private function getEcommerceItemsFromRequest(Request $request)
    {
        $items = $request->getParam('ec_items');

        if (empty($items)) {
            Common::printDebug("There are no Ecommerce items in the request");
            // we still record an Ecommerce order without any item in it
            return array();
        }

        if (!is_array($items)) {
            Common::printDebug("Error while json_decode the Ecommerce items = " . var_export($items, true));
            return false;
        }

        $items = Common::unsanitizeInputValues($items);

        $cleanedItems = $this->getCleanedEcommerceItems($items);
        return $cleanedItems;
    }