I forgot to renew my domain. Not a client domain—mine. The one with my MX records.
72 hours without email. No autorenew because I used a prepaid card that expired. The ticket said "your account is suspended for non-payment" like I was some kind of spammer. I was the spammer, apparently, to myself.
Here's what I missed:
- A client "urgent" that wasn't
- My mother's birthday (she emailed, I didn't get it, she called my sister instead)
- A renewal notice for a different domain
I'm posting this so you can learn from my deadpan humiliation. Checklist at the bottom if you want to skip my suffering.
The registrar wanted $80 to restore it during redemption. I paid. The ticket said "thank you for your payment, your service is restored." No apology for my mother's disappointment.
Checklist:
- Autorenew ON with a real card
- Calendar reminder 30 days out
- Calendar reminder 7 days out
- Backup email on a different domain
- Phone number that actually rings
What's your dumbest domain story? I need company.
reported. resolved. repeat.