The Chipotle website and application do not work on free guac day

The day of free guacamole from Chipotle is gone wrong.

Last week, the troubled burrito chain announced that all customers who ordered a meal via the app or online on Tuesday, July 31, would be eligible to receive free guacamole.

However, at lunchtime on Tuesday, dozens of customers complained on social networks that the site and the channel's application were refusing to accept orders.

Customers reported that the chain application did not accept the code allowing users to add free guacamole to their orders. Others said that the chain's website was crumbling.

Business Insider's attempts to use the code to redeem free guac on the Chipotle application have failed. Reporters also encountered problems when trying to order on the website, with the first page of Chipotle being unavailable for a short period of time.

Chipotle did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, but acknowledged the problems in a tweet.

The technical difficulties come at a time when Chipotle could use a victory.

The company's shares fell 8% on Tuesday, following the Business Insider report released last Monday, according to which more than 170 people said they became ill after eating at a Chipotle restaurant in Powell, Ohio.