The "back" button on Amazon - deliberately disabled or bug?

Factual Questions
1

I enjoy looking around Amazon but much of the fun is offset by my back button not working on the site.

This is an old issue and a Google search brings up lots of people who share my frustration. One of the Google hits is actually this 2011 SDMB thread.

Given how well publicized the problem seems to be, and considering that the folks at Amazon have had years to change things, I assume it’s deliberate and not a bug. Why is that? What does Amazon insist on making your browsing experience less convenient than it might be? Isn’t it a truism that you want your customers to enjoy everything about your product?

In the Dope thread linked above, some claim that the back button has to be disabled to prevent the Amazon site from mixing up a change to your product order with an addition to your product order. Can that really be the reason? Seems like a kludge ‘solution’ to me.

2

I can go back on Amazon (and often do) by using either the arrows or right-clicking and choosing “back,” but I’m using Firefox. Is this one of those Explorer things?

3

Works fine for me (Chrome). Is it all the time or only when you are purchasing?

4

Happens all the time for me, and not just when I am purchasing or browsing. It’s a problem even when I go directly to a review’s comments page from an e-mail notification (i.e. I track some reviews).

I forgot to say that I am using Chrome.

5

Use middle click so that the next window opens in a new tab. Then you can go back by just closing the tab. (I use the Back to Close extension in Firefox together via the side button on my mouse. I am not sure if that can be done with Chrome.)

In my experience the back button works normally in a lot of Amazon. It might not be the best idea to use it when you are part way through ordering, though.

6

It’s not Amazon, it’s you.

It sounds like you have some sort of virus. I’m able to go back from pages on amazon from numerous browsers.

7

If I have a virus, so do many others. And, it’s been around for over two years (affecting fellow dopers) and is still not picked up by anti-virus programs?

8

Are the pages that you are viewing displaying any ads? Advertising often “breaks” the back button on many web sites (including the SDMB).

9

That’s a good thought and certainly is the case on some other sites when the back button doesn’t appear to work.

But, on Amazon, there are no ads (except for Amazon’s own promotions, etc.)

10

I’ve got 99 problems with Amazon, but back ain’t one. Seriously, back even works on the no-other-links-but-pay confirmation page.

To troubleshoot your problem, can you click and hold on the back button and drag down? That should give you a list of previous pages. What do you see? All the same page?

11

No. In fact I see the last dozen pages I visited. Everything looks like it should work just fine. But it never, ever does.

12

Did you check out this thread on the amazon user forums?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/forums/ref=cm_cd_pg_next?ie=UTF8&cdForum=Fx2NFGOONPZEXIP&cdPage=3&cdThread=Tx9UD33ADI6ERC

Aside from the super whiny bitches there are several helpful solutions. Read all the way to the end.

13

I’ve found some web sites (but not Amazon) do some funky stuff with redirects. If I want to go back, I need to click the second item in the list that shows up when I hold down the back button. Have you tried that?

14

Zipper JJ, Wow. Judging by the comments there, sure looks like the problem is with Amazon, i.e. this ‘bug’ affects all major browsers (but only some people’s. Strange). For whatever reason, the web people at Amazon seem to be choosing to ignore it.

**Digital … **, that works but is a hassle. Not a big deal, of course, but a nuisance. Again, I wonder, why does Amazon let the problem ride?

15

If the second item works, double or triple clicking the back button might work too.

16

I had never noticed this problem myself, so I went to Amazon to see what my experience was. I wondered around a bit, had no trouble at all backing up. I am running Linux Mint 15 and Firefox 26, so that might have something to do with it.
I am not familiar with Chrome, but may have a solution to offer- when I search for things, I usually leave the search result page open, and use right click and open in new window to examine specific items. To return, I just close out the item page. I very rarely use the back button.

17

Did you try any of the fixes? I’d start with disabling all add-ons, clearing cache and cookies, and if that works try just disabling one add-on at a time.

Reinstalling chrome is what worked for some too.

Just because people seem to think Amazon needs to fix the issue doesn’t mean it’s an issue they can or should or will fix. Try some stuff on your end first.

18

I’ve used Amazon for years across multiple computers and multiple browsers (IE, Chrome, Firefox, Mozilla-clones, various iPhone/iPad browsers like Atomic Web Browser and Perfect Web) and never seen it. My guess is it’s not that the Amazon web devs are unwilling to address the problem but rather unable to duplicate it reliably to figure out why a percentage of people are afflicted by it - or that indeed, it’s not their fault.

19

Same for me - I have been using it for years on several different browsers and never had this problem.

20

Sorry, I forgot to respond to this.

Yes, I tried the various suggestions with one exception. I did not reinstall Chrome. I have learned over the years that I will screw such things up.