Now you can go to Your Account > Cancel Subscription (you’ll only see it if you have a paid subscription). You can change a subscription type or just go through with cancellation here. But you’re never fully deleted: by going to a free account, you’ve got a forever-guest account at Ancestry, so you can still use things like message boards and access family trees you’ve created.

Online Retailers

Amazon Closing your account at Amazon means no longer having access to Wish Lists or Associate Accounts or any other associated content-like videos. The cancellation is not necessary if all you want to do is change your email or credit card on the account. You can do either of those under the Your Account link, which you’ll find in the upper right-hand corner of any Amazon page.

To actually delete an account altogether, make sure you have no orders outstanding. Go directly to the Email Amazon Customer Service link. Write a brief note to Amazon telling them why you want out, and send it off. You can also call 866-216-1072 (206-266-2992 for international customers) to follow up if the account appears live after you close look at more info it.

Canceling means saying buh-bye to any accumulated credits on your account. However, you can still get access to your library of audiobooks to re-download, if needed. Obviously, this is more of a « deactivation » than a « deletion. » If the cancellation doesn’t work, call them. Try 888-283-5051 or 973-820-0400 outside the US and Canada.

Zappos This online shoe (and more) store, another subsidiary of Amazon, is well-known for an interesting corporate culture, but not for letting go of customers. There’s no link or even an FAQ section about how to break free. You can, however, call customer service at 800-927-7671 any time, 24/7, to get someone to help you with that. Or, start an online chat session at the site and request the account deletion that way.

Audible Amazon’s arm for audiobooks has an Account Details link on every page (just click your name at the top when signed in)

Apple Apple ties every interaction you make with the company-computers purchased on Apple, entertainment bought on iTunes, apps downloaded, iBooks and Apple Music and iTunes purchases, etc.-to your Apple ID.

Getting rid of an Apple ID is next to impossible. If you make a mistake and create an account you don’t want, it can’t be merged with another account. There are reports that you can call customer service at 800-275-2273 and ask for an account to be deleted, but don’t count on it unless you can supply a certificate showing the customer is deceased.

Here’s what you can do: make sure no credit cards or « trusted devices » are associated with the account by visiting the Apple ID sign-in page. You should also « delete » your Apple ID from your Mac or iOS devices (instructions here) if you no longer want to use it. That’ll help, but your existing Apple ID will always exist on the servers in Cupertino.

One big reason to not deactivate your Apple ID is Digital Rights Management. Music and video and ebooks are tied to your account via DRM to protect the copyright. But you’ll be the one getting punished if you mess with the DRM and can’t access your media anymore just because you messed with your account.

eBay/PayPal Killing an eBay account means never going back-at least, not with the same email address or user ID. Which could be a handy thing for those accumulating bad feedback. Cancellation is not immediate; you get 180 days to finalize any transactions. If you change your mind during that time, you can reactivate the account. EBay holds on to records about you even after shuttering your account, « to comply with laws, prevent fraud, collect any fees owed, resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems, assist with any investigations, enforce our eBay User Agreement, and take other actions as permitted by law. »