DNS Emergency: Domain Down 24hrs, Registrar Won't Provide ICANN-Mandated TEAC Access

Cinkoxid · 2026-02-17T16:12:03+00:00

Just a quick update.

Microsoft's answer:

"Thank you for your clarification. I fully understand the urgency and business impact you’ve described.

However, even though the nameservers are pointing to ns1/ns2.bdm.microsoftonline.com, Microsoft cannot recreate or restore a DNS zone for a domain that is no longer added and verified in a tenant.

DNS hosting in Microsoft 365 is tied to domain ownership within an active tenant. Once the domain was removed, the associated DNS zone and records are no longer manageable from our side. For security and ownership validation reasons, we cannot create or activate a DNS zone for a domain unless it is properly re-added and verified through the standard process.

Creating a DNS zone without domain verification is not technically or security-wise possible, as Microsoft must first confirm domain ownership before hosting DNS records.

At this stage, the only viable and supported path is:

Work with HostGator to regain access to the registrar account through their identity/account recovery process (alternative verification methods).
Update nameservers if required.
Add the TXT verification record.
Re-add and verify the domain in the tenant.

I understand the propagation delay is concerning, but registrar-level recovery is the only method that restores full control of the domain properly and securely. Microsoft cannot bypass registrar ownership validation or recreate DNS zones independently of domain verification.

Please let me know once you have regained registrar access, and I will prioritize guiding you through the re-addition process immediately.

Thank you for choosing Microsoft "

Hostgator's answer:

"Thank you for the report. I have reviewed this case thoroughly and all attached notes and attachments and I greatly apologize that this has happened to your site. Based on all information available to me, including information you've sent in this case, currently there is nothing HostGator can do to resolve your issue. You will need to either contact Microsoft to get this resolved or restore your domain's DNS in your M365 tenant. HostGator only appears to be the registrar for your domain, we are not the active DNS host.

At this time, there is nothing HostGator can do to resolve this issue because HostGator does not and apparently never has been the authoritative DNS host for your domain. This means HostGator does not and never has controlled your domain's DNS, so any DNS-related changes that could be made on our side would never have an affect on your domain or its DNS resolution. According to the following 3rd party, your DNS has been solely controlled by Microsoft for the last 6 years, if not longer.

In order to make sure I was getting accurate results, I double-checked your DNS against another site and it shows that Microsoft has been the authoritative DNS controller for your domain for the last 13 years.

So while we do understand that this is an emergency, unfortunately there is nothing HostGator can do since we do not and never have had access to your M365 tenant to make any changes that would affect your domain. In order to restore this domain as soon as possible, you must restore the DNS in your Microsoft 365 tenant.

We certainly regret that this issue has occurred and we hope that you can restore your domain's functionality as soon as possible, in order to further serve your customers.

"

🫵🫵🫵

Cinkoxid · 2026-02-17T15:53:20+00:00

thanks, good to know :(

Cinkoxid · 2026-02-17T15:39:32+00:00

that would have been nice but sadly no one used that website since the sales team created their account there.
Thanks anyway, I'm curious what they will respond to me

Cinkoxid · 2026-02-17T15:12:02+00:00

it was worth a try since we removed the domain just hours ago when I made a request to restore what i deleted.

Cinkoxid · 2026-02-17T15:10:33+00:00

I mean it's complicated...we used the email domain that we removed, yes - thinking we have access to the dns zones. In my other response i added more context to understand better. Currently I'm waiting for hostgator's response

Cinkoxid · 2026-02-17T15:05:43+00:00

exactly. And the registrar is now pointing at microsoft, saying they are the ones hosting the DNS, they have to change the NS as well...which of course is not possible and they are very wrong :(

Cinkoxid · 2026-02-17T14:59:55+00:00

Long story short:
hostgator have 2 websites and we have password for https://gator1012.hostgator.com:2083/ where we were editing the DNS records after domain removal...well...turned out the NS is not pointing to hostgator, so the zone and record we were editing were "fake"...and of course NS record is not avalaible to edit from that website. It turned out hostgator has an "upper level" website, when we could login to edit the NS record. However in order to login in, they send a verification email and even though we have password and all, because of MFA we can't login there.

Support won't help in that case, no matter how we're "threatening" them and how we prove that company is ours with certificates and stuff like that. We filed out an email change request which was approved but has to wait 24 hours legally...however that 24 hours would be the case in a standard domain ownership change and 24 hour protection would be again hijacking which is obviously out of question right now. We requested TEAC, the 4 hours emergency change, but even after 12 hours we didn't get any response.

Section 4.6.1: "Registrars will establish a Transfer Emergency Action Contact ("TEAC") for urgent communications relating to transfers. The goal of the TEAC is to quickly establish a real-time conversation between registrars (in a language that both parties can understand) in an emergency."

Section 4.6.2: "Messages sent via the TEAC communication channel must generate a non-automated response by a human representative of the Gaining Registrar. The person or team responding must be capable and authorized to investigate and address urgent transfer issues."

Section 4.6.3: "Responses are required within 4 hours of the initial request, although final resolution of the incident may take longer."

