How To Close Online Accounts And Services When Someone Dies

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gnfb

1848 posts

Uber Geek

# 154904 12-Nov-2014 12:00

I know it may seem I have a obsession with my mortality, necromania its called buy hey! everyone has to have a hobby!

With that in mind I came across this useful link you may want to bookmark

How To Close Online Accounts And Services When Someone Dies

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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Elpie

1304 posts

Uber Geek

# 1176407 15-Nov-2014 18:55

One person supports this post

Not a very useful site really. I flicked through some of the links and each said that account username and passwords were required.

From my own experience, it's almost impossible to close online accounts and services when someone dies if they have not left behind instructions on how to access their logins. Some sites, like Google, will tell you that they will close accounts if you provide documentation such as death certificates and copies of wills. If a will does not give specific authority for the living person to act on behalf of the deceased they ignore requests. Other sites will only accept documentation that is from their own countries. Just try getting a US notary to certify that someone in NZ has died!

GoDaddy was terrible to deal with after my husband's death. No amount of legal paperwork, including a letter from my lawyer, would convince them to give me access to my late husband's domain. As a result, his personal website continued to gather email and stay up for over a year after his death. I couldn't get access and they wouldn't take it down.

The best plan is to store all login details in one secure place, have a master password for this, and give the master password to a lawyer with instructions as to whom this will be given upon your death.

mattwnz

15018 posts

Uber Geek

# 1176414 15-Nov-2014 19:16

Canceling the credit card? When someone dies their bank accounts are normally locked anyway, so the bills can stop getting paid. I presume normally a lawyer or beneficiaries / family will handle this sort of thing. Often you have to send death certificates to these organisations to cancel the service.

gnfb

1848 posts

Uber Geek

# 1176447 15-Nov-2014 20:43

I think you will find that most people are completely unprepared for a digital exit. I broached this subject before and got a very luke warm reception almost like when I asked about computer maintenance. Most likely the likes of the people who frequent geekzone are not the main target. The general response is "what do i care I will be dead" As for cancelling the credit card good luck with that. You most likely just committed fraud!. I do imagine solicitors and the legal profession will be gearing up for digital passing as it could prove to be a real money maker. Close you google account $150 close your facebook account $150 etc etc they will love it and good on em nothing wrong in making money, its the american way.....oh sorry Kiwi way, forgot where i was...hehehe.

Properly packaged there is a huge business opportunity here for offering a service to the legal profession. I can't be bothered but some you young bucks should take note. As the expression goes you can always rely on death and taxes.

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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gnfb

1848 posts

Uber Geek

# 1176448 15-Nov-2014 20:44

Elpie: Not a very useful site really. I flicked through some of the links and each said that account username and passwords were required.
From my own experience, it's almost impossible to close online accounts and services when someone dies if they have not left behind instructions on how to access their logins. Some sites, like Google, will tell you that they will close accounts if you provide documentation such as death certificates and copies of wills. If a will does not give specific authority for the living person to act on behalf of the deceased they ignore requests. Other sites will only accept documentation that is from their own countries. Just try getting a US notary to certify that someone in NZ has died! GoDaddy was terrible to deal with after my husband's death. No amount of legal paperwork, including a letter from my lawyer, would convince them to give me access to my late husband's domain. As a result, his personal website continued to gather email and stay up for over a year after his death. I couldn't get access and they wouldn't take it down. The best plan is to store all login details in one secure place, have a master password for this, and give the master password to a lawyer with instructions as to whom this will be given upon your death.

Sorry if it wasn't much good i didn't really pay that much attention to it maybe you could make one?

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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Elpie

1304 posts

Uber Geek

# 1176469 15-Nov-2014 21:41

gnfb:

Sorry if it wasn't much good i didn't really pay that much attention to it maybe you could make one?

