URGENT HELP NEEDED! Custom domain expired.

James Lyall · August 17, 2016

I have just found that my custom domain name "lyall-photos.net", bought through SmugMug 5 years ago, expired on 6th August 2016 without my knowledge.
My email address has changed since registering the domain, and this explains why I did not receive a renewal reminder. I tried to renew via SmugMug, which redirected me to GoDaddy. Signing in to GoDaddy requires both Username and Password. I had mislaid them. The "I forgot" link asks for my email address at the time of registration, to which a reminder would be sent. I cannot receive a response from GoDaddy as their email to me is obviously being bounced. I am therefore in a Catch 22 position! Please can one of your experts help me?

My email address is james@lyall.uk

James Lyall · August 17, 2016

P.s.
I have also found that navigation around my SmugMug site is impossible as menus no longer respond, since they use links involving my custom domain name, which no longer is valid. Disaster! Help please!

denisegoldberg · August 17, 2016

Have you tried contacting GoDaddy support via phone? Here's a link to a page on their web site with worldwide support numbers - https://www.godaddy.com/contact-us.aspx.

On the SmugMug side, if you want to drop back to your smugmug domain (even temporarily) I believe you should be able to remove the custom domain from your smug account settings.

--- Denise

James Lyall · August 17, 2016

denisegoldberg wrote: »

Have you tried contacting GoDaddy support via phone? Here's a link to a page on their web site with worldwide support numbers - https://www.godaddy.com/contact-us.aspx.

Thank you very much Denise.
GoDaddy were very helpful on the telephone; I renewed my domain for another 5 years. I now have to wait until my reinstated custom domain is recognised by SmugMug; I hope that this happens automatically since it all worked before! Fingers are crossed.

herojosie · August 17, 2016

Hi James,

Often when a domain expires with GoDaddy, the settings need to be updated again with them to point the custom domain back to your SmugMug site. Usually it is not a long wait once those are updated.

To check those settings, you can log into your GoDaddy account and set that up according to option#3 here:

http://help.smugmug.com/customer/en/portal/articles/93340-how-do-i-use-my-custom-domain-?b_id=1644

The main point being that your CNAME should be pointing to domains.smugmug.com

If you have any questions about that, just let us know.

OffTopic · August 18, 2016

Good thing you were able to catch it in time!!
Same thing happened to me a few years back (I had changed my e-mail address), and someone snapped up my domain within 24 hours after it expired, only to hold it hostage for thousands of dollars. I decided to start all over again from scratch with a new domain, even though my social media accounts matched the old name. They've been sitting on it for five or so years now and the asking price is still $3,175!!

James Lyall · August 18, 2016

herojosie wrote: »

If you have any questions about that, just let us know.

Thank you, Josie, for your help. After several phone calls to GoDaddy and hours of experimenting, I have finally got my website back to normal.
The major problem was with GoDaddy sign in. They eventually sent me a link to the correct sign in, which was headed SmugDomains Powered by GoDaddy. This is different from that linked at GoDaddy Connect on the SmugMug site, which rejected my sign in details. It transpires that they have separate accounts for those with SmugMug custom domains and those with ordinary purchased custom domains. When I purchased a further 5 years over the phone, they omitted telling me that there was a dedicated sign in site for SmugMugs!

It is evident, from postings, that I am not the only one to have had the problem of lapsing subscription due to email change; indeed OffTopic had a really bad experience and lost her original custom domain name.

We live and learn ... many thanks.

URGENT HELP NEEDED! Custom domain expired.

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