Don't use NameCheap for the .fr TLD

Perceptions of Namecheap as a Registrar

• Long-time users report generally smooth domain operations and generous grace periods for many TLDs.
• Others say it has “gone downhill”: slow UI, poor support, aggressive upsells, and historically weak security practices (e.g., delayed proper 2FA).
• Specific criticism in this thread centers on certain ccTLDs (like .fr) where upstream rules + Namecheap’s handling of expiration create short or inflexible renewal windows.
• Some feel the OP’s .fr loss was partly user error (no auto-renew, no working payment method) rather than purely registrar failure.

Cloudflare, Route 53, and Other Alternatives

• Cloudflare registrar praised for at-cost pricing and decent UX, but heavily criticized for forcing use of its nameservers; you must transfer out to use other DNS like Route 53.
• Some see this as an unacceptable lock-in and a security/trust risk, given Cloudflare’s ability to alter DNS and its history of selectively blocking sites.
• Route 53 is seen as more expensive but attractive for AWS users due to integration and robust DNS tools.
• Porkbun, INWX, OVH, Netim, Infomaniak, NameSilo are mentioned positively; Gandi is widely described as having declined after acquisition (price hikes, removed perks like included email).

ccTLD Rules and Geopolitical Concerns

• Requirements for ccTLDs vary: some (.fr, .eu) expect EU/EEA ties; others (.to, .ag) are more open. Enforcement seems inconsistent in practice.
• Some advise avoiding ccTLDs altogether due to political risk and unclear rules; others counter that this is overblown for stable countries like France.
• There’s debate over whether registrars should have banned certain nationalities (e.g., Russians); opinions range from “fully justified” to “unfair collective punishment.”

Domain Pricing, Renewal Strategy, and Consumer Risks

• Cloudflare and some others offer stable pricing for mainstream TLDs; steep hikes are more common on new/trendy TLDs.
• Concern that registrars can hike renewal prices once users are locked in; suggestion that regulation should cap annual increases.
• Many recommend:
  • Multi-year registrations for important domains.
  • Auto-renew with reliable payment methods.
  • Keeping 1–2 years of term as a buffer and renewing on a fixed yearly schedule.
• Some TLD/registrar combinations have quirky rules (e.g., auto-renew only, renewal cutoff days before expiry, or loss of extra term on transfer).

Security, Privacy, and Support Issues

• Reports of weak or mishandled 2FA in the past at Namecheap; others say it now supports TOTP and FIDO and works fine.
• Concern about how easily registrar support processes can be abused to compromise accounts.
• .us domains lack WHOIS privacy by policy, leading to heavy spam/telemarketing after registration.
• Several users describe poor incident handling or communication by registrars when things go wrong.

Notable Domain “Horror Stories”

• .name: email forwarding discontinued without warning, breaking a primary email identity; inability to obtain the corresponding second-level domain later.
• .sm via Gandi: apparent registrar non-payment to the registry allegedly led to mass suspension of .sm domains, forcing emergency migration of a SaaS platform.
• .us: non-US registrant had domains suspended after later citizenship verification checks.
• Various ccTLDs (.de, .fr, .eu, .sm) show that registry/registrar interactions and local rules can create unexpected, sometimes catastrophic failure modes.