Cancelling leisure & entertainment accounts after death

Today, much of our time is spent online, indeed it’s how many of us choose to spend our leisure time and consume entertainment. With this brings a new set of considerations following a loved one’s death. In this guide, we detail how to cancel their leisure and entertainment accounts, including Netflix, eBay and Xbox Live. We have arranged them into sections so you can easily find what you are looking for.

• Internet Software
• Shopping
• Newspapers and Magazines
• Television and Films
• Music
• Books and Audio Books
• Gaming

Internet Software

Apple

Apple’s iTunes Store allows users access to media, streaming apps, cloud, and other online services. Any content associated with a loved one’s Apple ID, for example, iCloud content, will be terminated upon their death. Any apps and media also associated with the account will no longer be accessible. Apple support will be able to help you with the process of closing an Apple ID. The information required to do this is the person’s Apple ID, email, password and you will also need to provide a copy of the death certificate. You can talk to a representative via phone, chat or email.

For more information on requesting the deletion of a deceased person's Apple ID, see their helpful guide.

Microsoft

Microsoft is a technology company offering software and online services. Accounts include Outlook.com and OneDrive, and a number of paid subscriptions accessed via a Microsoft account. Many of these subscriptions can be cancelled through the company’s billing section. You do not need to contact Microsoft if someone has died, however, if you know the account credentials, you can close the account yourself. If you do not have these details, the account will be automatically closed after two years of inactivity.

Microsoft provides information on how to close Microsoft products and services and tells customers that data for that account is held for 60 days and following this time the account will be permanently deleted. Microsoft suggests that you cancel any subscriptions, for example, by closing the customer’s bank account or credit card. Outlook.com and OneDrive accounts will be frozen after 1 year and any email messages and files stored on OneDrive will be deleted shortly after. Microsoft accounts expire after two (2) years of inactivity.

Google

Google offers a web-based search as well as email, mapping, business and video services. When you delete a google account, it will have an impact on all the products associated with Google, including Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive, Google plus the Google Play Store. For a Google account, you can make plans in advance. Inactive Account Manager is the suggested best way to let Google know who should have access to your information and whether you want your account to be deleted. However, if the person that has died has not left clear plans about how to manage their online accounts, Google can work with immediate family members and representatives to close the account where appropriate. Google’s main priority is to keep information, secure, safe and private and they will not disclose passwords or login details.

Google asks, what would you like to do?

• Close the account of a deceased user
• Submit a request for funds from a deceased user’s account
• Obtain data from a deceased user’s account

Shopping

Amazon Prime

Amazon is the worlds largest online retailer and sells both digital and physical products. There are two levels of membership, namely Prime and the Basic membership. If you have access to the email address associated with your loved one’s Amazon Prime account, then you can email Amazon Customer Services from their email and request the account is closed. Alternatively, if you do not have access to their email, the Amazon customer service number in the UK is 0800 279 7234. The customer service operator should be able to walk you through the process of closing their account.

It’s worth bearing in mind that if your loved one owned a Kindle or had content stored in an Amazon Drive and/or Prime Photos account and you have the account closed, you will no longer have access to any of this content or the subscriptions associated with this account. Once the account is closed, the Amazon Drive and/or Prime Photos content will be deleted and cannot be restored.

eBay

eBay is the world’s largest online auction site. The eBay website presents you with the option to call or chat online with a representative when it comes to closing the account of someone who has died. You will be required to provide some documentation as proof of death. In order to submit the documents via the document uploader, you will require your own eBay account login. Alternatively, you can communicate with staff about this process via email: customerhelp_uk@ebay.com. When you close an eBay account, the balance must be zero.

PayPal

Funds can be transferred online through PayPal, a web-based transaction service. There are two types of PayPal accounts: personal and business. PayPal customer service requests the following documents from you in order to process closing the account of someone who has died. Once you have the below documents to hand, you will be required to send an email to Bereavement@paypal.co.uk. Once PayPal receive and review the documents, they will advise if further requirements are needed. Additional information about closing someone’s account can be found on the PayPal website.

Newspaper and Magazines

In general, newspapers, magazines and other print subscriptions can be cancelled by calling the customer service of the designated publication. Many publications can be cancelled online.

