
urgent, PLEASE help! "access denied" errors that settings don't seem to fix
Need help with this problem, and need it desperately and quickly! So much so, that I bothered to actually make an account here to beg for help. I've been getting an "access denied" error on some websites. First it was mouser, and I had to phone in an order. They claimed that there were no problems with the website, and no other customers were reporting issues at the time. Started researching the problem, and discovered various "fixes" seem to revolve around the various security and privacy settings. NONE of these alleged "fixes" actually work! Continued to research the problem, and still haven't found a solution that actually works. Next it was lowe's website, so can no longer comparison shop with them (at least they have plenty of competitors). Now, it's ups, and did not discover this until I just ordered a bunch of stuff and have almost a dozen packages to track! HELP! PLEASE! Mail theft is a HUGE problem in this area, and I need to know exactly when all these deliveries are arriving! Here's all my info, as best as I have it or know it: Linux OS FF was updated to v137, this was one of the first things done in attmpting to solve the problem when it first happened. Cookies, cache, history, etc are always cleared, I only go to one website at a time, and clear all this stuff out, close, and then reopen FF before I go to another website. Clearing this stuff out and then refreshing the page (a commonly mentioned "solution") doesn't work. Privacy and tracking protection was changed from "custom" (with everything checked), to "standard". "Do not track" was changed, and turned off (unchecked) "Website advertising preferences" was not changed from the unchecked setting, since none of the affected websites contain advertising. "Certificates / query OCSP responder servers" was left checked. "Don’t enable HTTPS-Only Mode" was left checked. "DNS over HTTPS" was changed from "max protection" to "default". "Use your default DNS resolver" was changed from unchecked to checked. "Play DRM-controlled content" was left unchecked. "No proxy" is checked in the "network settings".
Generally speaking, the various "solutions" proffered seem to involve turning off or minimizing any privacy protections. No one specific thing I've seen mentioned has solved the problem. And attempting to "open up" all of these settings hasn't worked at all. So, first, am I somehow missing something? Is there some privacy protection buried in the settings that I haven't been able to find and "open up"?
Secondly, WHY is this happening? (This question is being asked on a technical level, I'm trying to understand this and learn something here) In my understanding of attempting to research the problem, it is somehow something that some websites are doing to protect themselves against bots and DDOS attacks - OR (and?) - is a way of forcing tracking and datamining onto those who still attempt to cling to some notion of privacy. What exactly are these websites doing, that causes this error with FF, but not other browsers? Why does this error occur with FF, and not other browsers?
Right now, the urgent need is being able to track these deliveries so that hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise and supplies don't get stolen! Somebody, PLEASE HELP! TIA!
All Replies (1)
''''Immediate Steps for UPS Tracking:''''
- Open Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+P for a private window, and try ups.com. If it works, use this temporarily.
- If not, go to ups.com, click the lock icon, select "Clear Cookies and Site Data," then refresh.
- Click the shield icon on ups.com and turn off enhanced tracking protection.
Urgent Solution for UPS Tracking
Given the urgency to track packages, immediate steps include:
- Private Browsing Mode: Open a new private window (Ctrl+Shift+P) and try ups.com. This uses a fresh session without extensions or cached
data, often bypassing blocks (Mozilla Support Forum).
- Clear Site Data: Use "Forget About This Site" in History > Show All History, or click the lock icon on ups.com and select "Clear Cookies and
Site Data," then refresh (Reddit - UPS Access Denied).
- Disable Enhanced Tracking Protection: Click the shield icon on ups.com and toggle it off temporarily.
- Temporary Browser Switch: If Firefox fails, use Chromium or another browser to track packages, ensuring delivery monitoring
(Bogleheads.org- Cannot access UPS.com).
Long-Term Troubleshooting
For a permanent fix:
- Troubleshoot Mode: Start Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode (Help > Troubleshoot Mode > Restart) to disable extensions and use default settings,
identifying if an add-on is causing issues.
- New Profile: Create a new profile via firefox --ProfileManager in terminal, test ups.com, and gradually reintroduce data if successful.
- Network Test: Try a different network (e.g., mobile hotspot) to rule out IP flagging.
- User-Agent Switch: Install "User-Agent Switcher" add-on, set to Chrome, and test to see if the website blocks Firefox specifically.
Continually Get 'Access Denied' Messages Firefox Support Forum Mozilla Support Forum
Access Denied? UPS Reddit Discussion Reddit - UPS Access Denied
Cannot access UPS.com Solved Bogleheads Forum Discussion Bogleheads.org - Cannot access UPS.com