Redbox Instant by Verizon has shut down their streaming video service, only a year and a half after launch. The following message is posted on their website: "Thank you for being a part of Redbox Instant by Verizon. Please be aware that the service has shut down on Tuesday, October 7, 2014. Information on applicable refunds will be emailed to current customers and posted here on October 10. We apologize for any inconvenience and we thank you for the opportunity to entertain you."
According to the website, "[t]he service is shutting down because it was not as successful as we hoped it would be." Redbox will be providing a one-month refund to subscribers who received only a partial month of the service they paid for, and will be refunding rental fees for videos that were rented but not viewed. Refunds will be automatically applied to customer's credit cards by October 24, 2014.
Redbox will continue to operate their kiosks, but DVDs and Blue-ray Disc credits included wiht Redbox Instant subscriptions were canceled when the streaming service shut down. And if you purchased movies to be able to watch them "forever"? Redbox is "exploring options for customers who purchased electronic versions of on-demand movies. You’ll receive an email from us shortly, or you can check back here for an update in about two weeks. We appreciate your patience." Options would be to refund purchases, offer credits to purchase the same movies on other streaming services, or provide a physical copy of the movie on DVD or Blue-ray.