I keep getting "Checking your browser" message before going to item
Nearly every time I click on an item from a search I get the following message before it shows the item page. "Checking your browser before you access Ebay". It gives a different reference number each time.
This has been going on for over a month now and it SUPER IRRITATING.
Why is this happening and more importantly, how can I stop it?
I am using the latest version of Firefox.
28 comments
kh-shaikh
·5 months agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
dhbookds
·5 months agoI've noticed, on firefox, there seems to be a time of day when this happens........I'm wondering if it's a revolving check.
izzy4730
·5 months agoI turned off my "ad block" and restarted chrome. Seemed to take care of the problem.
quicksilverdiecast
·7 months agoI use FF DDG and VPN and have only seen that message a few times, again not enough to pay attention to, and work the store all day long, not seeing it, sometimes it will just blip right thru it to where I was headed anyhow...
bcmike0_1
·11 months agoAgreed, super annoying and it’s gotten worse the last few days!
amethystdream10
·11 months agoAnnoying AF!
wpwino
OP1 year agoI have come to the conclusion that it has to do with how quickly you click on one item from search results and then the next. Apparently, if you are 'efficient' at searching (i.e. click on items too quickly in succession) Ebay penalizes you by displaying the "Checking your browser..." message.
Ebay really needs to design a better way to deal with whatever threat they believe is happening by legitimate users.
eburtonlab
·1 year agoI have come to the conclusion that it has to do with how quickly you click on one item from search results and then the next. Apparently, if you are 'efficient' at searching (i.e. click on items too quickly in succession) Ebay penalizes you by displaying the "Checking your browser..." message.
That may be one way to trigger the message, but the question is what causes the message page to resolve quickly for some (most?) users -- but to apparently hang and not resolve at all for some other users.
I routinely open dozens of simultaneous and complex eBay searches in separate browser tabs, and from time to time I see that message appear when opening an individual listing, but it always goes away and then delivers the intended item listing within a second or two without any further intervention on my part.
watrwest
·1 year agoUsing FireFox, no vpn, I get the same message intermittently. It will go away for a few days and then come back. I have found that copying the item link into a FF private window works. It is inefficient but at least lets me look at the item to decide if I want to pursue it.
timbreblue
·7 months agoYep, 'private window' or 'incognito mode' works for me too.
The whole thing is very weird. Someone coined the term 'en**bleep**ification' for what's going on with the world -- businesses making it steadily harder to buy, experts being steadily stupider, etc. -- and this is definitely an example.
siriusrising
·1 year agoI have been getting that on and off for a few months. Its so annoying. It will just sit there and spin. I have tried pausing my VPN, clearing my cash and cookies ect. nothing works. Its been so annoying I have just quit buying on ebay if this happens. I go to other sites. Ebay just sucks on some things.
eburtonlab
·1 year agoI have tried pausing my VPN
If you are using a VPN and experiencing problems, temporarily pausing your VPN may not be sufficient. You may have to actually reboot your network hardware and get a new IP-address assigned if your current IP-address is problematic.
agent_omega
·1 year agoI have the same issue, and it is so annoying to the point that I will probably quit using the site. I also noticed that on product detail pages there is no longer item description information - I suspect they are running an A/B test for the "Inspired by recently viewed items" module. bottom line, no item description info, no bids or purchases from me...and if I keep seeing this "checking browser" message, I'll be done with the site altogether...after using it for decades.
eburtonlab
·1 year agoI also noticed that on product detail pages there is no longer item description information
Try temporarily disabling your ad blocker to avoid this particular issue.
Try another browser to see if that affects the "checking your browser" issue. If you are using a VPN or a hotspot, try not using that.
wpwino
OP1 year agoDisabling ad blocker doesn't work. No VPN. No issues with other (chrome-based) browsers.
This seems to be a bug affecting the Firefox browser. It seems Ebay's web developers are favoring chrome-based browsers.
I have reported this issue to Ebay literally dozens of times with no response or fix.
eburtonlab
·1 year agoThis seems to be a bug affecting the Firefox browser. It seems Ebay's web developers are favoring chrome-based browsers.
I am using Firefox and not experiencing persistent problems with that message, despite doing many searches and viewing many items. It may be related to certain settings, history or add-ons. If so, you may be able to avoid the problem.
