Question about Outlook Express

Please help me deactivate my hotmail account.  My e-mail account is free – there are no billing accounts linked to it.  It's just for personal use.  There are no social media accounts linked to this e-mail either - it's literally just a hotmail account that I want completely deactivated.  Here is what I tried… Through my hotmail account, I clicked on "account" and I then clicked "close account".  I typed in my password to verify, and then it says "You need to deactivate your Hotmail account. Once you've done that, your Microsoft account will be closed automatically after a period of inactivity." So I clicked on "deactivate your hotmail account" and then it says "To close your Hotmail account, you must first cancel your billing service. Go to Microsoft Account and Billing Services at https://billing.microsoft.com." But I don't have any billing services - this is a free account.  So it basically just keeps taking me on a loop.  Please completely deactivate my hotmail account.  I’ve tried webchatting with a rep and talking to a rep on the phone – I just want the account deactivated. Thank you.