Hi, Tamar from Namecheap here. This is not a practice we partake in as you can read by the comments. Please share the domain in question via DM (I use the same name on reddit if that helps). My guess is our service reported it accidentally as available due to a technical miscommunication with the registry but it was already registered. However, I would need to know the domain to do that. Otherwise, we can open an investigation into what would've happened but it is not in our interests to do this for a number of reasons. I would like to see what occurred though, so please be in touch.
You don't know if it was Namecheap that sniped it, or if an actual person just registered it. It also doesn't make sense to do front running for them.
And if they did snipe it, why wouldn't they list it for sale? What good does registering tons of domains that people search for and then just... not selling them to the people who wanted them?
It's a baseless accusation.
counter-anecdote: I sleep on it a lot and Namecheap has never taken the one I was looking at
What happens if you offer them less than $10? Maybe you can get a deal.
You don't use registrars to find domain names -- because some will take advantage of the data you are handing them for free to try to blackmail you into paying more.
You search for domain names using the DNS system itself, via the command line and nslookup or dig. You only go to a registrar once you've identified a name that is not in the DNS, to see if you can buy it.
Is this 'perfect'? No, you'll sometimes find a name that's owned, but has no entry in the DNS system. But you'll also avoid telling disreputable registrars what names you might be willing to buy so they can then decide that the name is "in demand" and raise the price on you.