Framesets And Affiliate Programmes

Any solutions to counteract session variable set to 30 minutes

[gypsychild]

I'm currently running an affiliate programme within a frameset whereby I link to the merchant's shopping cart. The problem is the merchant is tracking via a session variable and if the user disconnects or leaves the window inactive for more than 30 minutes, even if the user goes back to complete the purchase without closing the window, the sale is not credited to me.

Before I speak to the merchant, I was wondering if it's possible (bearing in mind I have control over the frameset) to counteract this at my end, eg, a code to refresh back to the point of entry just before the session expires and/or on reconnection.

[davemarks]

Do you have any evidence of this happening? I ask cos i wonder how often this would happen...

Unless the site is using a cookie to store some reference to the cart, the user would also lose whatever was in their cart... (which is why i ask how common it is to leave a session idol) in which case i would suggest to the other company that they also write the referer details to the cookie when they first create it, and reference that instead of the session...

[gypsychild]

I don't know if it's ever actually happened, but I can see that it would (the merchant doesn't set a cookie over and above the session variable, so if a customer does buy after the idle period, the sale defaults to the merchant). How often it's likely to occur is a good question (not in the middle of a purchase but maybe prior to) - I know I often leave a window open/inactive with a view to buying later.

As you say, it's really a matter for the merchant - just wanted to check there was nothing I could do on my side to get round it.

[davemarks]

The only thing that springs to mind is that you could put a meta refresh in the parent frame, for say 29mins but this could cause problems for people actually using the site.... dunno, just a random thought

[gypsychild]

Thanks davemarks, I was also thinking along those lines. As you mention though, this could affect active users, so unless there's a way to exclude them from the refresh, there maybe isn't any real solution.