Close Skype accounts

[Cloggie]

I have several Skype accounts that I want to close but it seems to be impossible to do that, you need to talk to a Microsoft representative and of course that doesn't work.

Anybody any idea how to close them??

Thanks for your help.

[attrayant]

It has become pretty standard practice for some time not to close or terminate service-based accounts like email and such (and skype is a communications service tied to your MS account), because companies that do this are only setting themselves up for the inevitable onslaught of service requests and complaints by customers who will eventually want the account opened again. Therefore, the standard suggestion from most providers is to simply stop using the service.

What does closing the account accomplish anyway?

[2008bangkok]

What does closing the account accomplish anyway?

Why does anybody close anything? We should all just say sod it and have dormant accounts lying around.

You close an account for the simple fact you have finished with it and you dont want to be associated with it anymore.

[attrayant]

That makes no sense whatsoever. Even if the account could be closed you would still always be associated with it. The company would always have that record and your name (or alias) would always be on it. Your reasons (if we can call them that) are purely emotional and not based on any demonstrated harm or benefit. It's not like a credit card account where keeping it open actually constitutes a liability for the account holder. Keeping a skype or email account open (but just not using it any more) doesn't obligate you to do anything or charge you with any liability.

But if it bothers you that much, just change the name on the account to John Doe and change the password to a random string of text that you'll never guess in a million years. Voilà! It's not your account any more.

[Langsuan Man]

Unfortunately it is not possible to entirely delete a Skype account. So you cannot learn how to close Skype account permanently.

However, you can remove all personal details from your account profile, so that people cannot search for you in Skype using

any of this information.Mar 16, 2013

How to Delete Skype Account Permanently - YouTube

[Cloggie]

It has become pretty standard practice for some time not to close or terminate service-based accounts like email and such (and skype is a communications service tied to your MS account), because companies that do this are only setting themselves up for the inevitable onslaught of service requests and complaints by customers who will eventually want the account opened again. Therefore, the standard suggestion from most providers is to simply stop using the service.

What does closing the account accomplish anyway?

I just want my name removed from their database.

[Cloggie]

That makes no sense whatsoever. Even if the account could be closed you would still always be associated with it. The company would always have that record and your name (or alias) would always be on it. Your reasons (if we can call them that) are purely emotional and not based on any demonstrated harm or benefit. It's not like a credit card account where keeping it open actually constitutes a liability for the account holder. Keeping a skype or email account open (but just not using it any more) doesn't obligate you to do anything or charge you with any liability.

But if it bothers you that much, just change the name on the account to John Doe and change the password to a random string of text that you'll never guess in a million years. Voilà! It's not your account any more.

I just want to remove my name from their database, I don't use it anymore - that's it.

[Cloggie]

That makes no sense whatsoever. Even if the account could be closed you would still always be associated with it. The company would always have that record and your name (or alias) would always be on it. Your reasons (if we can call them that) are purely emotional and not based on any demonstrated harm or benefit. It's not like a credit card account where keeping it open actually constitutes a liability for the account holder. Keeping a skype or email account open (but just not using it any more) doesn't obligate you to do anything or charge you with any liability.

But if it bothers you that much, just change the name on the account to John Doe and change the password to a random string of text that you'll never guess in a million years. Voilà! It's not your account any more.

I just want to remove my name from their database, I don't use it anymore - that's it.

Double post - please remove

Edited February 6, 2016 by Cloggie

[Cloggie]

Unfortunately it is not possible to entirely delete a Skype account. So you cannot learn how to close Skype account permanently.

However, you can remove all personal details from your account profile, so that people cannot search for you in Skype using

any of this information.Mar 16, 2013

How to Delete Skype Account Permanently - YouTube

Already done that but still I want to remove it, it's my name and I want it removed from the Skype database.

[Langsuan Man]

Well someone did not read the Terms of Service when they signed up for Skype. Maybe the General will invoke Article 44 just for you

[attrayant]

I just want to remove my name from their database, I don't use it anymore - that's it.

Okay well that's just not going to happen. Rule #1 in the IT world is that data NEVER gets deleted on purpose*. Data can be archived, flagged as inaccessible or hidden from front-end queries, but it never gets deleted. Remember those credit card accounts you closed thirty years ago? Yeah that data is still somewhere - almost certainly archived but still there in case the bank ever gets subpoenaed or needs to prove it followed some obscure banking rule that might, someday, be accused of breaking.

*Exception (because I know somebody's going to call me on it): Certain consumer protection laws require that some types of sensitive user data must be deleted after financial transactions are completed. Credit card numbers supplied to a merchant during a transaction, for example. Once the transaction is completed, the merchant cannot keep a record of your personal information without your authorization.

Edited February 6, 2016 by attrayant

[cyberfarang]

That makes no sense whatsoever. Even if the account could be closed you would still always be associated with it. The company would always have that record and your name (or alias) would always be on it. Your reasons (if we can call them that) are purely emotional and not based on any demonstrated harm or benefit. It's not like a credit card account where keeping it open actually constitutes a liability for the account holder. Keeping a skype or email account open (but just not using it any more) doesn't obligate you to do anything or charge you with any liability.

But if it bothers you that much, just change the name on the account to John Doe and change the password to a random string of text that you'll never guess in a million years. Voilà! It's not your account any more.

Not necessarily so. I`ve opened accounts with different things and found there are no means to completely delete the buggers. So I came up with a cunning plan. I went into my profiles or editing account modes and just deleted any photos or avatars, changed my email addresses, name, details and other information to fake ones or nonsense data or that don`t exist and then logged out and let them all get on with it, never to hear from them again.

with Skype I`m sure it`s possible to do similar and then open a new account if desired.

[attrayant]

When I said "you would still always be associated with it", I was referring to the change log in the service provider's records or archives. Changing your display name from John Smith to James Doe on a service account would probably accomplish little more than creating a change log entry showing both the old and new names. This information is useful in case of class action lawsuits or just in case the Feds ever come calling for your records. Especially in this day and age of litigation-happy lawyers, companies can only help themselves by retaining as much customer data as they're legally permitted to.

[Cloggie]

I can understand from a technical point that it is not always possible to DELETE accounts but at least you should have the option to CLOSE an account so it is not visible anymore.

Also companies can now claim that they have 15.000.000 users while actually they only have 9.500.000 users as 5.500.000 users can't delete / close their account!

Oh well, then I just leave it like it is and just change all my account details.....