Adobe customers hit by charging error: 'Bank account at zero'

Hundreds of Adobe customers may have been affected by an 'overcharging' error that in some cases emptied bank accounts.

An Adobe customer told ZDNet that the San Jose, CA.-based firm charged him "a hundred times in the past 48 hours." He noted that because his credit card is linked to the account, the balance on his card "just went to zero," when there should be a mid-to-high four-figure sum in the account. 

The customer, who declined to be named, confirmed the figures with his bank. In calling Adobe, he confirmed that he was "not alone," but that this would "all be corrected." 

The issue appears to be limited to a small number of customers using Adobe Connect, a web conferencing suite, often sold primarily to enterprises directly or through resellers. 

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An Adobe spokesperson said on October 1, around 200 Adobe Connect customers were "charged multiple times for renewals" made through the firm's online order processing system. 

"We’ve identified a fix to our online order processing system for Adobe Connect, and have begun deploying it."

"Customers who were affected are being contacted directly today, and we are in the process of crediting back those customers for incorrect charges. In addition, we are offering affected customers six months of additional Adobe Connect service free of charge."

Adobe said the online order processing system services individuals who purchase an Adobe Connect account online on a pay-per-minute or per-host basis, which the bug was contained to.

The Adobe customer claimed Adobe "offered no help," except to confirm the problem and that the firm was "taking care of it." 

"For a systems company, this is pretty unacceptable," he said.