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What price would you pay to join the ICA?

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What price is the right price for you to join the ICA?


  • 63 votes
  • Ended 4 years ago
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equity78

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TheDomains Staff
TLDInvestors.com
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A lot of news today on the ICA (Internet Commerce Association)

Elliot Silver posted something on his blog and then I wrote a post about the ICA and industry companies putting together a discount/benefits package to members.

Membership is not cheap, it's cheaper than it once was for individuals but still pricey for many at $600.

Membership
Platinum Membership $25,000 USD and above
Gold Membership $10,000 – $24,999 USD
Silver Membership $5,000 – $9,999 USD
Bronze Membership $1,000 – $4,999 USD
Individual Membership $600 USD

I commend Nat Cohen and others who lowered the price after some of the conversations had. $600 is still too high, domain investor ranks are growing in many parts of the world and they don’t have $600 to donate to the ICA.

Coming up with a $99 option to grow the ranks makes sense in my opinion.

The other thing I always thought was that there should be benefits like how AARP does it.

Rick Schwartz in a comment on DomainInvesting.com articulated that same sentiment.

I want the ICA to succeed and be flushed with $$$.

Here is the issue and it has always been the issue. But there is a chance to change that.

Today I sent in my $145 for my NPPA membership. That’s the National Press Photographer’s Association that I’ve been a member of for nearly 40 years.

They give me press credentials and negotiate all types of deals and discounts and perks and all types of stuff that makes $145 not a payment but a down payment on benefits that pays dividends.

I’ve had my AAA card for 45 years. That cost me about $150 a year. But I get 10 times that back in benefits.

The ICA needs to have benefits. Lots of benefits and lots of members.

They need to learn how to market and make profit.

It has to be run like a business not like a charity.

You make profit by negotiating deals with suppliers that can only be found through the ICA. That gives people a reason to join. Without that you have no spark plug and that’s what the ICA and the industry needs to be effective and have a strong and wide voice.

I think that’s spot on and when you look at AARP you get a ton of benefits for a membership fee that is affordable to most.

So what price do you think would be reasonable for an individual membership that appealed to investors from all over the world?

Would the discounts and benefits be a determining factor for you to join, things like discounts on domain registrations at registrars, lower commissions at marketplaces, blogs giving you a discount off advertising, tools providers giving discounts like DomainIQ, Efty, DNAcademy etc...
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
more clarity on benefits and I would consider paying.
 
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more clarity on benefits and I would consider paying.

Thanks for the reply, that was my idea with the article, currently there are no benefits/discounts so here is a chance for the ICA to up their game and membership.
 
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I am a member of the ICA.

Any serious domain investor should consider joining. They are one of the only groups looking out for registrant's rights.

At the same time, I realize most people are not in position to pay $600 or more every year.

I think having a lower dollar option, to create more inclusion makes a lot of sense.

Brad
 
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I am a member of the ICA.

Any serious domain investor should consider joining. They are one of the only groups looking out for registrant's rights.

At the same time, I realize most people are not in position to pay $600 or more every year.

I think having a lower dollar option, to create more inclusion makes a lot of sense.

Brad
99% of domainers on here Can't afford membership in ICA.
 
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The vast majority of domainers won't spend any where near 600 bucks for this.
 
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I was looking into it today, after Rick’s post - decided $600 was too much for now.

I’ve been serious about domaining for about two years, and I’m at a point where I invest enough and have enough to lose that I care to follow decisions that affect the industry. But I still mostly just care to follow what happens, as opposed to getting involved, which is something I wouldn’t have much time for.

I wouldn’t think twice about signing up at $99-$149, especially if benefits became part of the deal.
 
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more clarity on benefits and I would consider paying.
You want roadside assistance and 10% off at best westerns?

The domainer community is not broad enough to get those AAA type perks, unless they partner with registries, but most established domainers already have bulk discounting.

Could you imagine NameFind/Godaddy, or TurnCommerce/HugeDomains losing their portfolios with 2 lost disputes in play, which can happen by sneezing the wrong way. It’s a flawed process, but these players have hundreds of millions invested, and they will have to step up.

I would say they setup some kind of $99 apprentice level membership, and send these guys a pin, or a pen, or something since they need something tangible.
 
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The vast majority of domainers won't spend any where near 600 bucks for this.

Agree and have been saying this for over a decade. You need a sub $100 option.
 
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You want roadside assistance and 10% off at best westerns?

The domainer community is not broad enough to get those AAA type perks, unless they partner with registries, but most established domainers already have bulk discounting.

Could you imagine NameFind/Godaddy, or TurnCommerce/HugeDomains losing their portfolios with 2 lost disputes in play, which can happen by sneezing the wrong way. It’s a flawed process, but these players have hundreds of millions invested, and they will have to step up.

I would say they setup some kind of $99 apprentice level membership, and send these guys a pin, or a pen, or something since they need something tangible.

Oh of course not those kinds of discounts, I suggested industry specific, 10% GoDaddy Domain Discount Club, Sedo providing maybe a 2% discount on commissions, discount off DNAcademy, Efty, DomainIQ as examples.
 
