...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.
A common tactic is to sell cheap domains, then charge a lot for renewal, since many people don't want the hassle of moving their domains to another registrar.
GoDaddy also makes it hard to buy a service, because as you try to check out, you're hit with page after page advertising other services before you can pay for what you actually want.