Why can't I set a Vacation Responder?

I tried over and over again to set a Vacation Responder for my mom's gmail account last night. I gave it a subject and a message, and check the box to turn it on, then hit the "save changes" button. Back in my inbox I get a warning telling me I didn't set a vacation message...But I DID! I tried over and over. I closed the browser, deleted cookies, and tried again. No luck.

I googled the problem (how ironic) and found that lots of people are encountering the same bug. Is there a reliable workaround, or will google perhaps FIX it soon? :) Thanks!