How to Delete Amazon Account Safely – Say Goodbye to Amazon

Amazon is a tech giant offering convenience with almost every service it offers. But it has also been involved in plenty of controversy. 

Unethical business practices, anti-trust charges, and poor working conditions are only some of the reasons people are turning their backs on Amazon. The biggest of them all? Disdain for your privacy. 

Amazon collects gigabytes of data on every user. This includes everything from your online activity to voice and video recordings through Alexa and Ring. If you’ve had enough and are ready to delete your Amazon account and data, this is just the guide for you. 

Why Delete Your Amazon Account?

Whether you want to protect your digital identity or don’t support its unethical business practices, you have plenty of reasons to delete your Amazon account permanently. Let’s go over them quickly to help you put things in perspective.

Too Much Control On Your Online Purchases

Amazon can be too convenient sometimes. It’s very easy to overspend when everything you can think of is just a few clicks away.

Plus, its enticing bundles and discounts can deliver heavy blows to your bank account. Deleting your Amazon account can help you break out of this cycle if you’re a shopaholic.

Refusing to Support Amazon

A lot of customers have stopped using Amazon’s services because of its unfair business practices and its mistreatment of retail workers. As one of the largest companies in the world, it pays little attention to the environmental impact of its operations and reducing its carbon footprint. The tech giant has also faced criticism for not paying enough taxes and hurting local, small businesses. 

Protecting Your Privacy

Its aggressive data collection policies are the biggest reason you no longer want to be an Amazon user. The tech giant knows more about you than you could imagine.

It knows your present and past addresses, what you search for online, and has voice and video recordings from Alexa and Ring if you use them. Not to mention, Amazon can let the police watch Ring video recordings from your home.

It has a record of everything you’ve purchased, every book you’ve read, and every song you’ve listened to using one of its services. Adding to the list, it has access to all the contacts on your phone if you’ve uploaded them.

It even tracks your online activity in the name of enhancing your shopping experience. Bezos may just know you better than you know yourself. 

Close your Amazon account to put an end to that. But think again before you proceed. Amazon is much more than an online store. It delivers everything from groceries, entertainment, and high-tech gadgets to logistical services. Not to mention the countless business opportunities and livelihoods depending on it. 

What Happens When You Delete Your Amazon Account?

Amazon deletes most of your personal data when you close your account. However, it still retains some basic information and your order history (apparently, it needs to have these on hand for fraud prevention and tax purposes). 

When you delete your account, Amazon sends you a confirmation email or text message. Once you verify, you won’t be able to use your account across any Amazon site or service globally. 

Note you cannot restore your account after deletion. If you decide to use Amazon again, you’ll have to create a new one. 

What to Do Before You Delete Your Amazon Account

Be sure to check everything you’ll have to give up when you delete your Amazon account. Apart from not being able to buy stuff from the Amazon store, you’ll lose access to:

          • Amazon Alexa
          • Amazon gift cards
          • Audible account
          • Amazon Pay
          • Amazon devices, like Kindle and Echo
          • Amazon Flex account
          • Access to your Amazon order history
          • Digital products, like Prime Video purchases
          • Kindle Direct Publishing account
          • Your Amazon reviews
          • Your discussion posts

So if you’ve got unwatched movies on Amazon Prime or an unspent gift card balance, now is a good time to indulge yourself. Also, if you’ve got any open orders, cancel them or wait for your products to arrive.   

How to Delete Amazon Account and Amazon Data Permanently

Amazon makes it annoyingly difficult to delete your account, so it’s okay if you can’t find your way to the delete button. I’m here to help.

Follow the steps below if you’re saying goodbye to Amazon. Also, get a computer because you can’t delete your account from the mobile app.

Step 1: Go to Close Your Amazon Account.

Step 2: Sign into your account if you’re not already logged in. 

Screenshot of Amazon Sign in page
Sign in for one last time

Step 3: Scroll to the bottom and select your reason for closing your account. Make sure to select ‘Privacy Concerns’.  

Screenshot of selecting a reason for closing Amazon account
Privacy concerns all the way!

