Cynical Capitalist

That didn't last long

Some products have been announced to great fanfare only to be discontinued within months, sometimes weeks or even days:
Amp'd Mobile was a mobile phone service launched in the United States in late 2005, as one of the first Mobile Virtual Network Operator it borrowed network availability from larger operators, in its case Verizon. In its pay as you go model, customers were free to stop using the service on a month to month basis, and just 2 years after introduction, less than half its customers were still active, forcing the company into bankruptcy in June of 2007, for what was one of the shortest lived telephone service provider.

The Arch Deluxe was a signature hamburger sold by McDonald's in 1996 and marketed specifically to adults. It was soon discontinued after failing to become popular despite a massive marketing campaign and now is considered one of the most expensive flops of all time.

In September 2011, stock market darling and DVD-by-mail rental leader Netflix announced that in the face of its growing on-demand streaming business, its DVD section of Netflix would be split off and renamed Qwikster. Netflix subscribers who wanted DVDs by mail would have had to use a separate website to access Qwikster. in just two short weeks filled with customer outrage and public mockery, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced the cancellation of the planned Qwikster service and said that the DVD-by-mail service would remain a part of Netflix.

ZapMail was a service, launched in 1984 by Federal Express (FedEx) whereby fax transmission was offered to customers as a means to expedite delivery of documents. This was before the widespread availability and use of fax services in homes and businesses. Eventually judged a commercial failure, it was discontinued just over two years later

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