Help! Problem Accessing WWW.Shop.Tesla.Com Website

[tps5352]

Apologies; wasn't sure where to post this.

Is anyone else having recent problems directly accessing the tesla.com shop pages. I never used to have any difficulties. Here is what I get now:



"Access Denied"
"You don't have permission to access "The Official Tesla Shop | Tesla" on this server."
"Reference #18.7f7df17.1631041549.a3eea"

The reference number on this warning changes if I refresh the page.

I use a Microsoft Windows (8.1) PC with decent AT&T Internet access (near Sacramento, CA, USA). Nothing has changed recently.

Site pages I can still access with no problems:

• Electric Cars, Solar & Clean Energy | Tesla
• Any of the major vehicle/solar pages, like Model S, Model X, and Solar Panels | Tesla.
• Tesla SSO - Sign In
• The (right side) menu.
• Customer and Product Support | Tesla Support
• Charging | Tesla

What I no longer have quick and easy, direct access to:

• The Official Tesla Shop | Tesla
• Tesla | Charging

This all started maybe a month or so ago?

I am thinking that it could be a "cookie" issue, and/or that Tesla has tightened security? But I haven't figured it out. If I (a) log into my Tesla account, and (b) bounce around inside various tesla.com sites, eventually (after multiple failures, I can sometimes eventually be able to enter the shop sites, but I can't establish a discernible pattern; and it is ANNOYING.

Anyone with this same problem and, more importantly, a convenient solution. It is irritating not to be able to pop onto the shop site to check on availability or price of some Tesla accessory.

 

[KArnold]

Try The Official Tesla Shop | Tesla

Working for me. If you happen to have Spectrum as an ISP, they've been having intermittent site issues all day long.

 

[tps5352]

Try The Official Tesla Shop | Tesla

Working for me. If you happen to have Spectrum as an ISP, they've been having intermittent site issues all day long.

Thanks. This is a puzzle.

Possible progress: Just turned the computer on again (after running errands) and when I went to the Tesla Shop site I got the same error message (as I have many times before). So this time I signed into my Tesla account--which now requires satisfying security software (Captcha?)--and refreshed the screen a couple of times. Then when I went to the Shop site I was able to get in.

This suggests a cookie issue, and that maybe Tesla now wants potential buyers at the shop site to have registered, signed in, and satisfied security software protocols? Never used to be that way. I used to be able to go directly to shop.tesla.com at any time, without signing in.

I'll keep experimenting.

 

[tps5352]

So I am about 99.99% sure that my problem is about "cookies" on my computer.

Background

As you probably know, cookies are small computer files that are stored (in the past, often without your knowledge) on your computer, tablet, or phone as you visit various websites. Virtually all websites use them, and they would have you believe that cookies are absolutely necessary and beneficial. That claim is debatable. Certainly in the early days of the Internet, cookies were probably a good idea (gone bad?) to speed up the connection between your computer and a website you re-visited. But increasingly cookies "benefit" the website, and not necessarily the user. Many cookies are relatively harmless, some are mildly annoying, some are bad (e.g., cookies whose sole purpose is to track and sell your Internet habits info), and a few are outright dangerous (parts of nefarious software used by spammers, thieves, pop-up pornagraphers, gambling sites, hackers, online black-mailers, etc.). And although individually small, cumulative cookie storage can add up. In less-common (extreme) instances, collectively cookies can actually slow-down computer operations or prevent Internet usage altogether (e.g., due to uncontrollable pop-up ads).

These days, unfortunately, otherwise "free" websites (Google is a well-known example) commonly make their money by using cookies to gather information about your browsing habits and then sell that info to advertisers, retailers, and sometimes less savory companies. If you've ever been targeted by pop-up ads that seem to magically follow you around the Internet and anticipate your buying habitats, that's due to cookies. So it's a good idea to block the worst cookies, frequently clean out (delete) most cookies, and permanently allow only the most trusted and necessary cookies to remain on your device.

