How to delete your Amazon Seller account: A detailed guide

Are you an Amazon seller contemplating a change of direction or seeking a break from the bustling world of e-commerce?

Deleting your Amazon seller account might be the solution you’re looking for. But before you make this significant decision, it’s crucial to understand the process and the implications involved.

In this detailed guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step instructions, highlighting key considerations and precautions to take along the way.

What alternate options can you consider before cancelling your Amazon Seller Account?

If you’re feeling frustrated with the selling on Amazon business or the monthly fees associated with it, closing your account may be tempting.

However, it’s worth reconsidering this decision, considering that Amazon continues to attract the most online visitors globally. Additionally, once you close your Amazon seller account, you won’t be able to reactivate or reinstate it.

Closing your account means losing access to valuable information like past inventory details and transactions. Moreover, you won’t be able to communicate with buyers any longer.

Therefore, before taking the step of cancelling your Amazon seller account, it’s worth exploring some alternative options:

Going on Vacation Mode

If you’re experiencing business burnout and need a temporary solution, Amazon’s Vacation Mode can be a helpful option. However, it’s important to note that while your account is in Vacation Mode, your product listings will be invisible to buyers. It’s like hitting the “pause button” on your business.

Before enabling Vacation Mode, there are crucial steps you should take to avoid negative feedback from customers when you resume business:

Accomplish pending orders:

Prioritize fulfilling and shipping any pending orders before setting your listings to inactive. Even if you change the listing status, pending orders will still need to be addressed.

Change listing status in advance:

To prevent last-minute orders you can’t fulfil, it’s recommended to deactivate your listings around 2 days before your vacation begins.

Set an automatic response:

Utilize the auto-reply feature offered by your email provider to set up an automated response for the email address associated with your seller account. This ensures that customers receive a message informing them of your absence and the duration you won’t accept orders.

Now, let’s go through the steps to activate Vacation Mode for your listings:

1. Log into your Amazon Seller Central account
2. Hover over the Settings gear icon at the top-right corner of the screen
3. From the drop-down menu, select Account Info
4. Locate the Listing Status section on the Seller Account Info page and click the “Going on a vacation?” link in the top right corner
5. You’ll be redirected to the Vacation Settings page, where you’ll see the Amazon marketplaces where you’re selling. Click the Inactive button for the desired marketplace to make your listings invisible
6. After setting listings to Inactive, click the Save button. Note that it may take up to 1 hour for your listings to be removed from Amazon’s search results

While on Vacation Mode, there are still important tasks to handle:

• Deal with return requests and respond to customer messages within 24 hours.
• Continue paying monthly subscription fees, particularly if you have a Professional selling plan.

Now that you’re familiar with Vacation Mode, let’s explore another alternative that doesn’t involve closing your seller account.

Downgrading your seller account

Sometimes it’s the monthly subscription fee as an Amazon seller that hurts. Believe it or not, there’s a way to remove that pain without closing your seller account.

If you have a professional selling account, all you need to do is follow these steps to downgrade your account to the free seller arrangement:

1. Log in to Amazon Seller Central
2. Go to the Settings tab in the top right corner. Then click Account Info from the drop-down menu
3. On the seller account, locate and click the Manage in “Your Services” section
4. On the Manage Your Services page, find the “Selling on Amazon” row and select Individual
5. Click on Apply Changes

Deleting particular product listings

Are particular products in your inventory not getting the sales you expected?

There are many reasons for this problem, among which are poor listing optimization, bad reviews, or low product demand.

Why “close the entire store” when you can just delete the underperforming listings?

To do so, you only have to follow these simple steps

1. Open the Inventory tab. Then select Manage Inventory
2. Locate the stock-keeping unit (SKU) that you want to be removed and choose Edit from the drop-down menu on the far right side.
3. Select Delete product and listing
4. If you want to remove more than one listing, click the box to the left of the listings you want to delete. Then select Delete Product and Listing from the drop-down menu above the list.
5. Click OK to delete

By exploring these alternatives, you can address your concerns about fees or other challenges without completely severing your ties with Amazon.

Four reasons why Amazon sellers close their account

Here are the four reasons why Amazon sellers close their account

Not enough sales

Many sellers are initially attracted to Amazon due to its status as one of the largest online marketplaces globally, drawing in nearly 2 billion monthly site visitors. The sheer number of potential customers can create the impression that rapid sales and success are easily attainable.

However, sellers soon come to realize that achieving success on Amazon requires significant effort, resource optimization, and strategic implementation. If you find yourself lacking the necessary time and funds to boost your sales, you may feel inclined to close your account as well.