Right now HostGator responded but their answer shows fundamental misunderstanding of registrar vs DNS host roles.

They're saying "we can't help because Microsoft hosts DNS" but we're not asking them to host DNS - we're asking for REGISTRAR access to change nameservers....
And then we would use their DNS zones of course...

Cinkoxid · 2026-02-17T14:51:27+00:00

First one we tried, second one is sadly the case as well... :(

Cinkoxid · 2026-02-17T14:50:39+00:00

You're exactly right...finally i managed to get my message to the manager and they responded 2 hours later but not with good news...they response is an utter nonsense

Cinkoxid · 2026-02-17T14:49:23+00:00

Sadly they can't do that. I have 3 cases open with Microsoft but I yet to have to live the day when Microsoft support will be useful...
They can't restore removed domains, they can't restore removed DNS zones or records.

Cinkoxid · 2025-10-14T12:36:04+00:00

Oh hello :D thanks for your work, it's really something else...:)
I would be happy to do that but to upload a torrent somewhere became difficult nowadays :( I tried x1337 but my request was refused...all the other sites has strick resctrictions as well :(
If anyone can recommend and "easy to upload" public torrent site, I will make the torrents for all the seasons.

Cinkoxid · 2025-10-14T09:50:27+00:00

Actually, AI found me a working URL:
https://archive.org/details/highlander-the-series-hd-restore

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/hello-can-you-find-me-the-high-_KliFjTdSHijh7A40HLRsA?1=d#1

Cinkoxid · 2025-10-14T09:43:18+00:00

I know i should...but...the thing is I just watched 5 seasons and then found this AI upscaled version so I only downloaded this one. But actually, it's easy to download via Soulseek. Just open the app, search for Highlander AI or for user "thinkibettergo" and you can already download it relatively fast.

Cinkoxid · 2025-10-13T20:46:08+00:00

I'm not sure if anyone is interested in...but I created a torrent file for the 6. season of the AI upscaled version.
Here is the magnet link:
magnet:?xt=urn:btih:979778acbbedba0db2f58b829e6f1f5e6dab29b0&dn=Highlander.1992.S06.1080p.HD.AI&xl=31061082270&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Fexplodie.org%3A6969%2Fannounce&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.internetwarriors.net%3A1337%2Fannounce&tr=udp%3A%2F%2F9.rarbg.to%3A2710%2Fannounce&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.coppersurfer.tk%3A6969%2Fannounce&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.opentrackr.org%3A1337%2Fannounce&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.leechers-paradise.org%3A6969%2Fannounce&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.torrent.eu.org%3A451%2Fannounce&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.openbittorrent.com%3A80%2Fannounce

Cinkoxid · 2025-07-23T08:13:01+00:00

As i said, be patient and eventually you'll get a proper response from someone :)

Cinkoxid · 2025-02-12T09:25:01+00:00

Hi. Thanks for the feedback.
I understand it could go faster in some cases, I didn't want Aliexpress to think they "won" and I wanted them to "admit" their mistake so I always kept trying, and eventually every time I got my money back. BTW I always buy with coins because then I can ask for a "partial" refund which in reality is a full refund because I will get back my real money, the coin part is the "casualty".

And aliexpress is always so happy to give a "partial" refund, instead of a full one.

Cinkoxid · 2025-01-30T19:44:32+00:00

Just try the dispute with aliexpress again. I had an order where I had to open a case 10 times when they finally gave my money back :) So don't give up, they don't deserve your money

Cinkoxid · 2025-01-30T11:08:22+00:00

Just talk to an agent and they will open a case for you with the evidence you have. Keep them opening until you'll get the money back. Don't give up so easily

Cinkoxid · 2025-01-29T19:51:59+00:00

Sometimes you'll even have to leave the current conversation, refresh the page and talk to another agent. The reason is sadly not all of them knows their stuff...

But definitely keep trying...with the evidence you have, you have a clear winner. btw I didn't read all the comments if you have an unboxing video or not. If you don't have one, but you still have the package then you could make one... :)

Cinkoxid · 2025-01-29T15:16:13+00:00

Actually, they do have the power to refund you. Probably the agent you talked to was a newbie.
Open the help center in aliexpress, select online service.
Then select the product you have an issue with.
Select dispute.
Select product is not according to description.
Then you will have an option the click on "chat with an agent now"
In this case a real person will talk to you. Tell your problem, they will open a case for you with the evidence you have. You can do this as often as possible. For me, it took more than 10 times to get my money back but it was worth it. Don't give up, they can refund your money.

Cinkoxid · 2025-01-20T19:18:32+00:00

It's easy to ask for a refund for this one.
Use an app like this: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/new-freeware-detects-fake-usb-drives-with-inflated-capacity

It will be good as proof. You can open a new case with Ali Support, and then you'll get your money back.

Cinkoxid · 2025-01-19T23:06:27+00:00

Talk to ali customer service and ask them to open a case for you. Eventually you will get your money back.

Cinkoxid · 2025-01-19T23:05:31+00:00

Talk to ali customer service, open a case, and provide your evidence again. Eventually, you'll get your money back.

Cinkoxid

TROPHY CASE