Any difference if you use a private browser window in Firefox? Or another non-chromium browser?
yeoldcurios
·1 year agoThis has started happening to me several times as well when searching for items on ebay. I have been an eBay seller for almost 30 years. I use a mac desktop and my browser is Safari...so I do not think this is just for Firefox browsers...I think eBay has a glitch happening with their platform...
eburtonlab
·1 year agoI use a mac desktop and my browser is Safari...so I do not think this is just for Firefox browsers...
I do not think the problem is specific to a particular type of browser; as I said, I am using Firefox and not experiencing a problem, though I do see the message occasionally.
The problem may be related to particular browser settings or history, which is why I asked if the problem occurs when using a different browser, when add-ons are disabled, or when a private or incognito browser window.
timbreblue
·7 months agoI've been using a Chrome-based browser and getting the same message. I'm out of there within five seconds when I do -- I don't buy anything I need that badly on eBay.
Same problem with two different Firefox based browsers. I couldn't get TOR started this AM to try that.
It's either bug or a deliberate effort (maybe by a malevolent employee?) to throttle their traffic. Not that many businesses these days with so much volume they need to deliberately P.O. potential customers.
wpwino
OP1 year agoYeah, it's super annoying.
wpwino
OP1 year agoThanks for the replies everyone.
I don't use a VPN, and only use a half dozen basic add-ons that I've had for years. I tried disabling them one at a time and nothing changed. Still getting the message.
I also tried it on the Brave browser with the same result. I don't have Google Chrome or MS Edge installed, and wouldn't switch to them anyway.
I suspect the issue is likely caused by web developers writing code that's optimized for Chrome browsers, which can cause problems for non-chrome browsers.
I was hoping this post would reach Ebay developers so they could investigate and fix the issue. Anyone know where or how to contact them directly?
eburtonlab
·1 year agoMost eBay pages have a "Tell us what you think" link that can be used to report page or site issues. If you do not see that, there should be a "Feedback" / "Comment" / "?" link in the lower right by the scroll bar that can be used.
wpwino
OP1 year agoI am familiar with those links but I assumed they went to a general feedback repository and not the developers themselves. I was hoping for a direct link but I will try those.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 year agoI use the latest FF without problem on Ebay.
There are more reports of problems using Chrome on this forum than Firefox.
I suspect there is something going on in your system. Perhaps your anti-virus or anti-malware software or a Firefox security feature you have activated. Or your internet service provider has decided to protect you using their own security software. I use Xfinity which has some wonky protection capabilities which I only find out about when they send me a notification on my phone to do something useless on my computer.
wpwino
OP1 year ago@ tobaccocardyahoo, That may be true, but how am I going to find out what's causing the issue? Seems like it would be easier for ebay to ease up on their browser checking, or perhaps identify my IP address and eliminate it from future checks. Certainly not after every third or fourth access in a matter of seconds. Regardless, it's irritating af.
eburtonlab
·1 year agoThat may be true, but how am I going to find out what's causing the issue?
By trying different things and seeing what, if anything, has an effect. Such as using a private or incognito browser window, or trying an entirely new browser with default settings and no add-ons installed. Try easy, reversible things first before trying harder things, or things that cannot easily be undone. For instance, if you want to experiment with different browser settings, try using a different browser than your primary browser.
Seems like it would be easier for ebay to ease up on their browser checking, or perhaps identify my IP address and eliminate it from future checks.
It may very well be easier for you if eBay were to do that, but if you have no way to make that actually happen, then it really is not easier to accomplish.
eburtonlab
·1 year agoI use Firefox and occasionally see such messages, but they typically quickly disappear and the succeeding pages load at that point. I believe those messages are part of eBay's third-party bot-detection/DDoS prevention system.
If this is a problem, it might be worth trying another browser or temporarily disabling add-ons to see if that has any effect; possibly something about Firefox, your add-ons or your particular settings is triggering something.
bcmike0_1
·1 year agoI’ve been getting that over the last week or so as well. I initially assumed it was related to using a VPN but when I checked to make sure my VPN was off, it’s always been disabled. I get it a few times a day typically; not as frequently as it sounds like you are.