Frustrated with Amazon’s fees and policies

Recently, Amazon implemented an additional 5% fuel and inflation surcharge for sellers. This surcharge is in addition to the existing fees that Amazon sellers already have to bear, such as referral fees, monthly subscription fees for professional sellers, and per-item fees for individual sellers.

For sellers utilizing FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), there are further expenses to consider, including fulfilment fees, monthly inventory storage fees, long-term storage fees, and disposal order fees. These costs can be particularly burdensome, especially for sellers who are just starting and may not have substantial resources.

In addition to the overwhelming fees, Amazon sellers also express frustration over certain marketplace policies that they perceive as unfavourable. These policies include the implementation of returnless refunds and the functioning of the Buy Box system, which can contribute to decreased sales and financial losses.

Account has been suspended or banned

Amazon takes strict action against third-party sellers who engage in marketplace violations, such as utilizing black hat tactics. These sellers often face account suspensions, which result in the inability to sell products or communicate with buyers until their accounts are reinstated.

In response to such suspensions, some sellers opt to delete their accounts and either leave Amazon altogether or create new accounts to circumvent further profit loss. However, it’s crucial to note that creating a new account can lead to permanent bans.

Instead, it is advisable to close your account if you are unable to maintain it consistently and avoid encountering these problems. By taking this step, you can protect your reputation as a seller and ensure that everything is in order when you decide to return to the platform.

Cannot catch up with the tight competition

Competition is a natural part of any business, and Amazon sellers face significant challenges in this regard. Apart from competing with official resellers, they also contend with hijackers and counterfeiters who can snatch away the coveted Buy Box.

This intense competition can leave sellers feeling overwhelmed and struggling to keep up, leading them to search for ways to delete their Amazon seller accounts.

Things to keep in mind before shutting down your Amazon Seller Account

If you’ve been contemplating closing your Amazon seller account and wondering if it’s possible, the answer is a definite yes.

Whether you’re transitioning to other ventures or simply seeking a change, there are important factors to consider before proceeding.

Here are some key points to keep in mind:

1. Complete any pending orders and ensure they are fulfilled and shipped successfully.
2. Wait for 90 days after your last sale to ensure you honour the A-to-Z Guarantee claims period.
3. Confirm that your account has a zero balance by resolving any outstanding financial matters.
4. Resolve all customer transactions, including processing refunds and addressing any outstanding issues.
5. Verify that your bank account information is accurate to receive any final payments.
6. Review your Performance Notifications to ensure that all account suspension issues have been resolved and your account is fully restored.
7. If you are enrolled in U.S. tax calculation services, refer to the Downgrade/Upgrade and Tax Calculation Service page for important information.

Additionally, if you are an Amazon Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) seller, you must submit a request to either return or dispose of all inventory before proceeding with the above steps.

How to delete your Amazon Seller Account

Once you have completed the necessary preliminary steps, you can proceed with closing or deleting your Amazon seller account by following these instructions:

1. Ensure that you are logged in to your Amazon Seller Central account
2. Go to the Settings tab and select Account Info
3. Click on the option to Close the Account under the Account management
4. Fill out the provided form with the required information and submit your closure or deletion request

After initiating the closure or deletion of your Amazon seller account, you will receive an email confirming that Amazon has received your request.

If your closure request cannot be processed immediately, there is no need to worry. Amazon’s seller support team will reach out to you via email, guiding how to address any obstacles that may be hindering the closure or deletion process.

To deactivate an Amazon seller account, the platform takes 90 days from your last sale.

What happens after deleting your Amazon Seller Central Account

Once your seller account on Amazon is closed, the following consequences will come into effect:

1. Your product listings, along with all associated information and photos, will be permanently and irreversibly deleted.
2. You will lose access to features such as viewing your order history, processing returns, issuing refunds, responding to A-to-z Guarantee claims, and communicating with buyers.
3. If you close a North America Unified Account, all other eligible accounts linked to it (such as Canada and Mexico) will also be closed or deleted simultaneously.
4. Closing an Amazon Europe Marketplaces Account will result in the closure of your account across all European marketplaces.
5. You will no longer have access to your Amazon gift cards.

It’s important to be aware of these consequences before proceeding with the closure of your Amazon seller account.

Wrapping it up!

Deleting your Amazon seller account is a significant decision that requires careful consideration and adherence to specific steps.

Remember to submit the closure or deletion request through your Seller Central account and await confirmation from Amazon.

While the process may result in irreversible changes, such as the deletion of product listings and the loss of certain features, it can also provide a fresh start or a necessary break. Ultimately, understanding the implications and taking the appropriate measures will help you navigate the process of deleting your Amazon seller account smoothly and effectively.