Registrar Annual Management Fee

[rob_heg]

I hope I put this in the correct sub-forum....I couldn't find a more appropriate place for this question.

We are a small company- 3 people in our organization. We have been ISO for 6 years now with the same registrar. I wont name the registrar unless you ask me for it. I'm not badmouthing them anyway, they are great. However I don't agree with this FLAT "Annual Management Fee".

Rather than a flat $1,550, I feel there should be an option to switch to a 'per incident' rate.

We have never used any support time, so it seems that this is a charge that is entirely underutilized.
Perhaps I am missing some elements of what this charge entails?

The documentation I can find states:
Annual Management Fee, which includes "an element of time available for customer
support each quarter (for communication / meetings, etc).

The Annual Management Fee and appropriate free customer
support are confirmed to each client annually. Where the customer support provided exceeds the free quarterly support
allowance then additional support will be charged at an hourly rate".

I am going to email this request to my Account Manager soon. I am just curious what you all think about this AMF in general.

1. Is it a big profit center?
2. Do you agree, since this fee is mostly based around Support, that it should be priced according to company size AND per incident, rather than a one-size-fits-all flat fee?
3. For comparison purposes, what is your AMF?

Thanks!

 

[qualityfox]

Re: Annual Management Fee

Our company is in the process of becoming certified. When I researched 4 different registrars, I found that fees varied from $150 to $1100 per year and had different names applied (Annual Maintenance Fee, Annual Administration Fee, Annual Report Fee, Annual Accreditation Fee). None were described as being for customer support. I think it's just a tacked on fee 'because they can'.

 

[AndyN]

Exactly! You might want to check out a certain CB which offers pricing which are totally transparent, easily budgetted and not "nickel and diming" you! Hidden fees or fees for writing reports (what's the output from an audit? Extra?) or even copies of certificates? And fees for clearing corrective actions?So much for these CBs interest in your QMS improvement!

Please feel free to contact me!

 

[Alpine]

Re: Annual Management Fee

It is the one fee I find irksome. I pay AUD$930 per annum for a Essential Annual Administration Fee which incorporates account management, royalties to standard owners, levies by accreditation bodies and the use of the mark and fail to see any value in it at all for the company I work for. Being located in a rural area, I simply do not have access to any of the support functions on offer. Perhaps one of the CB's in here can better explain. Then I might feel better about paying for it out of my meagre budget

 

[AndyN]

The cost of registration is similar to the cost a CB has to maintain their accreditation. BTW, accreditation fees can be pretty steep! However, all CBs charge fees. It's a service, but being charged a significant amount - compared to others - for all kinds of "extras" seems to me to be a disservice to clients. Account management? Really? Royalties? Why? No doubt some fees are needed, but this seems to me, at least, to be attempting to justify the unjustifiable...