Oops - Cookies Error

Our site uses temporary session cookies.  Without them, we can't validate your access to allow you to log onto your account or keep up with items you may have put in your shopping cart.  If you were in the middle of a transaction when you got this message, your session probably timed out.  If so, you have to return to the initial page where you started the transaction—sometimes even one page prior to that—to begin your transaction anew by refreshing/reloading the page.  If you still get this error, close and re-open your browser and try again.

If you've set your browser to reject cookies, you can still use our site, but you won't be able to log on or add items to the shopping cart.  Please see the information below to learn more about session cookies and how to enable them in your browser.  If your browser isn't listed, please refer to your browser's Help function.

What are "cookies" and why do I need them?

Cookies are tiny pieces of information stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive.  Cookies allow your browser and our server to remember specific information, such as the items you add to your shopping cart.  A cookie can't read or write data on your computer outside the cookie file, such a finding your e-mail address or retrieving other information from your computer.  

There are two types of cookies, often referred to as session cookies and permanent cookies.  Permanent cookies remain on your computer until they expire at some future date or you manually delete them.  A site that creates permanent cookies reads them each time you visit that site and generally updates them with information about your current visit.  Session cookies are temporary, lasting only as long as your current session on the site you're visiting.  When your session ends, the session cookies on your hard drive expire and are erased.  Your session ends 20 minutes after you last click any link our site, after 20 minutes of inactivity, or when you close your browser, whichever is earlier.

What's a "time out"?

If you surf our site, using any private member functions or any shopping/registration functions, you must have (at least session) cookies enabled for the reasons discussed above.  But, your session will "time out" after 20 minutes of inactivity.  Once a time out occurs, you have to log onto the private functions again or start shopping/registering anew, because the browser "forgets" everything when a session ends.

Enabling Cookies

Firefox

• Click the Tools menu. (On a Mac, click the Firefox menu.)
• Select Options. (On a Mac, select Preferences.)
• Click the Privacy tab.
• Select the 'Accept cookies from sites' checkbox.
• Click the OK button.

Internet Explorer 6, 7, and 8:

• In the menu bar at the top of your browser click on Tools, Internet Options, Privacy.
• If you see a slide button, set it to Medium (the default Medium-High, and High settings prevent cookies use)  If in place of the slider you see the word "Custom", go to the next step.
• Click the Advanced button.
• Check the box next to "Override automatic cookie handling."
• Check the box next to "Always allow session cookies"  You can set the Accept First-party Cookies and Third-party Cookies however you please.
• Click OK as required to close the options windows.  
• Note, if you can't adjust the privacy settings, you may have to first click Tools, Internet Options, Security, set the security level to Medium, and then return to the Privacy tab to adjust the cookies settings.

Internet Explorer 5.x:  (We strongly recommend you upgrade to a new version of your browser.  Older versions are vulnerable to serious security threats.)

• In the menu bar at the top of your browser click on Tools, Internet Options, Security.
• In the Internet Options dialog, click the Internet (the globe) zone.
• Click Custom Level button.
• Scroll down the list to the Cookies section.
• Click the Enable button next to "Allow cookies that are stored on your computer".
• Click OK as required to close the options windows.  

Internet Explorer 4.x:  (We urge you to upgrade to a new version of your browser.  Older versions are vulnerable to serious security threats.)

• In the menu bar at the top of your browser click on View, Internet Options, Advanced.
• Scroll down the list to the Cookies subsection of Security.
• Enable "Always accept cookies".
• Click OK as required to close the options windows.

Netscape 6.x

• In the menu bar at the top of your browser click Edit, Preferences.
• In the Preferences Category (left) panel, double click Privacy & Security.  This expands the Privacy & Security selections, exposing the Cookies option.  
• Click Cookies
• Click the option for "Enable cookies for the originating web site only"
• Click OK

Netscape 4.x:  (We urge you to upgrade to a new version of your browser.  Older versions are vulnerable to serious security threats.)

• In the menu bar at the top of your browser click Edit, Preferences.
• In the Preferences Category (left) panel, click Advanced, which will change the right panel to the Advanced settings.
• Click the option for "Accept only cookies that get sent back to the originating server".
• Click OK as required to close the options windows.

AOL 8.0 (Windows)

• Go to keyword: PREFERENCES to open the AOL Preferences window.
• From the organization column, click "Internet Properties (www)".
• In the AOL Internet Properties window, click on the Privacy tab.
• Set the slider to the "Accept all cookies" option.

AOL 7.0 (Windows)

• From the AOL Toolbar (the multicolored toolbar at the top of the page), select Settings.
• From the settings menu, select Preferences.  The AOL Preferences guide should appear.
• Select The Web from the list on the left hand side of the guide.
• Click the Set up now button, then Internet Options, and Security.
• Set the security slider to Medium.  If you do not see a slider, first click the Default Level button.  Click Apply.
• Select the Privacy tab. If there is no Privacy tab then click OK.
• Set the privacy slider to Medium. If you do not see a slider, first click the Default button.  Click Apply and OK.