I could, but wouldn't. I'm so paranoid about online security I won't even use online password managers. A site like that is good in that it gets people thinking. The problem is, even people that are aware tend to think it's something they can take care of later. My late husband, for example, was changing life insurance companies. His old insurance was cancelled and the new documents were signed but not sent in. He intended to do that "tomorrow" and went off to work. He never made it home from work. We had discussed the need for planting for the winding up of our digital lives. Sometime. Just in case. But when you are in your early 40's death still seems a long way off. It was always going to be done - soon. Never happened. The mess I was left with in trying to contact people without knowing how to and in trying to close accounts was mind-boggling.

Knowing you should do it and actually doing it are two different things.

josephhinvest

1272 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

# 1176487 15-Nov-2014 21:56

Just my very small contribution regarding passwords. My wife and I both use 1Password to manage our own passwords. But what we have also done, is to save each other's master 1Password password in our 1Password vault. So I have the password to her password vault, and she has the password to mine. Thus if required we could access the passwords for each other's accounts.

Cheers,
Joseph

Elpie

1304 posts

Uber Geek

# 1176488 15-Nov-2014 21:56

mattwnz: Canceling the credit card? When someone dies their bank accounts are normally locked anyway, so the bills can stop getting paid. I presume normally a lawyer or beneficiaries / family will handle this sort of thing. Often you have to send death certificates to these organisations to cancel the service.

What actually happens in the case of a sudden death is that the bank accounts and credit cards are frozen. They are locked as at the date of death but interest still accrues on the credit card. If a partner has a card on that account, even if the account is not in joint names, the banks chase the partner demanding payment. Anything that comes in on the card, even if it was a purchase made by the deceased which hadn't been processed at the time of death, becomes a debt that the banks lay on the surviving partner. The credit card is cancelled once a death certificate is issued and its the responsibility of whoever is administering the will to send that in to the bank. In the case of a sudden death, it can be a very long time before a death certificate is issued because there isn't one until after the coroner makes his/her findings. If an inquest is ordered (which happens when someone is killed in a car crash) this can take 18 months or more.

Sidestep

715 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

# 1176509 15-Nov-2014 22:17

Have had some experience with this unfortunately.

My sister- in- law passed away suddenly, and unexpectedly, in her 30's.

The key is to set up an Enduring Power of Attorney while you are still alive.
We found the POA, proof of death, and a lawyers letter was enough to close most things down.

Of course you also need a will, an executor to carry it out, and directives on what to do with your business etc.

Even then it took a long time ( years) to sort out. And caused my wife and I lots of stress and sadness.

It was a wake up call. Now ( in our 40's) we have comprehensive wills, have selected POA's, lawyer has directives and details to assist our executors.. and it would still be difficult.

Having kids forces you to sort things out and not put it off.

gnfb

1848 posts

Uber Geek

# 1176804 16-Nov-2014 15:36

josephhinvest: Just my very small contribution regarding passwords. My wife and I both use 1Password to manage our own passwords. But what we have also done, is to save each other's master 1Password password in our 1Password vault. So I have the password to her password vault, and she has the password to mine. Thus if required we could access the passwords for each other's accounts.

Cheers,
Joseph

Good idea unless you both check out at the same time! Sorry didnt mean to be morbid I think you are further along than most. Most couples wouldnt even share the passwords!

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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gnfb

1848 posts

Uber Geek

# 1176806 16-Nov-2014 15:48

I suppose because of my own mortality and being the wrong side of 50 and 1 heart attack down I maybe think about it more than most. All my immediate family is in the UK whoever gets the honors with my estate would have a nightmare. If one really wanted to close my digital life, i bet I am not alone in having possibly 1-200 internet accounts 4-5 bank accounts in two different countries where different laws apply and maybe 6-10 domestic accounts. along with 30-40 websites etc (not all operating).

I imagine its a bit like contents insurance most people have no idea what there house contents are worth. I had a friend that was in house after fire restoration services in Canada( they do things different their). He helped me in Oz when I had a kitchen fire fire didnt spread out of the kitchen and I was only claiming contents as it was a rental $16000 ! You have no idea how much your larder is worth!

The more I talk about it the more I get an interest taking on some venture............

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

gnfb on trademe

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