[Angelino97]

I read that with some web registrars -- GoDaddy among them -- if you search for a domain and don't buy it, then come back later, you'll find that it's taken because the registrar bought it. Because if someone searches for it, their computer figures it must have value and so buys it.

Don't know how true this is.

[Pocketdoor]

...I read that with some web registrars — GoDaddy among them — if you search for a domain and don’t buy it, then come back later, you’ll find that it’s taken because the registrar bought it. Because if someone searches for it, their computer figures it must have value and so buys it.
Don’t know how true this is....

Thats exactly what I was thinking.

[powerset]

Try https://lookup.icann.org/en/lookup, they’re the policy setters “above” the registrars.

[Openurmind]

“I read that with some web registrars — GoDaddy among them — if you search for a domain and don’t buy it, then come back later, you’ll find that it’s taken because the registrar bought it. Because if someone searches for it, their computer figures it must have value and so buys it.

Don’t know how true this is.”

It’s true, I had it happen a couple times when searching at the official ICANN site it’s self. I pointed it out to them and it turned out to be the Google services they use. They say they fixed it, so ICANN is the direct resource that goes around all the scam 3rd party brokers.

https://lookup.icann.org/en