This is actually quite common in sites that do regular patching since patching might solve previous problems but also open the possibility of other errors occurring on the site. It may also be caused by poor internet connections or other sorts of connectivity issues involving your internet. It may also possibly be that the server for amazon is currently offline, and therefore none of its services will work for the time being. So now that we know the general problems that may be causing the option to “add to cart” not to be usable, let’s dive into a deep understanding of what these broad problems may convey and what sorts of solutions you may use in order to get rid of this pesky error.
1. It is Possible You’ve Got a Bug
While the developers and coders working for any given project target these errors, there is always the possibility that a patch may open the possibility for other errors to be born. Many times these bugs can be damaging to sites, especially ones such as not being able to use the “add to cart” option in an online retail site that depends on selling products directly to customers. Oftentimes bugs are attached to other functions within the site that do not have anything to do with the current problem, but because the corrections in line might be so complex that one feature might be entangled with another. So, what can you do?
Fix One – Turn Off Notifications
For this fix to work, choose to turn off all notifications. Once you turn off all of your notifications, check to see if the cart is now operable. This is a solution that various customers have reported to work in the past. It is not entirely known why turning off the notifications might result in the option to “add to cart” starting working, but it is one of the easiest and quickest ones to test out.
Fix 2 – Log Out and Log In
If the last step did not correctly fix the problem, then the next thing you should do is to log out and log into the account. For this, head into your “account and lists” section on the top right of your computer screen and scroll down to “log out”. This will make the servers refresh the entire content in your account. This is very useful, especially for sites that require some sort of account in order to work correctly. This process does not take long, so I might suggest doing it at least three times before moving on to the next steps. You might need to have your phone or whatever device you use to approve entrance into your account if two-step verification has been set up since the action of logging in and out continuously might be seen as suspicious activity. You also need to make sure that before logging out, you know the credentials you used for the account since logging into the account without this information may be, at times, difficult to do so.
Fix 3 – Clear the Cache
If none of the fixes worked, then the next step will be to clear the cache. Cached data are various copies stored in a device about the various actions that have been done inside of the device. This will make it so that all of the stored data regarding said browser will be deleted, making the bugs forcefully reboot. If you are worried about losing all of the data you have on your browser, you don’t have anything to worry about since the most important metadata of any given browser, such as passwords and accounts, are stored in different settings. The deletion will not make it so all of the information posted will be inaccessible. The cached data does not directly improve your devices, but many developers utilize cached data in order to improve their sites and give customers a better online experience.
2. Poor Internet Connection
A poor connection may lead to various apps and services being unreachable by any user. If there is not enough strength on the connection, it will be impossible to load any page correctly, inadvertently making services unusable. This explanation is much more true if you have previously noted that there are pages that take too long to load or if there are many problems when using any given site. For this step, I recommend running a speed test to obtain information about the speeds coming from the internet. Although not all of the speed tests are completely accurate, the numbers that are given by the test may be used to see if there really is a poor internet connection. If the speeds are any lower than 5mbps, then it is fair to say that the internet connection is not enough to perform even the most basic tasks since it would take too long to get any site to load correctly. So what if you are getting a reading that is under 5mbps?
Fix One – Switch From WIFI to Data Vice Versa
Switching to a new means to obtain the internet means that the connection will change as well as its strength. Data obtained by cell services will sometimes be stronger than the one found through wifi. If once you change to data, the problem seems to disappear, then the internet connection you are using is not reliable. If, on the other hand, the connection seems to be even slower than changing back and forth and noting the speeds it takes for a page to load might give you crucial information about the connections you are working with. As stated before, using a speed test site for both wifi and data might tell you with more confidence the way that the services are acting in comparison with each other. So if one of your connections or both are showing slower than 5mbps, you might want to give your provider a call.
3. Internet Connection Issue
If there is still trouble with getting the page to load and work properly, then it would be needed to see what is causing the low data transfer. Many different factors may be affecting the way your internet connection is behaving. Connectivity issues don’t always imply that the connection is going slow. Sometimes there is not good processing of information happening between the modem and the router. It might even be a problem with your internet service provider. If you have a way to contact your internet provider, it may be wise to do so in order to get a much more accurate reading about the internet connection.
Fix One – Switch to Data Vice Versa
Just as the last proposed fix, shifting data to wifi and wifi to data will give you an insight into the connection speeds you are working with. If you notice that every time you change to data connectivity, then most likely the problem lies with the internet service, and if the opposite is true, then the problem might be with your mobile carrier.
