Hi,
I'm not able to reproduce that problem.
If I add the code:
echo '<pre>';var_dump($row->characteristics);echo '</pre>';
after the code:
if($group && $row->cart_product_option_parent_id) continue;
in the file "cart" of the view "checkout", I do see the characteristics objects for all the rows of the same product.
I don't get NULL entries, AND I don't get the characteristics names:
pasteboard.co/hDcxh3unW.png
So I don't know what you did in your view, but there must be something wrong with the way you customized it.