Problems with laptop detecting my location - Page 2

qualityshopper · ‎12-04-2011

@millieshops --Wish I could blame this on old age (me!) (I blame a lot of other things on that ), but this seems to be on the computer. Unfortunately, it happens whether I'm on Edge or Chrome. It's a mystery!

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

@qualityshopper I'm with you. Edge for me is worse than Chrome, but neither does my location well.

Desertdi · ‎03-13-2010

Same here. My computer has me living in a "fancy" neighborhood. Ha....I'm five miles up the road....where the servants live....

♥Surface of the Sun♥

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

@Tori3569 wrote:
My suggestion is to just change the location if you are going to make a purchase and not worry about it.

It happens to me all the time on my laptop or my iPad. It's an issue with the specific website, not with your computer. Many seem to have a default location they use, unless or until you log in.

For example, I was putting in a pickup order for ShopRite yesterday and the location defaulted to something in Pennsylvania. I live in NYC. I am registered with that website, so it changed when I logged in. It has happened with CVS, Michael's, Nordstrom, etc.

Happens to me all the time. Yesterday I went to the Costco website. The Costco website put me in Washington state. That is the opposite side of the country. I just clicked on my store.

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

I just sign-in to the retailer's website. Then all is good.

gadgetgal613 · ‎07-07-2021

@qualityshopper wrote:
@Tori3569 --Actually I don't think it's anything to do with the websites because I'm using all of my computers at home, so the locations that pop up should be exactly the same on all of them. All of the websites I visit on my other two computers come up with the exact same store locations, ones in my area. It's only this stupid new computer that's coming up with something different. Can't figure it out. I've even checked to see if any of my settings differ on this computer from the other two, but they're identical. As you said, I'll just have to change the location at each site, but it's just that I shouldn't have to.

Why would you want these businesses to automatically know your location? I can understand a weather app or website so you get the correct forecast but, a retail store? I check a lot of stores from home to see if they have an item in stock. I'll go to the website, pick my local store then do a search. It doesn't take 10 seconds to do this. I really am a person who tries not to tell people how to live but, I can't help wondering why you would give this option to a business.

NYCLatinaMe · ‎01-14-2017

@qualityshopper As I opened my computer, I think I just realized what the problem is: the new computer and the cookies.

The new computer does not have the cookies from your old computer. (Cookies track you on the internet and gather information about you.) In my experience, computers automatically don't have your location. Many websites ask whether they can access your location. But if you are logged in, or when you have previously entered your location and the website uses cookies (they all do), they know who you are and your location.

Did you log in your browsers that you use to find things near you? If you use gmail, you would have had to log in with the new computer, and so google chrome has all your info. Same with Edge and any microsoft app that you may have logged into. With every website you visit for the first time with your new computer, if you log in or otherwise provide location info, they know your location. But if you haven't entered your location or logged in with your new computer, they don't.

If the second time you visit a website after giving your location once, it doesn't automatically know your location, check your cookie settings to make sure your computer is not blocking them. I know in my iphone, I can specfically grant or deny an app access to my location. (Thanks apple!)

Not many people like internet cookies, but you do!

Mindy D · ‎05-23-2010

@qualityshopper wrote:
I am having a weird problem with the HP laptop I bought from QVC that was a TSV back in November. I have never had this issue with any other computer that I've ever owned and at a loss as to how to correct it. HP tried a few things, but couldn't seem to figure it out either. In fact, the tech support guy apparently had never encountered this problem either.

So, here's what happens. Whether I'm on Edge (which I never use) or on Chrome, if I search for anything near me (example: doctors near me, plumbers near me, etc.), the results are what one would expect--doctors, plumbers, whatever that are in my city. However, if I go to a specific retailer's website, the site has me located in a completely different city, miles from me. Now, obviously, I can change the store location on the sites I go to (or sign into my account), but I shouldn't have to do that. The sites should be able to detect where I live without any problem. All of my other computers, past and present, have always been able to do so until this one. I do not understand why the search engines (Bing or Google) know exactly where I am, but individual sites do not. Both myself and HP have played with the settings to correct this, but it's not working.

Would anyone have any idea why this happens and what to do about it? Thanks.

@qualityshopper This happens to me sometimes if I am not logged into a website and I'm on an IPad. I do have locations off for specific apps, but not for my browser which is Safari, a version of Google. This will happen on Grub Hub, Dooor Dash and other retailers. I do have do not track turned on in my settings.

qbetzforreal · ‎08-28-2010

I use Firefox as my browser and DuckDuckGo as my search engine.

Google captures and retains your searches and information.

Caffeina · ‎03-09-2010

@qualityshopper

It's not your computer. Location information is determined by third party providers, and not all of them have the correct information in their databases. You'd have to know which provider each site uses, and contact each provider to have it corrected. It can take a month or more for corrections to be made.

Explanation from whatismybrowser dot com.

geoip 01.JPG