .COM registry agreement between itself and Verisign. The proposal would allow Verisign to increase the price of .COM by up to 7% every year for the next 4 years. Since 2018, we have been actively working to raise awareness around this issue, including when GoDaddy testified before Congress in July 2018. Even now, we’re continuing to have discussions, but ultimately, we are one company. Now is the time for ICANN to hear your voice. Please take a few minutes to let ICANN know how allowing this increase will impact you in the years to come. The public comment period is open until February 14th. To be heard, use ICANN’s form to submit your personalized comments. We value your business and vow to keep advocating on your behalf.

 

[Name Trader]

Does anyone know the approximate time period until we will have some statement from ICANN on the input they received and their final decision?

Bob

ps re open tender, @stub, as I understand it that would need to have been done by the US Commerce Dept. at the initial stage. I could be wrong. I think ICANN role is one of review, but they do not view the awarding of the contract as their responsibility.

The problem with this structure is nobody is responsible. ICANN has been basically negotiating with only half the options on the table (ie: no open tender). Whose decision was that? And when they pass their report onto the US Commerce Dept, ICANN wipe their hands clean, and the US Commerce Dept just accept ICANN's recommendations, as being the experts who negotiated the deal. So in the end. Not the people who negotiated the deal, neither the people signing the contract, both walk away pointing fingers at each other when things go sour, and the US are stuck with a bad deal. Can you imagine the US Commerce Dept ever saying to ICANN. Why didn't you negotiate any Open Tender for this contract? Go back and try again, with an Open Tender or maybe it should be

Who else in the entire world doesn't think Open Tendering ISN'T the fairest way to negotiate "government" contracts. It's almost corrupt to not use Open Tendering. This has been a corrupt process almost from the beginning.

This is what makes it a done deal. IMHO.

 

[Name Trader]

ICANN had all the cards in their hands. They should have stuck to their guns. The next contract should be on the same terms as the old contract. if not. We go to Open Tender. Now that's not too difficult to understand. Is it?

 

[wwwweb]

This is the 1% effect, they got to the right people, to get them to turn their backs, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain influence.

 

[Joe Styler]

@Joe Styler I scratch my head, because i find it hard for you to be able to be so concerned about ICANN and Verisign making a 7% pricing up adjustment to .com when your company charges $17.99 for a .com registration and renewal. i don't want to hear about any Domain Discount discount club that cost $89 a year, because the average consumer pays $17.99 for your .com product. do you care to elaborate on this ?

We are part of a free market. You can go register your .com anywhere you want if you think they offer better value for your money. Personally I do not think you can get a better value than GoDaddy but you have a choice. If Verisign raises prices... well you cannot go anywhere else. That to me is a big difference. We have competition.

 

[oldtimer]

We are part of a free market. You can go register your .com anywhere you want if you think they offer better value for your money. Personally I do not think you can get a better value than GoDaddy but you have a choice. If Verisign raises prices... well you cannot go anywhere else. That to me is a big difference. We have competition.

As long as you reduce the yearly membership fees for the Domain Discount Club to something more reasonable like around $49.00 dollars and as long as you include free domain privacy and Auction membership for those who are DDC members then I believe that more domainers will be happy with GoDaddy.

The important thing is to put customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention above extracting the maximum amount of dollars possible from the domaining community. This also applies to the excessive marketplace fees and commissions.

Telling people to go somewhere else if they don't like it does not fit very well with Godaddy's stated goal of empowering the masses through owning domains and websites.

IMO

 

[.X.]

another incredible

We are part of a free market. You can go register your .com anywhere you want if you think they offer better value for your money. Personally I do not think you can get a better value than GoDaddy but you have a choice. If Verisign raises prices... well you cannot go anywhere else. That to me is a big difference. We have competition.

