Unintended Consequenses

I'm running a shopping cart using Zen-Cart at http://www.mari-len.com/. Until recently I've had no cause to complain, but it's started doing something that's got me completely stimied. When browsing the site you might get through two or three clicks, then whatever you click on next will take you to the login/register page. I can follow people's clicks in a user tracking mod and I can see where people are hitting this a couple of times then leaving. I'm sure they're as pissed as I would be if it kept happening to me. The probably think I'm trying to drop a not-so-subtile hint.

I've looked all over the code for anything that might cause this but I can't find aything. I only have one hint. I installed a copy of zen on my local server here and configured. Then I tested and couldn't recreate the problem. Then I imported all the data from my online cart. I tested again and there it was, the same problem. The data all looks good, I'm not sure I know what I should be looking for though. Any insight out there?

 

Does one have to have an account to browse through the products or just can as a guest? I`m sure you mean that the "registered" users are made to login again after a few clicks.. tell me if I`m mistaken here

 

No, that's the problem. You don't even have to have an account to put stuff in the shopping cart. You don't have to log in unless you're actually going to check out. This is not limited to registered users. It seems to do it to everyone.

 

Does it happen even when browsing through the products; no adding to cart or anything... if its random its most probably related to sessions (that zenid)

I went through some skirts, although they arent my type because I`m male, I didnt come across this problem... Sorry I know I`m no real help here


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Came across it... it all seems random I think its something to do with "sessions" but cant say exactly. Will wait for an expert to come and look at it.

(Tried the Zen-Cart support forums?)

 

I think it probably has something to do with the sessions too, but I'm not sure. I have been over at the zen-cart support forums, but I'm not getting anything useful over there yet. Meanwhile my customers are running away!

 

I saw it too. It seems to happen only when cookies are disabled.

J.D.

 

You said you ran a local test... this data you imported (after which that glitch starts to show), it contains "configuration" data (if its stored in a table or something) too?

 

Yes it does, and I do have some ideas about that, particularly in the sessions/cookies configuration but I've tried changing things around and am finding nothing different.

J.D.: I thought of the cookies disabled thing, but I can't believe every one of my customers has their cookies disabled. I know I don't, and it happens to me as well.

Here's something else I've noticed that is very strange: When I go into the tracking mod for zen-cart I can click a link that will take me to the page, serp or otherwise, that the person came from. Then I can follow the same click pattern they followed and get the same results. I hit the "login redirect" problem at the same time they do.