[members-discuss] Billing scheme problem

I don’t know what the motivation behind the change is, but RIPE definitely has no incentive to "take back as more IPv4 blocks as they can". There has been consistent confusion on this list about RIPE's willingness to accept quarterly payments even though it's a yearly fee. If the change stops this confusion it's a good change for that reason alone.

You seem to be similarly confused: RIPE, by allowing quarterly payments, was essentially giving zero interest credit for the LIR fees to any member that wanted it. The LIR fees were always a yearly payment. As this was basically a gift, they are in no way obliged to keep doing it just because you are relying on it.

And, considering there are "payment options for members with cash flow limitations" (e.g. you), it seems to me that, instead of publicly accusing RIPE of wanting to bankrupt your business to grab back resources, you should be asking them what payment options are available to you.

I know that if I were extending a zero interest credit line and got confusion, complaints and accusations in return, I'd definitely stop doing so too.

-- 
Regards,
   Terrence Koeman, PhD/MTh/BPsy
      Darkness Reigns (Holding) B.V.

Please quote relevant replies.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Serhii Khomenko <khomenko.serhii.m at gmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 8, 2019 1:52 PM
> To: Terrence Koeman <terrence at darkness-reigns.com>; 'Marketing
> KTECHNOLOGY' <marketing at ktechnology.it>
> Cc: members-discuss at ripe.net
> Subject: Re: [members-discuss] Billing scheme problem
> 
> I see that you didn't read my letter at all. My a very small business as
> you said give me €1k per month. I've collected €1050 to pay my quarterly
> payment for 3 LIR's. If the RIPE will compels me to pay annual payments
> for these 3 LIR's, this amount will reach 1400x3 = €4200. And what do
> you offer me? Sell my house to pay this invoice? Or take a loan in a
> bank? To your knowledge, the interest on a loan may reach 40% annually.
> The only reason for such changes in billing scheme I see in the
> impending crisis of IPv4 and in this way RIPE wants to take back as more
> IPv4 blocks as they can, because I will be forced to close my LIR's if I
> would be forced to pay annually. Organizations like RIPE should work on
> improvement of the service but not on the complication of life for its
> members.
> 
> 
> Have a good day.
> 
> --
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Serhii Khomenko
> 
> 
> 08.01.19 13:22, Terrence Koeman пише:
> > With all the confusion around billing I've seen on this list, I
> understand RIPE discontinuing their service of allowing quarterly
> payments.
> >
> > You can get a loan to bridge the first year and save up for subsequent
> years, essentially replacing RIPE's free service by a commercial one with
> an interest for the first year and by saving up yourself for the following
> years.
> >
> > The extra costs of this change are only the interest for such a business
> loan (which depends on the inflation of the currency your business uses,
> but for EUR currently around 3-6% afaik). Even if it were 10% interest on
> the €1k4 fee it'd be €140 spread out over a year (=€12/month), that should
> not be a burden even for a very small business.
> >