What to do when someone dies - new guide feedback

Mrs_Money

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I don't know how BT email accounts work, but have you tried 'forgotten password' options? Depending on the security questions, you may be able to work around them. Obviously it depends what you know ...

Yes, this was suggested to me by BT and I know the answers to all the security questions (like mother's maiden name, name of first pet etc) - but it appears my relative thought he would be clever and write something else for the answers LOL!
So, no go.
I've also emailed Amazon.com - and got what looks like an automated reply telling me they have "no account with this email address" - mine of course, as I was emailing them! The whole query I have re my relative's account was ignored - unbelievable! Any further queries then ask you to log in with your email address and password - no help at all - I don't have an account with Amazon.com.

Tuesday_Tenor

Mrs_Money wrote: »

Does anyone have any idea how I go about closing the Amazon.com (business, I think) account of a deceased relative?
I am the official administrator for a close relative (single with no children) who wrote and sold ebooks on Amazon.com. I'm only really just finding out about this because I've just received a tax statement (I'm assuming that's what it is) from Amazon.com in Seattle (I have a redirect on his mail address).
I've been all over the help sections of their website and can't find anything out. I'm happy to email them but not sure if it'll get to the right person!
All this is made more complicated because BT refuses me access to his email account (I've phoned them and have been told it's not possible- I don't actually believe that) - it would have been so much easier if I'd had access and seen what online things he was involved in!
Throughout all this, I realise that the online world doesn't really ever consider that people die!
Any help would be much appreciated!

I remember hearing something about this on radio 4 during the last year. 'You andYours' or 'Moneybox'. It was very strange that Amazon seemed to have no procedure for dealing with executors, would only accept authority from a court order, but didn't recognise the Probate Court as giving the executor authority .... Aaaagh!

It is a crazy situation as, as executor, you don't just wish to close the account down, but also deal with any debts and credit balances.

I'm sorry I can't remember the outcome or the radio item, and can't find anything useful by googling.

Except the following, which in a roundabout way, by setting up your own Amazon account, might lead you to speak to the correct department. This is from a query on an Amazon board: how do I close Amazon account for a deceased person. Response from another poster, don't think it's an official Amazon response, but seems worth trying. You have to set up you own Amazon account first, and work from there:

Click on the orange "contact us" button to the right of your message.

Then in question1, select "Prime and More".

In question 2: select from the drop down menu " update account information", and then from the menu below select "close my account"

Then click "call us" and they will telephone you in less than 1 minute - you can explain to them which account you need closed and [find out?] what "proof" or authority Amazon need from you.

EDIT: by the way, do not worry that the question says "close MY account" - nothing happens automatically, but you will reach the correct department.



Seems mad that you should have to set up your own Amazon account, but might be the only way ....

GreenPea

Thanks for this guide, it has really helped since loosing my dad 2 weeks ago - it doesn't matter how prepared you think you are it is still a complete shock.

Something that really helped when we lost my gran was that you can register with the mailing preference service (can't post the link but comes up if you google msponline). This meant that when my mum re-directed gran's mail to her address the junk mail stopped really quickly, which reduced the upset of getting so much post in gran's name.

Rooster72

Just contacted Post Office to close late mother-in-law's telephone account. That was okay but they will only send final bill to her old address due to 'data security'. Nobody else seems bothered. Problem is the house was council and the keys have gone back. Suggestion was to redirect but we don't want to. They don't seem to understand that we're not trying to steal her identity but the next tenant might! Can we say if they don't send the bill to our address we're not paying?

:mad:

wwl

Rooster72 wrote: »

Just contacted Post Office to close late mother-in-law's telephone account. That was okay but they will only send final bill to her old address due to 'data security'. Nobody else seems bothered. Problem is the house was council and the keys have gone back. Suggestion was to redirect but we don't want to. They don't seem to understand that we're not trying to steal her identity but the next tenant might! Can we say if they don't send the bill to our address we're not paying?

:mad:

If you tell them that if they send it to the old address chances are it will never get received and therefore not paid might focus them.
Just tell them this, in writing, and give the contact details for the executor - if they chose to ignore it, it's their problem.

Rooster72

Rooster72 wrote: »

Just contacted Post Office to close late mother-in-law's telephone account. That was okay but they will only send final bill to her old address due to 'data security'. Nobody else seems bothered. Problem is the house was council and the keys have gone back. Suggestion was to redirect but we don't want to. They don't seem to understand that we're not trying to steal her identity but the next tenant might! Can we say if they don't send the bill to our address we're not paying?

:mad:

My wife/her daughter is executor.

Rooster72

Rooster72 wrote: »

My wife/her daughter is executor.

I have emailed Post Office:

I called today to cancel my late mother-in-law's HomePhone account. This was done whilst I was on the phone. However, I was told the final bill would go to the address on account, not to that of myself and her daughter, the sole executor, due to data security procedures. No other company my mother-in-law dealt with has insisted this. I see there is more risk of the new tenant stealing her details. Her home was a council property, which was vacated and keys returned on 7 August.

It was suggested that I set up a redirect service costing from £29.99. We would only be expecting the final HomePhone bill so I object to having to pay this for delivery of one item.

If you will not accept the executor's address to send the final bill to, it will not be settled.

G6JNS

Rooster72 wrote: »

I have emailed Post Office:

I called today to cancel my late mother-in-law's HomePhone account. This was done whilst I was on the phone. However, I was told the final bill would go to the address on account, not to that of myself and her daughter, the sole executor, due to data security procedures. No other company my mother-in-law dealt with has insisted this. I see there is more risk of the new tenant stealing her details. Her home was a council property, which was vacated and keys returned on 7 August.

It was suggested that I set up a redirect service costing from £29.99. We would only be expecting the final HomePhone bill so I object to having to pay this for delivery of one item.

If you will not accept the executor's address to send the final bill to, it will not be settled.

It may be a pain but I would lodge a formal complaint with the Post Office. It is not an uncommon problem and the jobsworths can only do as they are told.

getmore4less

One of the downsides of dealing over the phone.

Do the job in writing, notification with death certificate and the address for all future communication to the executor.

The problem is you can't ignore it even a Section 27 notices does not protect the executor on this one.

Rooster72

Don't worry, we will. The Post Office have even refused to budge or offer a solution to my wife when she called this morning. We warned them: we can't guarantee payment without the bill coming to our home address. It'll be too late to book a redirection service now so they've had it.