[unmole]

Is there any anecdotal evidence that Namecheap does this?

[nicoburns]

I'd add my anecdotal evidence that namecheap doesn't do this. I've searched quite a few domains on namecheap and then bought them months later without issue. I have had this issue (although of course it's impossible to know for sure who's registered the domain) with GoDaddy and Gandi.

[asah]

Second this: recently, a startup of mine let summer domains lapse and bought them back for the same price, when NC could've easily squatted them.