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Ready to leave Amazon? This is how you delete your Amazon account permanently

Brett Molina
USA TODAY

Is it time to delete your Amazon account? Is that even possible?

As the COVID-19 pandemic taught many consumers, Amazon served as a vital lifeline for getting everything you need as you hunker down at home trying to avoid catching or spreading the virus.

But the pandemic also allowed other businesses to shore up their online shopping endeavors, such as curbside pickup. As a result, Amazon has plenty of competition.

Whether you are looking for alternatives to Amazon, had a bad experience, or want to support small businesses more directly, there is life beyond the e-commerce giant.

Here's how to permanently delete your Amazon account:

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A sign is seen outside of an Amazon Go store at the Amazon.com Inc. headquarters on May 20, 2021 in Seattle, Washington.

Before deleting your Amazon account

It's important to double-check everything you might lose access to if you delete your account on Amazon. Depending on how much you use Amazon, it can go well beyond just buying stuff. If you bought movies or TV shows from Prime Video, or purchased music from Amazon Music, or any books for your Kindle, they're going to disappear.

Also, if you have a gift card balance, be sure and spend it. If you delete your account before this, that money is gone.

Amazon has a full list of the services impacted when your account is deleted.

Another important note: Once you delete your account, there's no recovering it if you change your mind. You have to start over with a new account.

How to delete your Amazon account

Go to Amazon's website, and visit the link to "Close your Amazon account." After you sign in to the account you want to shut down, Amazon will show you all the products and services you have linked to the account.

You'll see a dropdown menu asking for the reason you want to delete your account, then click the box to confirm you want to permanently delete your account and data.

Once that's done, you'll receive an email or text confirming you want to delete the account. Amazon says you have to respond within five days to confirm.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

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