What is the safe way? I genuinely am interested so I know how to proceed in the future.
I've NEVER had a domain snagged from me by going directly to the domain (even when I wound up registering it a week or two later). I've had a domain taken from me multiple times by the domain registration sites... sometimes within a few hours.
I'm not saying that all registrars or evil, or that all ISPs are; but not knowing which to trust, I go with the one organization that has decried the practice as evil and sworn never to do it -- whois.sc.
I'm sure there are other ethical registrars / ISPs as well, I just don't know of any.