I used to be a totally loyal customer to Godaddy, I still use your domain aftermarket product, I do not dislike Godaddy, I simply don’t like the fees associated with having domain names there. I don’t want to pay for privacy, I don’t want to have to buy a domain club membership for $89 a year so I can get a lower price than $17.99 a year .com registration , auction wise, I don’t want to pay $4.99 for a reserve listing fee. All that money adds up to a big expense when you own over 400 domain names.

Like I said, I do not dislike Godaddy, I like Godaddy, I just hope one day some of the above fees are up for at least a negotiation.

 

[.X.]

We are part of a free market. You can go register your .com anywhere you want if you think they offer better value for your money. Personally I do not think you can get a better value than GoDaddy but you have a choice. If Verisign raises prices... well you cannot go anywhere else. That to me is a big difference. We have competition.

It is inevitable that ICANN - VeriSign are going to raise the .com price, I think it is more about are they going to negotiate the current terms down some to more accommodate the register and consumer.

 

[equity78]

But nobody likes price increases or happy with fixed prices, the domainer that does not like GoDaddy charging $17.99 is akin to the dentist in KansasCity for example that does not like KCDentist.com for sale at $8,000. The domain investor would say to that dentist you don't like it you can go somewhere else, (register or buy another name).

I had a conversation with a couple people who pondered are people that charge 1,000 to 20,000% above their cost the best messenger to say another company should not raise 7%?

 

[.X.]

But nobody likes price increases or happy with fixed prices, the domainer that does not like GoDaddy charging $17.99 is akin to the dentist in KansasCity for example that does not like KCDentist.com for sale at $8,000. The domain investor would say to that dentist you don't like it you can go somewhere else, (register or buy another name).

I had a conversation with a couple people who pondered are people that charge 1,000 to 20,000% above their cost the best messenger to say another company should not raise 7%?

that is exactly why I don’t have any problem with ICANN moving forward with the 7x7x7 plan they have, how much do i personally value my .com names, more than a 7% rate hike for sure, how much does an average consumer value their .com business name, it’s everything to them, so a 7% increase is highly unlikely to make them feel distressed.

When the price hits peak at a total of 28% increase, I will still feel the same. If it were 50% I would be very concerned, 28% over 4 years time, fair enough, piece of cake

 

[oldtimer]

But nobody likes price increases or happy with fixed prices, the domainer that does not like GoDaddy charging $17.99 is akin to the dentist in KansasCity for example that does not like KCDentist.com for sale at $8,000. The domain investor would say to that dentist you don't like it you can go somewhere else, (register or buy another name).

I had a conversation with a couple people who pondered are people that charge 1,000 to 20,000% above their cost the best messenger to say another company should not raise 7%?

I am not getting this, are you for or against the price increases by Verisign and Godaddy.

Domain sales are sporadic and not guaranteed for All Domainers, but for millions of Captive Customers who have to pay the already unjustified prices that the registry charges the 7% yearly increase amounts to adding an Arbitrary Tax that is imposed on all Registrants by the Registry without providing anything of value beyond the minimum requirements.

IMO

 

[equity78]

that is exactly why I don’t have any problem with ICANN moving forward with the 7x7x7 plan they have, how much do i personally value my .com names, more than a 7% rate hike for sure, how much does an average consumer value their .com business name, it’s everything to them, so a 7% increase is highly unlikely to make them feel distressed.

When the price hits peak at a total of 28% increase, I will still feel the same. If it were 50% I would be very concerned, 28% over 4 years time, fair enough, piece of cake

Fair and balanced take.

 

[oldtimer]

The only thing that could justify the price increases by Verisign and Godaddy is if it was going to cost a lot to upgrade their systems to provide more security and safety for registrants, but with all the new technologies that are available now they should be able to operate a lot more efficiently at a fraction of the cost that might have justified the original prices in the contract many years ago, nevertheless not only that they are not willing to make any major upgrades either at Verisign or GoDaddy, but the registrants are expected to put up with paying additional charges for such things as Privacy when they are free almost everywhere else.