Some/most browsers have controls to manage cookies--or at least they used to. But browser companies themselves (a) use cookies and (b) have strong ties to websites (like Google) that need cookies to gather revenue. So I find that browsers now do a relatively poor job of allowing users to manage cookies. Instead, it is best to find effective, convenient software that can help you easily manage cookies for your benefit. (Not sure what the best ones are, but after watching Mozilla over the years actually reduce users' abilities to control cookies within Firefox, I now use CCleaner - Professional Edition, v. 5.19 [not the latest], in addition to inadequate Firefox controls.) By the way, there are cookie manager apps for cell phones, also.

Cookies on Tesla Sites

Anyway, as you travel around tesla.com, various Tesla cookies are stored on your computer/device. I allow cookies like these to remain active during sessions. But I normally have all non-essential cookies (like those from Tesla) deleted in between computer usage periods. (And I actively and permanently block nefarious cookies, like those from Doubleclick.) So after booting up my computer I would start an Internet session with no Tesla cookies. That never used to be a problem for the Tesla Shop site. But apparently it is now. Cookie groups stored on my PC by Tesla include (and this may differ with hardware/software platforms, operating systems, browsers, and devices):

• tesla.com (6 cookies)
• www.tesla.com (6 cookies)
• auth.tesla.com (2 cookies)
• shop.tesla.com (4 cookies)

I've started to experiment, and permanently allowing certain Tesla cookies (like in shop.tesla.com) does appear to help allow speedy access (on my browser--Firefox) to the Tesla Shop site. I have at least determined that it is not necessary to sign into my Tesla account in order to access the Shop site, contrary to what I originally suspected.

I will keep experimenting and see if I can establish a reliable, minimum necessary access pattern, which I will eventually share.

 

[swt2c]

I was having the same problem with accessing shop.tesla.com. I deleted all my tesla.com cookies and it resolved the problem.

 

[DblOSmith]

I am having the same problem. I deleted all my cookies and saved data and I'm still getting the problem. I have no idea why.

 

[tps5352]

Yes. My situation continues. When I first try to access the Shop site, with no previous Tesla cookies present (I've checked), I am unable to get onto Tesla Shop or Charging sites. But surprisingly, also with no cookies present I can instantly get onto Tesla.com, my Tesla account, and other Tesla-related sites with no problem. Eventually, by bouncing around various Tesla websites and refreshing (to be sure Tesla cookies are saved) for a few minutes I can suddenly get onto the Shop and Charging pages. Annoying. I think it may be cookies-related, but it also appears increasingly clear to me that Tesla has done something to elevate security or something for those two shop-related sites. I wish they would cut it out, because it is frustrating and ultimately unnecessary, since I can eventually get access. I just have to go through silly gyrations to do so.

 

[swt2c]

Yes. My situation continues. When I first try to access the Shop site, with no previous Tesla cookies present (I've checked), I am unable to get onto Tesla Shop or Charging sites. But surprisingly, also with no cookies present I can instamtly get onto Tesla.com, my Tesla account, and other Tesla-related sites with no problem. Eventually, by bouncing around various Tesla websites and refreshing (to be sure Tesla cookies are saved) for a few minutes I can suddenly get onto the Shop and Charging pages. Annoying. I think it may be cookies-related, but it also appears increasingly clear to me that Tesla has done something to elevate security or something for those two shop-related sites. I wish they would cut it out, because it is frustrating and ultimately unnecessary, since I can eventually get access. I just have to go through silly gyrations to do so.

Indeed, my cookie fix was short lived. I'm back to Access Denied on those same two pages as you.

 

[tps5352]

Indeed, my cookie fix was short lived. I'm back to Access Denied on those same two pages as you.