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For 600 bucks I better at least get a t shirt. 😀 Let me know how the $227,800 is being spent by the 84 members and maybe I'll join.
 
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I would assume a lot of it has to do with travel, and hotels, along with billable hours at @rate?
 
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I didnt know ica cost is 600..
I m in for it for sure
 
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Is there a list of accomplishments or successful lobbying this group has done?

I couldn't find anything on the subject of accomplishments. Unfortunately, sending letters to ICANN in opposition of their policies is not an accomplishment, but it is a step in the right direction.

I would consider joining, but would really like to know what they have successfully accomplished toward their mission statement. What ICANN policies have they successfully challenged and changed that benefit domain investors?
 
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I was thinking of this question for sometime really after I checked out their prices before a couple of months. I say it is too expensive and it doesnt give chance to many people. I would say $50 per year would be ideal price and they would be able to grow through the ideas which Rick mentioned.
 
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Is there a list of accomplishments or successful lobbying this group has done?

I couldn't find anything on the subject of accomplishments. Unfortunately, sending letters to ICANN in opposition of their policies is not an accomplishment, but it is a step in the right direction.

I would consider joining, but would really like to know what they have successfully accomplished toward their mission statement. What ICANN policies have they successfully challenged and changed that benefit domain investors?

That's a good point and others have asked that as well, what has the ICA done, not protested or chimed along with, please don't tell me well we were against SOPA, yeah we all were against SOPA.

To be honest I don't know what has been done the way you are asking as others have asked me or left a comment somewhere. Here is problem X and the ICA came in and solved problem X.
 
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I was thinking of this question for sometime really after I checked out their prices before a couple of months. I say it is too expensive and it doesnt give chance to many people. I would say $50 per year would be ideal price and they would be able to grow through the ideas which Rick mentioned.

Look Rick doesn't belong, neither does Frank Schilling, Rob Monster, Adam Strong, Mike Mann, Page Howe, Ali Zandi, Costello Brothers and others that most consider the greatest domainers of all time don't actually belong.

Rick actually visited here because I tweeted out this thread and he voted for $99, that says a lot on pricing in my opinion.
 
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Look Rick doesn't belong, neither does Frank Schilling, Rob Monster, Adam Strong, Mike Mann, Page Howe, Ali Zandi, Costello Brothers the people that most consider the greatest domainers of all time don't actually belong.

Rick actually visited here because I tweeted out this thread and he voted for $99, that says a lot on pricing in my opinion.
I think it will end with 49$. I am looking at the big picture here and how this will grow their member list. I see even $29 is getting votes already.
 
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I think it will end with 49$. I am looking at the big picture here and how this will grow their member list. I see even $29 is getting votes already.

Look years ago the $600 wasn't there when I was saying it needed a cheaper option, so I guess they feel they have made some progress but it needs more, then the industry participants who believe it's important should offer the benefits and discounts I mentioned. Either you are taking real action or you are virtue signaling and believing a like or a retweet actually is contributing something, when it's not.
 
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Look years ago the $600 wasn't there when I was saying it needed a cheaper option, so I guess they feel they have made some progress but it needs more, then the industry participants who believe it's important should offer the benefits and discounts I mentioned. Either you are taking real action or you are virtue signaling and believing a like or a retweet actually is contributing something, when it's not.
How many members do they have now?
 
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No wonder, it appears even those who can afford the $600 are not paying for it. Time for them to seriously think of reducing the prices and coming up with other creative ways to make money.
 
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For one thing ICA needs to be more active in NamePros like @Rob Monster has been and engage the forum here a lot more often so that domainers know who and what ICA is and what exactly they are doing to protect domainer's rights and interests. So far ICA has been catering to the Elites in the domain Industry by putting their focus on getting more Silver, Gold, and Platinum memberships where there might be very limited number of people that can afford those rates. They need to engage the masses and make it easier for the average domainer to get involved with them.

Drop the introductory entry level membership rate with limited benefits and privileges to $49.00 and charge $149.00 and $249.00 for subsequent levels with a little more benefits and privileges untill you get to $499.00 level for full benefits and privileges. You can still keep the 5k to 25k membership levels, but only as a symbolic way to show who the people are that are voluntary donating more to support ICA (perhaps give them a special badge for their voluntary donations).

IMO
 
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I'd be up for paying $99/year. I wouldn't want to get actively involved but it's a reasonable figure to support the cause.

Anything above that number I rather donate to charity.
 
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They will never drop the price to a more affordable number because there is no difference in what you get or what they do for you from tier to tier. Those paying $600 now wouldn't see any reason whatsoever to continue to pay $600 when they can pay $99. They already think they did you a favor by dropping the membership to $600. They WILL keep the price high to keep the riff raff out. They need to offer something special for the members. I can send 50 bucks to many organization and they send me something in return. T shirt, hat, sticker, something. I want to feel like I'm part of it. An email saying thanks for the 600 bucks doesn't cut it. You have to MARKET these organizations to get members. It's all about marketing.
 
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