IMO

 

[bmugford]

I had a conversation with a couple people who pondered are people that charge 1,000 to 20,000% above their cost the best messenger to say another company should not raise 7%?

It is a simple answer. One is a monopoly. The other is not.
If people don't understand the difference then they need to take a class in economics.

There is no financial or public interest justification for the price increase.

On top of that Verisign has a temper tantrum against domain investors, a group that they profit off more than anyone with their monopoly. Maybe they were not expecting the push back when they paid off ICANN to the tune of $20M to re-negotiate the contract.

It is not just domainers that are the issue, the comments show that basically no one wants price increases without a clear, valid justification. This is something Verisign has yet to give.

Brad

 

[equity78]

It is a simply answer. One is a monopoly. The other is not.
If people don't understand the difference then they need to take a class in economics.

There is no financial or public interest justification for the price increase.

Brad

Brad you seriously don't think end users who believe they are being gouged care about that do you? Technically every owner has a monopoly on a specific domain name. If I want DataCube.com (which I do, hahaha) you have the monopoly there.

I will give a better example and I was trying to get this blog post written today but have been busy with some stuff and now waiting for dinner to get here.

On Valentine's day I was in a Starbucks talking with another guy who just got into domains recently. We were talking about the increase and another person said how much is the registration going up? I said 7% the guy I was with said, don't you just hate Verisign? The guy replied I don't hate verisign I hate domain hoarders. He then spent the next 10 minutes talking about how 10 years ago he tried to buy a name for the company he started.

Bottom line outside of domainers many don't believe we have the justification for the price.

 

[bmugford]

Brad you seriously don't think end users who believe they are being gouged care about that do you? Technically every owner has a monopoly on a specific domain name. If I want DataCube.com (which I do, hahaha) you have the monopoly there.

Someone can go and buy Data Cube and add a word, or pick an entirely different domain.

There is a huge difference between controlling a specific domain, and controlling all of them.
Also, unlike new extensions Versign does not even own the extension. They have a sweetheart deal that allows them a de facto monopoly.

If you read the comments, the vast majority are comments from non-domainers who are against this.

Brad

 

[equity78]

Someone can go and buy Data Cube and add a word, or pick an entirely different domain.

There is a huge difference between controlling a specific domain, and controlling all of them.
Also, unlike new extensions Versign does not even own the extension. They have a sweetheart deal that allows them a de facto monopoly.

If you read the comments, the vast majority are comments from non-domainers who are against this.

Brad

Yes but last I checked people everywhere complain about every price increase. You also have some domainers saying .com should be $1,000 or $100 or $50. If you are a non domainer and own 1 or 2 domains paying $8.49 or $9.35 is not rocking your world or changing your life in anyway.

Now the issue of why the contract does not go out for tender is something ICANN needs to be pressed on. Verisign has a contract where they have an advantage, they are not going to give that up voluntarily. ICANN has to be forced to make the contract open tender.

 

[Joe Styler]

As long as you reduce the yearly membership fees for the Domain Discount Club to something more reasonable like around $49.00 dollars and as long as you include free domain privacy and Auction membership for those who are DDC members then I believe that more domainers will be happy with GoDaddy.

The important thing is to put customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention above extracting the maximum amount of dollars possible from the domaining community. This also applies to the excessive marketplace fees and commissions.

Telling people to go somewhere else if they don't like it does not fit very well with Godaddy's stated goal of empowering the masses through owning domains and websites.

IMO

I said there is an option to go elsewhere but I would stay at GoDaddy. The question wasn't where you should go but why is there a difference in pricing at the registry vs registrar level. The difference is options. One has them one doesn't. That is my personal opinion which is I believe what was asked.

 

[Joe Styler]

another incredible


I used to be a totally loyal customer to Godaddy, I still use your domain aftermarket product, I do not dislike Godaddy, I simply don’t like the fees associated with having domain names there. I don’t want to pay for privacy, I don’t want to have to buy a domain club membership for $89 a year so I can get a lower price than $17.99 a year .com registration , auction wise, I don’t want to pay $4.99 for a reserve listing fee. All that money adds up to a big expense when you own over 400 domain names.