The Times

Subscriptions with The Times newspaper can be cancelled by calling customer services on 0800 068 4965. If you have any questions, you can call on 0800 018 5177 or 020 7022 6620. Alternatively, email at care@thetimes.co.uk

The Telegraph

The Telegraph aims to do all they can to cancel the account of someone who has died. To cancel an online subscription, fill out the contact form and a member of the Telegraph customer service team will be in touch in order to cancel a Print or Print, Classic Subscription, send a letter to the following address, including the executor’s name, address and signature as well as unused print vouchers.

The Telegraph
PO Box 8560
Derby
DE1 9NA

Television and Film

HBO Go

If you wish to delete an HBO account without a password, you will need to prepare certain information. You will need the name and email of the person that has died, their billing information and a copy of the death certificate. If you have the password, speak with customer service who can help you to close the account. The best place to reach out and contact HBO is via their website.

Netflix

Netflix is the world’s largest streaming video and DVD subscription service. If you are yet to cancel your loved one’s bank accounts, you will need to access the Netflix account in order to cancel unnecessary, recurring payments. If you know the email address associated with your loved one’s Netflix account, you can simply cancel this recurring payment via the Netflix admin settings. If you can’t gain access to the email or account information, contact their customer support at The Netflix Help Centre and explain what has happened. It is possible to speak with someone either via calling 0808 196 5391 or through the live chat option. The customer support operator will ask for a method to verify your identity and the deceased person’s identity and they will then cancel the account for you.

Disney

Disney has a support page to help you cancel subscriptions. If your loved one has saved the Disney login and password, you may be able to cancel the Disney subscription easily. However, if you do not know these details, you can call the live support team at Disney who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Simply go to the link below where you will have the option of Live Chat or Call Us. Once Disney doesn’t receive payments, the service will be terminated. You may find cancelling a subscription is the easiest option.

Sky

The easiest way to get in touch with Sky and cancel your loved one’s account is to call or message the company or by using the ‘Get in touch’ option. The telephone number is 0333 2020 912.

Music

Spotify

Spotify is one of the largest music streaming sites in the world and will not delete the account of someone who has died unless you contact them and request them to do it. To cancel the account of your loved one, you need to have the login account details. Alternatively, if you do not have access to their login account information, you can get in touch with Spotify who should be able to help with closing the account. For additional information about closing someone’s account please see Spotify's support page.

Books and Audio Books

Audible

An Audible membership gives access to wide variety of audiobooks. There are several options you can use to notify Audible about the death of a loved one.

• Email – bereavement-support@amazon.co.uk
• Phone – 0800 496 2455

You will need to know the details of the account holder. Attach a certified copy of the death certificate along with the email address of the account being closed. You will then be advised by the Audible team of the next steps. Once the subscription is cancelled, the books will not be accessible unless downloaded beforehand. Audible can be cancelled by iPhone, iPad, on your desktop or via email.

Kindle

When you buy an e-book, you are only purchasing the license to read the book, not the actual book itself. This is clearly pointed out in the terms and conditions. Purchased books cannot be sold or transferred to another account. Currently, the only way for you to retain access to your loved ones Kindle library is to keep the account open.

Amazon does now provide a way to share your Kindle e-books among family members; ‘the Kindle Family Library’ is available in countries where Amazon household is available, including the United Kingdom. This is a very convenient way of sharing a Kindle book collection with other Kindle users in your family.

If you still want to go ahead and close the account, you can email Amazon customer services and request the account is closed.

Gaming

Xbox Live

Xbox Live is a subscription service associated with a Microsoft account. Simply closing a Microsoft account does not cancel any of the subscriptions associated with it. Both the act of closing a Microsoft account and cancelling associated subscriptions requires a login, email address and password. Following the closure of an Xbox account, after 60 days, all downloaded content, games and applications will be lost. Whilst Microsoft have a ‘Next of Kin’ process this only supports their email accounts, and they do not provide support for Xbox Live.

PlayStation

Games, music and movies can be downloaded through PlayStation, a gaming and entertainment platform. Once an account is created, it cannot be deleted, although it can be closed and not used again. You will have to deactivate the associated PlayStation from the PlayStation network. You will need the sign-in ID, email, and password.

Social Media Accounts

To find out more on how to close social media accounts when someone has died, please see our guide.

The above is for your guidance only. Your relationship to the person who has died, i.e., whether you are married or not, might impact whether the above advice is applicable to you. You should always seek legal advice following the death of someone close to you.