Closing your Amazon account isn't as easy as opening one. There are hurdles put in place to make the process a bit of a hassle. But, worry not. With your cup of coffee, the right information, some determination, and a little time to spare, you can close your Amazon account today.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to close your Amazon account (and there are plenty), you're not alone. So why do people want to delete their Amazon accounts? How do you close your Amazon account? And what happens to your data after deletion?

Why Do People Delete Their Amazon Accounts?

Many people are closing their Amazon accounts already.

A report on Business Insider details the experiences of current and ex-Amazon drivers peeing in bottles and excreting inside nylon bags while on duty, in order to beat Amazon's strict delivery deadlines.

Similarly, Fortune, The Guardian, CNBC, and many others detail horror tales of poor working conditions at Amazon, which has also kicked against worker's unionism.

Related: What Is Buyer Protection and Why Do I Need It?

Washington DC attorney, Karl Racine filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon over its Marketplace Fair Pricing Policy, which he says is just a reset of its controversial Price Parity Provision.

As a marketplace seller, the price parity provision barred you from selling your products cheaper on any other site, including your own online store. The EU further brought antitrust charges against Amazon's use of third-party seller data, and the buy box button, among others.

Despite its enormous revenues, Amazon is known to manipulate taxes, just like many big tech companies. In 2020, The Guardian reported that Amazon EU made €44 billion in sales income and paid no corporation taxes.

Safety Detectives uncovered 13,124,962 Amazon product review scams where sellers recruited people to buy select products, leave 5-star reviews, later get refunded by the seller, and keep the product as payment for their services.

While not a direct fault of Amazon, it could mean that you may end up buying fake and substandard products with made-up reviews.

Cybercriminals also target people who shop on Amazon. Most of these are phishing scams disguised as emails originating from the retail giant. Despite measures put in place by Amazon, some people still fall for it.

Another compelling reason for wanting to close an Amazon account is for security reasons, especially if an account is hacked, compromised, or involved in a breach that exposes credit card data and other personal information.

Some find other Amazon alternatives for shopping online, or simply no longer wish to keep their Amazon account for other reasons.

Related: Should You Be Concerned About Amazon Sidewalk's Security?

But there are lots of reasons you might want to keep your account. The range and pricing make Amazon a leading online retailer, and you can still shop through third-parties.

Things You Need to Know Before You Close Your Amazon Account

You should be sure that closing your Amazon account is what you really want to do before you proceed.

If so, take note of the following points before you go ahead and delete your Amazon account.

  • You cannot delete your Amazon account just by yourself. You'll need to submit a request to customer service.
  • You'll need to submit the account closure request for all the Amazon accounts you want to close.
  • You should download a copy of any content you have uploaded (e.g. Amazon photos); otherwise, they will all be deleted too.
  • Take screenshots of your transactions and order history for future reference.
  • Make sure you resolve any pending issues tied to your account, such as disputes, returns, and refunds.

How to Close and Delete Your Amazon Account

To close your Amazon account and delete your data permanently, you will need to submit a request to Amazon.

Amazon please read this carefully

Here's how to close your Amazon account.

  1. Visit the Close Your Amazon Account page and sign in to your account.
  2. Once in, go through the section that reads "Please read this carefully".
  3. Make sure you review the accounts and services associated with your account. This will highlight all the Amazon services you will be missing out on by closing your account.
  4. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click Choose Reason under "Please select the main reason for closing your Amazon account". This is optional.
  5. Select your reason for closing your account, if you want to.
  6. Check the box next to Yes, I want to permanently delete my Amazon account.
  7. Click the Close My Account button.
Amazon select reason for closing your account

And voila, you're done.

What Happens After You Close Your Amazon Account?

After you submit your account closure request, the following will happen:

  • You will receive a confirmation notification by email or text informing you about what next to expect.
  • You must respond to this email within five days to verify your account closure request.
  • Once closed, almost all of your Amazon data and history will be deleted.
  • Also, you cannot access your account again and it cannot be restored.
  • However, you can use the same email address to create a new account at any time.

You will miss out on associated services such as Amazon, AWS, Seller Central, Amazon Associates, Amazon Flex, Amazon Pay, Amazon Gift Cards, Comixology, Whole Foods Market, among others.

Your Amazon devices, such as the Amazon Echo, Kindle, and Fire TV, will equally be unregistered from your Amazon account. To use these devices again in the future, you will need to register them to an active Amazon account or create a new one.

You can view a full list of everything that happens when you close your Amazon account.

What Happens to Your Data After You Close Your Amazon Account?

Almost all of your account data will be deleted when you close your Amazon account. However, some will not. So, what happens to the details that aren't deleted?

Amazon claims that it is legally required or entitled to retain some of your data, such as your order history, in line with applicable laws for tax and accounting purposes, and as a fraud prevention measure.

Related: What Are the New US Antitrust Laws and How Will They Take Down Big Tech?

Should You Close Your Amazon Account?

You should consider all the options available to you before deciding to close some or all of your Amazon-associated services, carefully weighing up the pros and cons.

If you decide that closing your Amazon account is the best course of action, by all means do so. Simply follow the steps and say goodbye to Amazon for good.