Yet another price increase for the “.org”

Just last year, in 2007, the Public Interest Registry (known as the PIR) hiked the price of “.org” domains by 2,5% to $6,15 but that apparently wasn’t enough since this year, on November 9th, 2008, they increase the price -again- by 10% for a new record price of $6,75.

Furthermore, Alexa A.S. Raad, CEO of the PIR didn’t find it necessary to explain why such an increase was suddenly made necessary. She and her “senior management team” just decided that they would levy more “internet taxes” from the 7-or-so million dot org domain name owners.

Here’s a copy (in .pdf format) of Raad’s letter to the ICANN, announcing the PIR will be unilateraly jacking up the .org prices, in November.

So as far as accountability goes, the PIR isn’t going to win any prizes soon.

Perhaps the “senior management team” desperately vyed for a huge salary increase and simply decided to tax everyone else for their own lifestyle upgrade, who knows? The PIR provided no reason whatsoever for the increase so “the real reason” is up for speculation.

This new “.org” increase which applies to all new registrations, renewals and transfers between accredited registrars isn’t the only price hike the ICANN has blessed as the “.com” will increase 7% to $6,86 and the “.net” will go up 10% to $4,23, in October of 2008.

The most probable cause for all these increases is likely related to sheer greed, lack of credible oversight and a domain name scheme based on a largely unaccountable oligopoly.

In clear, domain name owners are powerless against these new taxes being forcefully levied against them. Such a state of affairs is unacceptable and until the price hikes are properly justified, there should be no upward movement in prices since, by all means, the only they should be going is… down!

Domain name owners shouldn’t be complacent against the tendency of the PIR-type of domain monopolies to jack up the prices whenever they want (probably on a whim) without any need for accountability.

For the readers who wonder who the “senior management” people are, at the PIR, here’s a shortlist:

• Alexa A.S. Raad - CEO (she signed the “price increase letter” to ICANN)
• David Maher - Senior Vice President, Law & Policy
• Pamela Miller - Director of Operations and Compliance
• Lance Wolak - Director of Marketing
• Nayla Foster - Head of Global Sales
• Lawrence C. Martin - Director of Finance & Administration

It would be interesting to see if their salary will increase after the Noverber 9th “.org” price increase since without properly justifying their 10% hike, it’s entirely plausible that they will personally profit from their “support” for it.

If you read through the PIR web site, you’ll find wholehearted tidbits like “this globally diverse group is committed to protecting your interests” but when the price of the “.org” registration goes up 10% without a single word of justification, it’s pretty hard to imagine that particular intervention was only made to “protect YOUR interests” as it was more likely intended to TAKE MORE MONEY FROM YOU, wether you like it or not.

Tags: dot org, .org, pir, public interest registry, registrars, icann, price increase, domains, renewals, transfers

2 Responses to “Yet another price increase for the “.org””

1. cgelinas says:

   May 13, 2008 at 11:00 am

   The true accountability issue really need to be addressed by the Public Interest Registry because a 10% price increase without any kind of justification is completely unacceptable.

   The “.org” domain name extension holds a very special status as it mainly serves “not for profit” organizations so this latest price increase is that much more unjustifiable.
2. Jothan Frakes says:

   September 16, 2008 at 12:41 pm

   I am not here to say I like the price increases that the industry is seeing with the GTLDs, but I do want to mention in mild defense of the looming increases that .org skipped a year of increases where others were doing them.

   What I am seeing a lot of savvy domain owners do is get their renewals in before the pending wholesale registry fee increases hit.

   I have found Moniker.com and other registrars have renewal pricing in place to help registrants renew their domains at discounted prices before the increases happen.

   I would urge people to perform renewals for a maximum term at the current GTLD prices before the 2008 and subsequent years’ increases become effective.