Try this test:

1. Start with no tesla-related cookies. (Use cookie manager in browser or in separate app to remove all cookies with tesla in the address/name--except you can ignore teslamotorsclub.com cookies).
2. Be sure you are not running VPN software (like Express VPN).
3. Go to The Official Tesla Shop | Tesla site. Refresh a couple of times.
4. If you receive error message (are unable to access the site), check for any tesla-related cookies.
5. In my case, no Tesla-company-related cookie was stored on my PC. <OK, interesting>
6. Next go to your Tesla online account page.
7. Log in (satisfy annoying reCAPTCHA security challenge, if required).
8. If you succeed in accessing your account, refresh a couple of times.
9. Then check for tesla-related cookies. At this point I had these on my PC:
   <Note the "auth.tesla.com" cookie group. I suspect that that is key.>
10. Now try accessing the Tesla Shop page. If you get in, refresh a couple of times.
11. Once again look for tesla-related cookies. I had these:
    <A fourth Tesla cookie group is added, "shop.tesla.com.">

The shop.tesla.com cookies are added after getting onto the Shop site. But in order to access the Tesla Shop site to begin with I suspect that you first need the auth.tesla.com group cookies present (or one of the other two Tesla cookie groups shown in #9, above; or all three). And to have those, you probably have to perform the irritating reCAPTCHA exercise. But just going to the Shop site directly does not trigger a request to satisfy reCAPTCHA or in any way load the necessary cookies. So it is Tesla's fault (Ha, ha!). They need to tweak the Shop site to request proper security authorization, if required, or to not require it at all, I suspect.

Does this make sense?

My problem was two-fold: (a) I was often running an optional VPN (that somehow upset the Tesla security software), and (b) like the rest of you I wasn't acquiring the key Tesla cookie group (probably "auth.tesla.com") beforehand.

So now I have to remember to (a) turn off the VPN and (b) sign-in to my account first. We'll see if that works.

 

[tps5352]

OK, as if this wasn't silly enough...the latest twist.

Just retried my 11 steps (from Post #9). Worked fine. Then, while I was in the Tesla Shop site checking on certain Model X accessories, I suddenly couldn't get onto a detailed information page (about tire totes) I got that same "Access Denied" message again. Then I got the AD message when I refreshed the Model X Accessories page. Then when I backed up to the Tesla Shop page. Weird. It was like the whole permission thing collapsed, even though I still had the Tesla cookie groups on my PC, was not running a VPN, and nothing had changed with my PC as I was in the Tesla Shop site.

I had to back out; go back to my Tesla Account; refresh; and try to enter Shop again (which worked).

I have a suspicion--I will try something and report back.

 

[tps5352]

OK, here is what I think is happening on my PC.

At the root of the problem is the !@# reCAPTCHA security thing.

When you sign into your Tesla Account and pass through this online security "checkpoint" (i.e., reCAPTCHA) a cookie is installed or modified on your PC/device. But as I was browsing through the Tesla-Shop-Model X Accessories pages, the original permission cookie must have expired, been deleted, or somehow changed. But no warning or request to re-satisfy reCAPTCHA comes up to tell you. Instead, I was just frozen out of the web pages, again. So I had to travel all the way back to my Tesla Account page, sign in (again), and trigger reCAPTCHA (again). Stupid. This is a short-coming with the Tesla website and the responsibility of the Tesla webmaster. Since this never used to happen until fairly recently, clearly somebody modified some code at the Tesla website and didn't properly check for unintended consequences.

How to stop this, maybe?

Firefox (check your specific browser) has just three settings for managing cookies while browsing: (a) Allow; (b) Allow for Session; and (c) Block. I was actively using only two settings: Allow (for just a few of my most important cookies) and Block (for a small collection of bad [oooh!] cookies). Most cookies (including Tesla's) were not labelled in Firefox on my PC, meaning that they were not blocked, but were also not otherwise protected from deletion or modification as I web-surfed. Apparently, the Tesla authorization cookies need to be so protected from modification, at least during a browsing session.

So in my browser (Firefox) I've now labelled all the tesla.com cookies as Allow for Session. We'll see if that works. They will still be deleted at the end of a session, but should be safe from modification during browsing.

BTW, why are the majority of users probably not bothered by any of this, perhaps? Because I am guessing that relatively few people manage cookies on their PCs, laptops, tablets, and cell phones. It is only occasionally that most mainstream news organizations even mention privavcy issues with cookies, and only recently that many websites have started adding messages about their use of cookies and giving users a chance to accept or opt out of cookies. (This means that the Government or courts must have forced them to do this.) So most people are not deleting or otherwise managing cookies, their devices are chock-full of permanently stored cookies, and in the case of the Tesla sites their permanently-stored Tesla cookies have probably allowed them to browse without issues, I imagine.

