cookies and virtual shopping carts

Several times yesterday I tried to purchase some products from a hobby website. However, during the shopping process, the virtual shopping cart repeatedly deleted the items I put in it before check-out, such that I could not complete the transaction for them. I emailed the staff of the site, who suggested I delete my PC's cookies and reboot to enable the shopping cart to function properly. I have purchased items from other websites with the same PC and have not had any problems with using their virtual shopping carts. Does the advice from the hobby site staff seem valid and, if so, why would one website be affected by my PC's cookies while other shopping websites seem independent of the same cookies.

Thanks,

 

If you need to test whether you have cookies enabled, go here: https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/public/diagnostics/cookies.html.

Shopping carts also frequently use SESSION variables, especially if the user isn't logged in.

 

Maybe a corrupted cookie?

Using Firefox you could easily just delete the cookie for their website.

Edit:
Oh, and if it's a normal "old style" cookie then it's browser independent, try another browser? Could also be a browser specific ode issue.

 

I appreciate your response and the cookies enabled detection function. Please pardon me, I'm still somewhat confused as I am not familiar with some aspects of cookies and SESSION variables. Using the cookies test function you provided, I received the message "cookies are enabled". How are cookies related to SESSION variables? What are the function of SESSION variables--do they store certain information, such as for virtual shopping carts, for one visitor to a given website? Since I have cookies enabled, is previous cookie information preventing the virtual shopping cart on the hobby website I initially mentioned from retaining the information (i.e., items I select for the cart and ultimate purchase) I send it? Is the staff person correct, that I need to delete previous cookies to be able to shop normally on the site? I shop online frequently and have not encountered this situation previously.

Thanks for your attention and any advice/information.

 

I tried shopping the website in question with Google Chrome and Internet Explorer, both of which are the latest versions, and encountered the same problem. I may simply delete the old cookies and see if this solves the problem, but I'm still puzzled as to why I don't have this problem with other websites, including Amazon and Newegg.

Thanks,

 

Hmm, well, 2 browsers would have had an independent cache and independent cookies... also, if they aren't both beta browsers, at least one should have worked fine.

It does sound a bit odd...

 

Do you have adblock or noscript or anything like that? Maybe a modified hosts file? Those can cause "weird" issues like that

 

I don't have adblock or noscript, but I admit I don't know what those applications do or what is a modified hosts file. What class(es) of applications are these?

In case this is useful diagnostically, the programs/applications on my PC are:

Microsoft Security Essentials
Malawarebytes
Adobe Reader
Adobe Digital Editions
CitiCard Virtual Account Numbers generator
PeerBlock (P2P blocker)
CPUID HWMonitor (desktop monitor for PC temperatures)
VideoLAN media player (main media player)
DIVX media player (usually remains unopened)
Microsoft Office 2007
NirSoft BlueScreenView
WinRAR (for rar file extraction)
Weather Channel desktop weather monitor application
iTunes
QuickTime video player

I appreciate the responses to date, unfortunately this situation seems difficult to resolve. I'll try deleting old cookies and see if that helps. If anyone has additional suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate them.

Thanks,

 

->

Blocking... that might be the cause...

 

I unfortunately I came into the thread hoping for a humorous take on cookies, I was mistaken.

Also I agree that P2P blocker may be the cause, if not you can always try another browser which would isolate it to a corrupted cookie in the other browser.

I think.

 

Update:

I deleted all cookies and rebooted my PC while keeping the PeerBlock closed and unactivated. Unfortunately, I encountered the same results with the shopping cart on the hobby website--it kept deleting the items I placed in it. As I mentioned, I previously tried both Google Chrome and Internet Explorer to access the hobby website, but experienced the same dismal result. I may try accessing the site through the Firefox browser, I do not know what other potential solutions I could apply. A representative for the hobby website indicated the shopping cart on the site has been working normally and had suggested I delete old cookies. I appreciate the additional responses, and certainly welcome future suggestions. This is quite puzzling, at least to me.

Thanks,

 

Question:

can you link to the site for others to have a look? This does sound rather peculiar.

 

doesn't it sound like a bug of the site ?

 

Usually it is not Cookies that need deleted but temporarty internet files

 

Here's the hobby site with the problematic shopping cart:

SideTrack Hobbies

I appreciate any feedback.

Thanks,

 

Brr... what a horrible site... first flash, then slow to load... -> I can't see anything specifically wrong... and to test the cart I need to log in... hmm

 

Yes, I agree, the site is not state of the art. The log-in is only for previous customers from what I could determine. A staff representative told me log-in is not needed for shopping.

Thanks,

 

Did you try ordering by phone? Or don't they do that?
It might be another choice.

On that note though, I don't think any site allows you to buy without registering...

 

Thanks, I'm probably going to resort to phone ordering.

I agree registration is needed for onsite orders, I assumed like many sites, buyers placing 1st-time orders are asked shipping and payment information during check-out. Many sites I have purchased from register the buyer during the 1st order checkout.