eBay connects over 159 million buyers and sellers every month. As one of the largest ecommerce marketplaces globally, eBay facilitates over $80 billion in merchandise volume annually.
With numbers like that, you‘d assume most users are happy on eBay‘s platform. But you may reach a point where you want to delete your eBay account entirely.
Here are the top reasons why someone may want to close their eBay account:
- You‘ve had a negative experience as a buyer or seller
- You find eBay‘s fees and commissions too high
- You worry about identity theft or data privacy
- You found an alternative marketplace that better suits your needs
- You no longer sell online and don‘t need account
Whatever the reason, this simple guide will walk you through how to permanently delete your eBay account in just 6 steps.
I‘ll provide exactly what to expect afteraccount closure, with screenshots for each step. By the end, you‘ll feel confident deleting your eBay profile for good.
Before Deleting: Resolve Any eBay Account Issues
eBay will block account closure if you have any outstanding selling fees, pending transactions, billing problems, or other issues on your account.
You must resolve these problems before eBay allows you to delete your profile:
| Account Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Unpaid seller fees | Pay off any overdue eBay fees like insertion fees and final value fees |
| Pending transactions | Ship the item and await buyer confirmation of delivery |
| Open returns/refunds | Accept return case and issue buyer a refund |
| Live auctions | Cancel any active listings or wait for the auction to finish |
I recommend downloading all your eBay selling data and transaction records before closure, for tax and accounting purposes.
Once your account is clean and clear of any obligations, you can proceed to the deletion steps.
Step 1: Log In to Your eBay Account
First, go to eBay.com and click "Sign In" at the top right corner to access your account login page.
Enter the email address or username associated with your eBay account. Then type your password and click "Sign In" to continue.
Tip: If you‘ve forgotten your password, you can click "Forgot password" to reset and recover access to your account.
Step 2: Access the My eBay Summary Page
Once logged into your eBay account, move your mouse over the "My eBay" link at top right and select "Summary" from the drop-down menu.
This will take you to your My eBay dashboard – the hub for all your eBay account details and activity.
Step 3: Go To Account Settings > Close Account
On the left side of the My eBay page there is a menu for various account options. Click on "Account" in this sidebar menu.
In the Account settings page, scroll down and click the "Close Account" link under Account Preferences to begin the deletion process.
Step 4: Confirm eBay Account Closure
Review all the details and warnings on this page explaining that account closure is permanent and all history/data will be erased.
Once you fully understand that deletion can‘t be reversed, click the blue "Close Account" button at the bottom to proceed.
Heads up: If you have any recent transactions or seller activity, account termination can take up to 60 days for eBay to fully complete.
Step 5: Select Reason For Closing Account
Next, eBay will ask you to cite your primary reason for wanting to delete your account.
Choose the option that closest explains why you want to close your account from the drop-down menu provided.
If none match your situation, pick "Other reason" and manually type in why you are leaving.
Giving an honest reason helps eBay improve the platform for other buyers and sellers.
Step 6: Submit Final Account Closure Request
Double check you are fully ready to delete your account. Once certain, check the box to confirm account closure.
Finally, click the blue "Submit" button to formally submit your account deletion request to eBay.
And that‘s it! By following those six simple steps you can permanently remove your eBay account.
Here is what to expect next…
What Happens After You Delete Your eBay Account
Once submitted, here‘s what happens on eBay‘s end after you delete your account:
- eBay will send an email confirming your deletion request within 24 hours
- The full closure process typically takes 14 days
- If you had any sales in the past 30 days, deletion can take up to 60 days
- All your eBay data like contacts, transaction history, communications is erased
- You permanently lose access to your account (and there‘s no getting it back!)
So in as little as two weeks, your eBay presence will vanish permanently. Poof!
By clicking that blue "Submit" button on the very last step, you trigger the countdown timer to eliminate your eBay existence.
And I‘ll repeat the warning again just to be clear…
Once your account is terminated, there is absolutely no way to retrieve or restore it. The decision is irreversible.
So be 100% confident before going through these deletion steps, because again, there is no undo button. The moment you say goodbye to your eBay account, you say goodbye forever!
I hope this simple, step-by-step walkthrough gave you clarity on properly deleting your eBay account for good.
Just remember to resolve any outstanding selling obligations first, then follow the six deletion steps very carefully when you are absolutely ready. eBay makes it near impossible to reinstate an account once removed!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if this guide was useful, please share it with anyone else looking to close their eBay account.