Some other settings in my browser (Firefox) that are otherwise good, but may possibly contribute to these issues:

1. All Third-party Cookies are blocked.
2. "Tracking content" is blocked.
3. All cookies (except those labelled as "Allowed") are deleted when I exit Firefox.

Cookie management is becoming more and more tricky because cookies are increasingly being used in more sophisticated ways for the benefit/profit of companies, not for the benefit of users. When you realize that a major portion of Google's trillions of dollars are the result of selling information about users' browsing habits (while using the so-called "free" Google search engine), you begin to realize what's at stake.

 

[KArnold]

Perhaps consider submitting your research to them through their bug bounty program? Maybe you will get a few $'s from them and get those tire totes.

 

[tps5352]

09/24/2021 Update:

For the past few days the problem has ceased. I can instantly access the Tesla Shop and Charging equipment retail sales sites using my personal computer and browser. Furthermore, it works even when I have VPN software on. I have made no changes at my end. I still delete most cookies at the end of sessions.

While I would like to take credit, I did not get around to contacting Tesla. So somebody must have fixed something at Tesla's end, and I hope that it will remain fixed.

PS - The tire totes became available again, and I picked up two pairs. I think I'll invest in eight tire felt pads also.

 

[Resist]

I'm still having this issue on my 2020 M1 MacBook Pro. Last year after just getting this computer I had no problems with the Tesla.com Shop page. Nothing I try gives me access. But it works on the Tesla app on my iPhone.

It doesn't work using the Firefox or Google Chrome browsers either.

 

[usa4dima@gmail]

I have exactly the same problem on my MacBook Pro. I sent an email to Tesla support but they did not reply. I can't find online any fixes. Tesla, you keep your buyers outside of your store.

 

[tps5352]

I have exactly the same problem on my MacBook Pro. I sent an email to Tesla support but they did not reply. I can't find online any fixes. Tesla, you keep your buyers outside of your store.

My problem was a VPN. But that is all behind me. I can now access the tesla.com pages (Shop, Charging) without problems even with VPN.’

For you folks, I suggest:

• Make a (real or virtual) list of any security or non-Apple software running on your machines. Things like anti-virus, VPNs, anti-malware, browser apps, WiFi, network, and any newly-introduced software that might affect the Internet.
• Also, any settings changes you may have made recently to the computer.
• One by one, try to temporarily shut them off and see if tesla.com access returns.
• Search Apple user groups or Google to try to find a solution.

 

[usa4dima@gmail]

My problem was a VPN. But that is all behind me. I can now access the tesla.com pages (Shop, Charging) without problems even with VPN.’

For you folks, I suggest:

• Make a (real or virtual) list of any security or non-Apple software running on your machines. Things like anti-virus, VPNs, anti-malware, browser apps, WiFi, network, and any newly-introduced software that might affect the Internet.
• Also, any settings changes you may have made recently to the computer.
• One by one, try to temporarily shut them off and see if tesla.com access returns.
• Search Apple user groups or Google to try to find a solution.

Thanks so much! Fixed!! In my case, it was Avast Antivirus. For some reason, Avast Antivirus blocks shop.tesla.com. I just added an exception to Avast and everything works perfectly fine in all browsers. No need to clean the browser data. See the screenshot.

 

[Proppilot]

Thanks so much! Fixed!! In my case, it was Avast Antivirus. For some reason, Avast Antivirus blocks shop.tesla.com. I just added an exception to Avast and everything works perfectly fine in all browsers. No need to clean the browser data. See the screenshot.

Excellent find. I have had the same problem, messed around with cookies and settings and found your post. I run Avast on my Mac, added the website exception and problem fixed ! I was stymied why I had the same problem with Safari, Chrome and Firefox. The common denominator was the Avast. Thanks to YOU !