[Sushi K]

The website at work is down, yo.
I got 99 websites but my DNS won't point to one.

Att (our web host) just did a server migration. And as the youngest guy here and the only one with any idea how to use a computer it falls on my shoulders to fix the resulting problems.

This would be no problem except that the woman who originally registered the domain did so 8 years ago, payed for 10 years, then left the company changing all the passwords to "screw U2" or some such nonsense. I was able get everything squared away with Att but godaddy isn't playing ball. Apparently she registered though domainsbyproxy.com who isn't helping as well; I need to somehow get access to update the zonefile.

I have tried: begging, those change of account/email update forms, and going through 20 possible creditcard numbers to verify my identity.

Any ideas or am I royaly screwed?
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[Broco]

Well, it seems both your webhost and your DNS people are screwing you over basically out of laziness, because they feel no incentive to fix your problem. So you might need to have a carrot or stick for them. Your company probably has a legal right to access your domain records and the DNS people are preventing you over a technicality; you might threaten them with legal action to get them moving. Alternatively you could offer your webhost special payment to help you out by installing a redirect server on the old IP which they probably still own.

[Sushi K]

Here is the odd thing I noticed today; it seems that the DNS now points to the correct IP of the new box, but no mail can get through.
So, can att tell automatically godaddy (secureserver whatever) to update some things, like IP and NS, but not others, like MX?

The redirect server sounds like a good idea, but since the IP now seems to work can they make one just for mail? Also that would be a temporary fix, not optimal but useful.

Should I call up the domainsbyproxy people and threaten to sue? The problem is I can't prove any legal ownership of the domain except that it is the same as our company name.
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[Broco]

Yeah I don't really know, I have limited practical experience with this kind of thing. I mean they probably wouldn't take legal threats really seriously regardless of the situation, you aren't really going to bother after all, but I thought maybe by making a nuisance of yourself you could get them to give you access because they want you off their backs. The preponderance of evidence is obviously that you own the domain: I don't think anybody would seriously think you might be a domain thief. You'd just have to talk to somebody with the power to make the decision instead of a low-level clerk or automated system.

Yeah, come to think of it, I guess the thing to focus on would be talking to someone a little higher-up on the support ladder who can deal with your special case, and it probably doesn't really matter if you get to that person by being friendly or aggressive.

[Sushi K]

I tried working my way up the cooperate system once; it sounds like the entire system is locked down even to the support people until the system accepts your code. Although I think I was barking up the wrong tree then; I'll annoy them at work Monday.
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[Kappuru]

Don't make a legal threat yourself; hire counsel.

If the domain name was registered by an ex-employee, it's tricky. Did she pay with a company card? Was it registered in her name as the main contact? A lot depends on the information on the account.
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