Fix 2 – Turn Off VPN
VPNs are a great tool to make sure that whatever internet search, information posted, articles bought, or any activity done through the internet is given an extra layer of protection. VPNs take the connection to be encrypted through a digital tunnel that later connects you to a connection that becomes virtually invisible. Because there are so many processes happening inside of the VPN to make sure that it is capable of protecting your internet presence, the amount of connection speed that is lost may be too great, especially if the connection you are utilizing does not have high capping limits. VPN services often also offer some tools to measure the internet speed with and without the VPN. This tool may be very useful if you believe that the VPN is taking in much of the internet speed that is available to run. If the tool is not available with the VPN, then you can run a test using your browser while running a VPN and another without the VPN to see if the problem is with the amount of internet the VPN requires to work correctly.
Fix 3 – Restart Router
If you have disconnected your VPN or there was no VPN to begin with, you can go ahead and restart your router. Most internet connections consist of a modem and a router. The router is the device responsible for making the internet available without the need for cables. This is required for devices such as phones or tablets that do not have a port to connect an ethernet cable. Restarting the router will give it the time necessary to reboot and begin operating as its software dictates. Since routers are the ones that help spread the internet throughout your house without the need for cables, they receive quite a few updates to ensure that your internet presence is protected as well as offer better speeds with each update. Because of this, it might be the best approach to restart the router since none of the updates will be deleted. After you restart your router, you may experience that the router may take longer to be connected to the internet than expected, this may be due to an update that was interrupted, and the router begins the process of downloading from the start.
Fix 4 – Reset Router
If, after restarting your router, you keep experiencing problems with your internet connection, then it might be necessary to reset your router. This process is different from restarting since it requires all of the information that has been recorded on the router to be deleted. Most of the time, there is a special button on your router that is meant to restart the device. This button might be found on the side of the router or even at the bottom of it. To press the button, most of the time, a pin might be required. Hold the button for 30 seconds and wait for the power to come back. Since the process of resetting requires the equipment to completely erase all of the data that is found within it, you might find that the router is taking longer than it usually does to connect to the internet and send the signals all over the house. This might be due to the fact that the router itself has found an update and is automatically downloading and installing it in an effort to operate with new and better standards provided by your internet provider.
4. Device Issue
If none of the past fixes have worked and the cart is still not working properly, there might be a problem with the device. At times the device itself does not properly send the required information to make the apps and sites work correctly. Oftentimes the amount of use you give a device and the apps and programs open in the said device might interfere with how other services work.
Fix One – Restart Device
Firstly you should try to restart your device. To restart any computer, you may turn it off and wait for about 30 seconds before turning it on the computer again. It may also be possible to restart the computer from the home menu. With phones and tablets, a simple turning off of the device, waiting 30-50 seconds and turning on the device again. Before beginning this operation, make sure that there are no documents or processes happening in the device that may be lost if the device was to turn off.
Fix 2 – Force Restart Device
If the restarting process is not successful, maybe a forced restart will be necessary to fix the problem. Force restarts are different for all devices. A force restart is, however, more prominent in devices made by Apple. In order to force restart an iPhone after the iPhone 10 model, you must first quickly click the volume up then volume down button. Then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen. For other devices, the steps or possibility to force restart the device must be looked for. For most devices, the actual term “Forced Restart” may not be found. Instead, it might be something in terms of “emergency”. If there is no real way to force a restart in your device, I recommend turning off your device completely and waiting a few minutes before you turn your device to reboot completely. Forced restart mostly means that the device has become unresponsive to any type of command you have inputted, and forcing a restart is the ultimate hail mary to get your device working again. Sadly the only thing you can possibly do is wait for the server to come back online to keep your shopping going. The best bets are sites that will not only have the status of the servers but also give you overall information about the status of the site in varying parts of the world. With this information, you may then declare if the problem is based on an area that has gone without service or if it is something that has to do with the platform in its entirety. From reloading the page to making sure it is loading properly to checking the status of your internet connection, all of the possibilities in between shall be explored to pinpoint what is actually causing a problem. Even if one of the fixes does not automatically let you place items into your shopping cart, then jumping onto the next and even going back to past fixes is extremely recommended. It might be that the problem is being caused by more than one of the aforementioned reasons. It is important to look at the problem not only as an error on the part of the provider of the service but also as all of the factors surrounding the means to reach the service.
