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Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?

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Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?

#1

Post by iamtoomas »

Yesterday afternoon, I was playing around with domain name ideas and landed on getfitgpt.com Checked it out on namecheap.com nice, it's available. Mind you, it was the first time I had ever typed or even imagined this domain name before.

Today I decided that it has a ring to it and I'll go ahead and just buy it.

What do you know, it's already bought...

Checked whois getfitgpt.com:

Registry Domain ID: 2987595751_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.namecheap.com Registrar URL: http://www.namecheap.com Updated Date: 0001-01-01T00:00:00.00Z Creation Date: 2025-05-29T23:29:02.00Z Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2026-05-29T23:29:02.00Z Registrar: NAMECHEAP INC

The timing is also suspicious: 23:29:02, as if it was a script that was scheduled to buy searched domain names at midnight?

Namecheap was the only domain lookup I used, I don't trust godaddy. Apparently I can't trust namecheap also anymore?

I mean there's just too many coincidences.

Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?

#2

Post by tkiolp4 »

I thought that was known. I never check if a domain is available in any registrar. If I come up with a fancy name, I usually check the following: check if handles are available in common places (it could be twitter, linkedin, whatever matters for you) and when I’m sure i want the domain, i buy it. No checking beforehand.

Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?

#3

Post by worldsavior »

tkiolp4 wrote: post #2

I thought that was known. I never check if a domain is available in any registrar. If I come up with a fancy name, I usually check the following: check if handles are available in common places (it could be twitter, linkedin, whatever matters for you) and when I’m sure i want the domain, i buy it. No checking beforehand.

Can't you just check whois?

Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?

#8

Post by iamtoomas »

It has happened to me previously also using BOTH namecheap/godaddy, back then I just shrugged it off, but this time it really pissed me off...

So I guess the best bet is to check for domains on the ACTUAL ENTITY PROVIDER who provides domain names to resellers, such as:

https://www.verisign.com/en_US/domain-names/domain-name-sear...

Plus their brainstorming feature is one of the best out there IMO.

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