Like I said, I do not dislike Godaddy, I like Godaddy, I just hope one day some of the above fees are up for at least a negotiation.

Thanks. I appreciate that feedback.

 

[Business Brands]

Joe, are you planning to answer my questions?

Are you going to lead a Class Action Lawsuit Against VeriSign?

Are you diffusing the outrage of this robbery?

 

[Joe Styler]

I will never comment on any type of legal action real, imagined, future, past, perceived, etc. That would be a very bad idea for me as a non-attorney. I certainly would not comment on leading a lawsuit. So I am not planning on responding any further to this thread.

 

[Business Brands]

Too bad Joe.

 

[oldtimer]

I will never comment on any type of legal action real, imagined, future, past, perceived, etc. That would be a very bad idea for me as a non-attorney. I certainly would not comment on leading a lawsuit. So I am not planning on responding any further to this thread.

It's perfectly understandable that you can not make any public comments in regards to any legal actions taken to stop the price increases by the Registry.

We appreciate having you as a liaison between the domaining community and Godaddy and as such we would like for you to relay all the concerns expressed here on the forum about the Registry and Registrar activities and policies to the decision makers at Godaddy (and the domain Industry at large whenever possible).

I just started a new thread trying to encourage the Newbies to become Conscientious and Righteous domainers.

We will all be happy campers if we could also get the Registries, Registrars, and the ICANN itself to also become more Conscientious and Righteous.

https://www.namepros.com/threads/at...conscientious-and-righteous-domainer.1177710/


IMO

 

[wwwweb]

This is the thing in 2020 you have more domain options than ever if you are a new business.

if .com is not your thing, there are hundreds of other extensions, 90% of them are vacant, given new gtld extensions were meant to take pressure off .com, there is no barrier of entry to owning a domain, and if someone wants to throw away $10 to register a garbage domain, so be it, there is no real cost in registering that name In regards to physical factors, simply a digital footprint.

Given there are more choices than ever, technology has brought optimization of operations to the lowest point, why are prices going up, when infinite supply is out there in so many extensions, and more coming.

Essentially a handful of people, are stacking the deck in their favor, in order to affect millions of people with no real reason. Verisign encouraged domainers to register more domains, and provided the tools to do it. They can’t have it both ways.

 

[Yusupbabay]

Verisign tries to discredit ICANN commenting period process

https://domainnamewire.com/2020/02/19/verisign-tries-to-discredit-icann-commenting-period-process/

 

[oldtimer]

Here is a related post that I had made in another thread:

The price increase is not the main problem here, it might even be justified if people had all the information as to whether the price increase was going to be absolutely necessary for keeping the Internet addressing and naming system and the Registrants safe and secure or whether it's going to line the pockets of certain insider people and their friends and create a more lavish lifestyle for the top people at ICANN and Verisign, the real problem is:

Lack of Transparency

Why didn't they put a mechanism in place in the original contract to account for the almost doubling of the number of .com registrations in the last few years.

Why didn't they put a mechanism in place in the original contract to account for the better and more advanced technologies such as AI that can help the registry to operate at a fraction of the cost of what it took to do the same job a few years ago.

Why are previous and even present members of ICANN allowed to advocate and lobby for the Registries instead of the Registrants, and why do so many of them even hold positions or own stocks in various Registries.

Why does ICANN refuse to be open about it's operations to the point that even the Stakeholders and Watchdog groups that have been given the authority to oversee the whole Internet naming and addressing system are denied to have access to the information regarding certain programs and decisions that ICANN even went to court to withhold from them.

Price increases are just the symptoms, the real disease is the lack of transparency that is designed to protect all the ICANN insiders and their friends.

Transparency is what is needed.

IMO

https://www.namepros.com/threads/class-action-lawsuit-against-icann.1177676/#post-7641360