[Vox_Leone]

>Did you ever have a problem with domain registration?

Recently, I painstakingly created a five-letter domain name, and researched extensively to see if it was already taken [I don't use registrar lookup and advise you not to either]. I verified that it was totally free and unpublished.

When using the namecheap control panel to register it, I was advised that it was a "premium" domain [why thanks!] and that, therefore, I would have to pay a corresponding amount.

Summary: My beautiful domain was simply hijacked and if I'm ever to register it I will have to participate in an auction. I was able to register the corresponding domain without problems, on equal terms with all other competitors, through Registro.br[0] - although it can't be as cool as a pure .com domain.

Would you consider this a problem?

The domain registration industry in the United States is completely prostituted and I'm not happy to say it.

[0]https://registro.br

[donmcronald]

> When using the namecheap control panel to register it, I was advised that it was a "premium" domain [why thanks!] and that, therefore, I would have to pay a corresponding amount.

The registry sets those premium prices, not the registrar (aka Namecheap).

[CameronNemo]

I'm not sure what you're claiming here.

Namecheap has asserted continuously that they do not front run domain registration, and they only charge premium prices for domains when the registry demands it.