Yes, you can find stories of this happening here or there. Install `whois` on your system and use it to query for domain existence instead.
How do you go about doing that?
Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?
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Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?
#12I always thought this was the work of domain squatters who run software to see what names are being queried, then they purchase and sit on them. I first heard about this back in 05' , then never heard about it again.
Unless you work at the domain registrar in question, or sit between the user and the TLD's authoritative nameservers, how would you possibly see what domains are being queried?
Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?
#13Did NameCheap merely register the domain and are holding onto it, or are they now selling it at a higher price than typical registration (usually ~$12/year for a .com) through their platform?
Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?
#14Apparently it's a problem others have. I saw a complaint earlier this week - https://old.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/1kvlcp2/i_looked_up...
Thanks for clarifying. If true, that's a HUGE scumbag move.
It used to be godaddy was notorious for it. It’s called Frontrunning. I personally stopped using them because they were so obnoxious about it. [https://capitalandgrowth.org/answers/3972963/Does-GoDaddy-bu...]
Seems like it’s getting popular again, and I’m very disappointed that Namecheap seems to be doing it too.
Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?
#15I 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?
Whois is ‘going away’, also it wouldn’t surprise me if the Whois data gets scraped by folks looking to do this too.
Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?
#16I can confirm. Either that or they are selling the search history. In my case it ended up in some broker that tried to sell it for $2.000 but after a couple years it become available at some Chinese broker for only $10.
Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?
#17I've been moving over to porkbun. I do not trust namecheap since they cut off a whole country...
Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can't you just check whois?
Whois is ‘going away’, also it wouldn’t surprise me if the Whois data gets scraped by folks looking to do this too.
More info about the WHOIS transition here:
https://www.icann.org/en/announcements/details/icann-update-...
Previously:
Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?
#19[dead]
Re: Tell HN: Namecheap pre-purchasing searched domain names?
#20I've been moving over to porkbun. I do not trust namecheap since they cut off a whole country...
Upvote for Porkbun, who clearly doesn't do this type of 'selling searches', as I have 2 or 3 domains in my 'register someday' list at PorkBun, and they remain unregistered years later...