Qwikster (2011): did it need fixing?

2011

Netflix

Before: Netflix: DVDs by mail and streaming, one account, one website.
The fix: Split the plans with a price hike, then said DVDs would move to a separate site called Qwikster.
Then: Netflix lost 800,000 US subscribers that quarter. Reed Hastings killed Qwikster on October 10, 2011, about three weeks after announcing it.

Took it back

Qwikster never launched. The price increase stayed.

Your call

Source: npr.org

More fixes nobody asked for

2009

PepsiCo (Tropicana)

Before: A juice carton with an orange on it and a straw stuck in the orange.
The fix: The agency Arnell swapped the orange for a close-up of a plain glass of juice.
Then: Shoppers could not find their juice. Unit sales fell 20% between January 1 and February 22, 2009, while Florida's Natural and Minute Maid posted double-digit gains.

Took it back

The orange and straw were back within about two months.

Your call

2023

Deere & Company

Before: Tractors that owners and independent shops could repair themselves.
The fix: Made many repairs need Service ADVISOR, software only dealers get in full. A 2023 pledge with the Farm Bureau promised more access.
Then: In return, the Farm Bureau agreed not to push repair laws. The FTC sued anyway in January 2025, joined by five states. Deere paid $99 million to settle a farmers' class action, then in July 2026 agreed to give owners the dealers' repair tools.

Half took it back

Dealer-grade repair tools for owners, under FTC watch for 10 years.

Your call

2016

HP

Before: HP OfficeJet printers that took cheaper third-party ink cartridges without complaint.
The fix: A firmware update, set to switch on September 13, 2016, made printers reject cartridges without HP chips.
Then: Printers started calling perfectly good cartridges damaged. HP admitted no fault, but paid $1.5 million to settle a US class action and up to $1.35 million to settle in Europe.

Kept it.

HP printers were still blocking non-HP chips in 2023.

Your call