Tech

How to delete your eBay account and the data associated with it

ebay website laptop
Deleting your eBay account can actually be a lengthy and complicated process. Daniel Krason/Shutterstock
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Deleting accounts can be a way to simplify your online life. If you want to delete your eBay account, however, simple is not a good way to describe the process.

It's quite lengthy, requiring a lot of confirmation that you want to close it out, and once you complete it it can take 30 days, or more, to fully close out your account — assuming it's in good standing and there are no outstanding balances or pending transactions.

Here's how to complete the process of deleting your eBay account and all its associated data:

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How to delete your eBay account

1. Go to ebay.com on your PC or Mac and log into your account, if needed.

2. Hover the cursor over your name in the upper-left corner of the screen and click "Account settings."

How to delete eBay account
Click "Account Settings."  Devon Delfino/Business Insider

3. If necessary, click the "Account" tab, and then under "Account preferences" select "Close account."

How to delete eBay account
Click "Close Account."  Devon Delfino/Business Insider

4. Scroll to the bottom of the article and click the blue "Close account and delete my data" button.

How to delete eBay account
Click "Close account and delete my data."  Devon Delfino/Business Insider

5. Select a reason for leaving from the drop-down menu to close your account.

How to delete eBay account
Select an option from the drop-down menu.  Devon Delfino/Business Insider

6. Select a more specific reason from the options given and then click "Continue."

How to delete eBay account
Select your options and then click "Continue."  Devon Delfino/Business Insider

7. Confirm that you want to close your account by selecting "No, please close my account" from the drop-down menu and then clicking "Continue" again.

How to delete eBay account
Click the blue "Continue" button.  Devon Delfino/Business Insider

8. Tick the box next to "I read and understand the above information" and click "Continue."

How to delete eBay account
Make sure to click "Close account."  Devon Delfino/Business Insider

As the site warns you, many, many times during this process, closing your account means that you won't have access to your sales history or be able to sell items, use your email address associated with that account on eBay, or reopen your account once it's been closed.

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Devon Delfino is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist specializing in personal finance, culture, politics, and identity. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, Business Insider, and CNBC. Follow her on Twitter at @devondelfino.