Step 4: Check the box next to “Yes, I want to permanently close my Amazon account and delete my data.” Click on ‘Close My Account’.

Screenshot of Close My Amazon Account button
The job’s not over yet.

Step 5: Amazon will send you a confirmation email. Go to your email account and Confirm Account Closure. 

And that is it! One less tech giant spying on you without your consent. 

Amazon Alternatives to Consider

You’ve deleted your Amazon account. Now what? 

Are you going to boycott online shopping altogether? Probably not. Here are some Amazon alternatives you may want to consider. 

  1. Newegg: Best for devices and tech accessories 
  2. eBay: Best for online auctions and unique items  
  3. AliExpress: Lowest prices for retail goods
  4. Better World Books: Best for, you know, books
  5. Thrive Market: Best for organic groceries 
  6. Etsy: Best for decor and handmade items
  7. Overstock: Best for furniture and office supplies
  8. Grove Collaborative: Household and personal care products

Can CyberGhost VPN Protect You From Amazon Data Collection? 

CyberGhost VPN can protect your online privacy to a large extent. If you don’t log into Amazon, the only way it can identify you and collect your data is from your IP address. 

When you connect to CyberGhost VPN, we mask your IP address with one of our servers. This way, Amazon can no longer identify you or collect your data. We also encrypt your traffic, so it can’t track it back to your device. 

Even when you log into Amazon, it won’t be able to track your IP address. This way, your location stays private. Logging in does mean it’ll keep collecting other data you’re actively providing Amazon. This includes everything from your basic account information, address, contact information, order history, and Amazon searches.  

Amazon also uses cookie trackers to track your search history. You can opt out of this by disabling browsing history from your account settings. But that’s not all. It has a lot of other ways to find out more about you and your interests. So it’s best to stay away from Amazon altogether.

That said, Amazon may still track you with your IP address even if you stop using it. Get CyberGhost VPN to protect your digital identity and stop Amazon and others from snooping on you. 

Bottom Line on How to Delete Amazon Account

Amazon makes it a little tough to delete your Amazon account, but it’s a fairly straightforward process when you find the right page. Be sure you can give up shopping on Amazon and using its services before you hit delete. Plus, you can’t restore your Amazon account. You’ll have to create a new one if you change your mind later. 

Deleting your account also deletes your personal information with Amazon. It’ll still keep some basic data and your order history for its own purposes. However, you can now feel better. Amazon isn’t collecting your data as ruthlessly as before, but it may still see what you do online to lure you back.

We can help you stop that. When logged out, Amazon uses your IP address to track you. Connect to one of our VPN servers to mask your IP address and become a digital ghost. Amazon will never know where you went!

FAQs

Can I delete my Amazon account permanently?

Yes, you can. Head over to the Close Your Amazon Account page, select the reason for deleting your account, and hit delete. This will delete your account and personal information with Amazon permanently
Note  Amazon may still track your online activity through your IP address. Get CyberGhost VPN to mask your IP address, surf the internet safely, and keep your data private from snoopers.

How do you delete an Amazon account?

You can delete your Amazon account from the desktop version of the website. Go to Close Your Amazon Account, select a reason for deleting your account, and last, confirm account closure through your email address.
If you’re worried about Amazon tracking your online activity but don’t want to stop using it, you can disable browsing history from your account settings. We also recommend you use CyberGhost VPN at all times to mask your IP address and stop Amazon and others from spying on you

How long does it take to permanently delete an Amazon account?

It can take anywhere from 12 to 48 hours for Amazon to delete your account and information permanently after you’ve sent a delete request. You can also have it deleted almost instantly if you’re lucky. While you wait for Amazon to delete your account, I’d recommend you log out and use a VPN to protect your data in the meantime. 

What are the best Amazon alternatives?

Newegg, eBay, AliExpress, Better World Books, Thrive Market, Etsy, Overstock, and Grove Collaborative are some of the best Amazon alternatives for online shopping. 
Psst! Don’t forget to use CyberGhost VPN to get the best deals on online marketplaces!

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