A company that sells organic soap for babies is in hot water after a promo code offering $75 off its products spread like wildfire among parents on social media this weekend.
The code for California Baby, a "premium skincare" line for babies and children, offered $75 off a purchase of $75 or more.
Using code "TEDDYWTB48," savvy moms and dads figured out they could order $75 worth of stuff and just pay for shipping.
A spokesperson for California Baby told BuzzFeed News on Monday, after the code went viral, that a "glitch in our system caused a certain amount of invalid orders to be processed" over the weekend.
While the code was active, though, moms took advantage. One mom, Logan Schofner of Richmond, Virginia, told BuzzFeed News she saw the code in "several" Facebook mom groups she belongs to. Some of her friends also posted on their personal pages.
She said she has used the products on her 14-month-old daughter before, so quickly got in on the action. Using the code, she ordered five different products but only paid around $6.
She added her order was confirmed by the company and the shipping cost was charged to her PayPal account.
A mom named Morgan told BuzzFeed News she ordered five products for her three kids, and only paid $1.94.
Another mom, named Cassandra, ordered six products for $10 after seeing it on a "Baby and Me" Facebook page.
She told BuzzFeed News she wanted to try the line because her son has eczema and some other moms recommended it.
The promo code spread from Facebook groups to other social media, and even deal pages. BuzzFeed News tried ordering using the code around 3 pm ET on Monday, but it no longer worked.
Many encouraged friends to buy while they could.
California baby is either having a sale or it's a major fluke, but either way this promo code gets $75 off $75 (TEDDYWTB48). I just ordered a bunch of shampoo/soap to back stock! 😍 I paid $9 for all of this with shipping!
All the moms who spoke to BuzzFeed News said it appeared their order was proceeding with no issues. However, the spokesperson said that any order made between Friday and Monday would be refunded, adding "credit card information was not compromised in any way."
"The problem has been identified and has been corrected. We thank our loyal customers for their consideration," they said.
The company's founder and CEO, Jessica Iclisoy, also responded to customers asking her about it on her verified Instagram account. She said the code was "illegitimate."
Iclisoy, who founded the company in 1995 and is worth an estimated $310 million, said all orders are "being refunded." In response to another commenter, she explained the code was "a one time use for those who earned it through our referral program."
"If you would like to get a legit code, sign up for our newsletter to participate in our our referral program to earn a legit code. Thank you," she told a customer on Instagram.
Her explanation wasn't enough for customers, who turned on the company quickly. Many started complaining on its Facebook page, saying they wanted information about their order and couldn't reach customer service.
They are now being inundated with bad Facebook reviews.
Although some people said the angry customers were being a little harsh.
However, many customers said they felt the company could give them something for their trouble.
"The company and owner are worth hundreds of millions of dollars, I doubt this would break them, but it could bring new people," one person said.