Redbox Instant, the video streaming service that launched as a joint venture of DVD kiosk company Redbox and Verizon , will abruptly shut down its service at the end of the day of October 7, in a rather quick end for a service that was meant to challenge rivals like Netflix.

The service's official website posted up this note today:

Thank you for being a part of Redbox Instant by Verizon. Please be aware that the service will be shut down on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Information on applicable refunds will be emailed to current customers and posted here on October 10. In the meantime, you may continue to stream movies and use your Redbox kiosk credits until Tuesday, October 7 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. We apologize for any inconvenience and we thank you for the opportunity to entertain you.

In an FAQ about the shutdown, Redbox offers up a little more color on their decision, saying, "The service is shutting down because it was not as successful as we hoped it would be." GigaOM also reports that Redbox Instant suffered a recent credit card fraud issue that caused the service to stop taking new sign ups for the service for three months.

Redbox Instant was first announced in mid 2012, with a beta test beginning in late 2012 and officially launching in early 2013. iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows 8.1, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PS4 apps were all released. The service included a monthly fee to stream from a selection of movies plus four rentals a month from a Rebox disc kiosk. It also supported purchases of downloadable movies.

Are you a Redbox Instant user and if so what do you think about the decision to shut down the service?

Source: Redbox Instant, GigaOM