Disney backtracks after web blunder

A mix-up involving a gift certificate has caused problems for the Disney website, after shoppers took advantage of an administrative error to effectively get goods for free.

Disney issued a $15 gift certificate to any customers who spent $65 or more in one of its online of offline stores during August and September. However, the company omitted to include a minimum purchase price for shoppers redeeming the voucher and also didn't put in place any systems to ensure the certificate could only be used once.

As a result the Disney online store was inundated, as happy shoppers started sharing their certificate code with friends and relatives.

Disney spokeswoman Maria Gladowski said once the company was alerted to the mistake by the number of people claiming $15 discount, it put in place measures to limit customers' ability to use the coupon and started combing through the orders to determine which were legitimate.

Disney is still going through those orders and hasn't yet determined what to do with orders from customers who shouldn't have had access to the coupon code, Gladowski said.

"We're processing the orders as quickly as possible. As we review and verify them, they will be shipped out," she said.

In an email message to CNET News.com, one Disney customer said the company had changed the price on an order he placed for a collector's edition DVD of Fantasia, taking away the discount after shipping it.

"Disney has now altered the agreed-upon price and decided to charge me more without my consent," the customer wrote.

Troy Wolverton writes for News.com