Has Quicken discontinued import addresses (contacts) from CSV files created in Outlook or Excel

Question

I just spent 20 minutes on a Support chat trying to determine how to import contacts (addresses) from a CSV file created by Outlook, Excel, etc.

The agent states that is not possible to import addresses/contacts using CSV or any other format, and that CSV is used by Quicken only for importing security prices.  The agent pointed me to this Quicken Support link as the most current information on importing data into Quicken:

https://www.quicken.com/support/how-do-i-import-data-quicken-windows

The link mentions nothing about importing addresses or contacts.

Yet the Import Addresses function is still there under the File Menu in Quicken HBR 2019.  The function allows you to specify a format, filename, and map fields.  But no imported contacts show up in the Address Book, even under ALL GROUPS or UNASSIGNED.

Further, the Help database within Quicken still indicates that importing from Outlook is possible. I quote:

"About importing and exporting contact 
information from other software (Quicken Home & Business only) 

Many software applications have address book capabilities. If you maintain 
information in another contact management application such as Microsoft Outlook, 
you can import that information into Quicken. Conversely, if you have a list of 
addresses in Quicken that you would like to transfer to another application, you 
can export them 
into that application."

But there is no specific instruction.  Can someone from Quicken please clarify this discrepancy, and if the function still exists, provide specific instructions on how to import addresses?

Thank you

Quicken Sarah · Answer

Hello @TimHandymand

I appreciate your taking the time to share this information and issue with the Community, although I apologize for the negative experience and misinformation you have received from the Support Agents you have worked with.

Importing contact information via CSV file is still a supported process and should be working correctly each time if the CSV file is mapped correctly.

I was able to confirm that the failure to import has already been reported to our Development Team for further investigation, however I would like to add your information to the open ticket.

Would you be willing to submit a sanitized copy of the data file that fails to import and a copy of the CSV file for debug purposes?

If so, please go to the Help menu in Quicken and select "Report a Problem", please mark every box, including the "Sanitized data file" and click on "Attach additional file" to upload the CSV file.

In the subject line, please enter "ATTN: Sarah", include a link to this Community post and reference "QWIN-14799" in the body, then Send to Quicken.

Once sent, please just reply here to let me know the problem has been reported so I can locate the submission in the system to add to the ticket.

I would also like to follow-up with the Agent you spoke with, but unfortunately was not able to locate the case details.  Were you provided with a Case number by the Agent by any chance?

If so, please send me a PM with the case number or the details of when the contact occurred.

Thank you,

Sarah

TimHandyman · Answer

While I appreciate Greg's reference, I had already seen the discussion thread he mentioned, as well as several similar threads from previous years/previous versions.  
See, for example:
https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7552527/qwin-2017-h-b-import-address-files

It my experience, over multiple tries over multiple years and versions, that importing contacts into the Quicken Address Book is possible at times, but maddenly impossible at others, even when using the same file, same format, same data. 
Sometimes the data imports fine, other times no data comes in.

I have experimented with various approaches to try to figure out the "X" factor or factors that produce these inconsistent results.  It does not seem to matter where the file is located; whether the file is a comma separated (CSV) file or a tab delimited (TXT) file; whether the file is created with Excel or Quicken or other programs which can save in CSV or TXT format; or whether you import all the fields in the file, or just some.  It doesn't seem to matter whether you import to a newly created Quicken data file with an empty Address Book, or an existing data file with many entries already in the Address Book.

I will note that it is definitely true that when the import process does work, the new contact entries do show up in the Unassigned group.

I am a fairly sophisticated computer user and have done data manipulation and transfer with a variety of software for many years, but I cannot achieve consistent success importing to the Address Book despite controlling for all of the above variables.  I will note I am using the latest version, latest release of Q HB&R 2019, but I have had similar problems in older Quicken versions.

Even if the import process worked flawlessly every time, I can find little or no specific instructions about the File Import Address Book function in Quicken Help or in online Support, except for a few discussion threads in the Community like Greg referenced.
As I mentioned, Quicken Support agents have variously told me that it is impossible to import into Address Book, or that Quicken doesn't recognize CSV files except for importing security prices.  A

Importing (and exporting) contacts using a standard file format like CSV or tab delimited TXT is a pretty standard feature of most software.

A new (or even experienced) Quicken user shouldn't have to take a deep dive to find a discussion thread to understand how to use this function, or how to problem solve it when it doesn't work.

If anyone has any suggestions or explanations NOT listed above, I'd love to hear them.  But more importantly, Quicken needs to both figure this out, AND provide clear instruction in the software Help database and train their Support agents how to explain the correct process to users.  Sorry for the extended post.

Greg_the_Geek · Answer

Please read this discussion.