Another Namecheap "gotcha" is they auto-renew any domains you have setup for auto-renewal a full month before you're due for expiration. So if you're thinking of moving away, and trying to decide as the expiration date approaches, make sure to disable auto-renew on those domains while you decide.
It was my understanding that the registration time you have with one registrar carries over with the next registrar. In other words, if your domain is automatically renewed for a year and you move to a different registrar and pay for one year, your domain will be registered for two years.
I must say that I have never verified this myself, mostly because I've never needed it that bad. At least something worth looking into if that problem arises.
Not really a gotcha. Some TLDs require that early renewal and one month is how we handle to avoid any disconnection in service. But yes, if you move away after a domain is renewed (e.g. your domain expires in 2017, most registrars -- but not all -- will add a year to renew in 2018).
