No, fair do's, I was wrong. The css files are flat text files which aren't executable, and the poster should be able to access them from outside of the site. I've checked on a variety of carts now on different servers and they all serve up css files outside of the root. Just goes to show even oldies like me can get it wrong sometimes.

However, the way the .htaccess file is constructed inside the includes folders may still be relevant (even though they relate to php files). Images/buttons are also being blocked. I recommend making the edit I suggested, and if that does not work then try adding just a blank .htaccess file to the includes folders - and if that doesn't work then remove it completely (as a trial only).

Making the edit as suggested has cured this problem before.

Vger