Until there's a valid explanation for the price increase, I can only assume you're raising prices simply because you can. While that may be the fashion these days among the powerful and wealthy, there's no reason this can't be a simple commodity with commodity pricing. 

Break this silence. Explain your decision for these secretive price increases--and listen to the domain owners and consumers. There are many recently new TLDs we've been invited to use and launch. If you price .COM out of the marketplace, you'll be left without the status it enjoys now.