Washington Federal Bank said they are no longer supporting Quicken downloads. Is this true?

8008ret@

They still support Quick Books, Am I going to have to continue manual inputs from Washington Federal for the foreseeable future?

Quicken Paloma

Hello 8008ret@, 

Thank you for reaching out to Quicken Community. We apologize you are having this issue. To clarify on the bank's website it only states that QFX files will no longer be supported. This is referring to downloading a transactional history file and importing it to Quicken. It does not state anything else regarding other connection methods (Express Webconnect or Direct Connect). 



In addition, we currently have an ongoing alert for Washing Federal Bank. For more information and updates as they become available please visit the link below. 

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7901781/ongoing-11-29-21-wafd-bank-washington-federal-cc501-ccscrape-163/p1?new=1

-Quicken Paloma

UKR

... and the bank doesn't appear to be proofreading their postings. Shouldn't that be QFX (Webconnect file) instead of QXF (Quicken Transfer Format) ?

4john

I have hade two different lengthy conversations with WaFed customer support and my branch manager. They have indicated that WaFed has made the decision not to support transaction downloads from their new platform to Quicken, either manually or via web connect. Their answer was to just download a CSV file, which of course does not work.

Quicken Paloma

UKR said:

... and the bank doesn't appear to be proofreading their postings. Shouldn't that be QFX (Webconnect file) instead of QXF (Quicken Transfer Format) ?

Yes, in theory, it most definitely should be QFX/ Webconnect.

Quicken Paloma

Hello @4john, 

Thank you for reaching out to the Quicken Community. We apologize you are having this issue. To clarify, the webconnect is the connection method used for manual download. Also, there is currently an alert out for users who are having trouble updating/adding their account for Washington Federal. Our teams are working with our service provider for a fix. We do not have any additional information or troubleshooting steps at the moment. 

However, I would recommend visiting the link below and bookmarking it to receive updates and information as it becomes available. 

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7901781/new-11-18-21-wafd-bank-washington-federal-cc501-ccscrape-163/p1?new=1

Hope this provides clarity. 

-Quicken Paloma

Atlas4

I just moved to WaFd right after this conversion only to find out that they no longer support direct downloads to Quicken.  I've got an email from their IT Support last night confirming that we are going back to 1995 and manually downloading files and uploading to Quicken.  I'm astounded my new bank is this backward and I just went through all the trouble to move.   

4john

Hello Atlas4, Would you be so kind as to share how WaFed indicated that manually downloading files and uploading to Quicken is accomplished on the new UI. I have been using Quicken for 30 years and I cannot find that feature on their new site.
Thanks

Atlas4

4john said:

Hello Atlas4, Would you be so kind as to share how WaFed indicated that manually downloading files and uploading to Quicken is accomplished on the new UI. I have been using Quicken for 30 years and I cannot find that feature on their new site.
Thanks

I've been using quicken for 30 years too and am in the same boat as you.  I don't know how to do it.  There is a CSV file someplace on the consumer site that you can supposedly download.  I'd rather do my own dentistry than download files for multiple account...if that even works.  What a joke!

This is their response from yesterday:

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Washington Federal Bank.

For our consumer accounts, Quicken does not currently automatically connect, and requires being manually updated. Quickbooks does work with our Treasury Express platform (our business online banking platform), which may be a viable alternative for you.

If you need any further assistance, please contact our Client Care Center at (800) 324-9375. We are now 24/7 for your banking needs.

Sincerely,
Marshall B. on Behalf of Info
Director of Service / Team Lead
Client Care Center

4john

I see that the response does not include any information regarding how my account can be "manually updated. I have spent over two hours on hold over three days. I have also left two messages for customer service and two and one half business days have elapsed, without a return call. I am now considering moving my business to another institution.

Atlas4

I'm doing the same. 

Family82

Asked them directly if they were willing to lose my business as well as other Quicken customers and their direct response was YES...Thanks alot WaFd...great customer service after all these years. Quicken though should figure out a way to import csv file as well...so both are lacking in customer service.

Atlas4

@Family82 and @4john

Did WaFd support Quicken automatic downloading before this recent computer conversion?  

I'm a new WaFd customer (great timing, huh?).  

Greg_the_Geek

Family82 said:

Asked them directly if they were willing to lose my business as well as other Quicken customers and their direct response was YES...Thanks alot WaFd...great customer service after all these years. Quicken though should figure out a way to import csv file as well...so both are lacking in customer service.

See: QuicknPerlWiz - Use ImportQIF to import transactions into Quicken

4john

I have always been able to at least do a date selectable, manual download. One minute of effort 2-4 times a month, very manageable. CSV file format completely unreliable for accounting practices. Full manual input of every transaction, completely archaic! Maybe they should just start mailing everyone free checks!

ljn

This is the response that the person helping me at my local branch received when he contacted online support:

"We do not have a license agreement with Quicken so we do not have a option to download into that program. The only options we have in personal online banking is download via CSV and it Treasury Express we have Export to QuickBooks & CSV. Clients in Treasury Express can download the QBO file, manually update the bid and file format but it's a pain and I do not have those instructions. The client would have to reach our to Quicken for that. I guess their are talks going on with Quicken but do not know if anything will come of it."

I'm beyond frustrated that the decision to discontinue support of QFX files was done without warning.

beb

I see in a separate post that this issue with WaFd has been resolved as of 12/21 via Alyssa. However, when I go to set up the online services for my checking account, it starts off by creating a new quicken account. I simply want to reestablish the online services for my existing WaFd account that I have had for years. I have installed the latest Quicken update. How do set up online services without creating a new account?

Thank you.

Atlas4

beb said:

I see in a separate post that this issue with WaFd has been resolved as of 12/21 via Alyssa. However, when I go to set up the online services for my checking account, it starts off by creating a new quicken account. I simply want to reestablish the online services for my existing WaFd account that I have had for years. I have installed the latest Quicken update. How do set up online services without creating a new account?

Thank you.

I saw that too but I am still unable to set up automatic downloading.  I think the answer is above that WaFed Bank has hung Quicken users out to dry.  

eeks

I, too, am curious why that post from 12/21 from Alyssa said "resolved" when I can not access my bank records for updates.
Frustrating.
I guess 2022 will bring a new bank for me too.

tknorris0001

Same experience here, very frustrating!

HEATHER BORMAN

We seem to be getting a lot of mixed messages from Quicken. Are they working with WA FD on a fix, or have they decided to stop working with Quicken because of the lack of an "agreement"? Some banks charge for downloading services, which may be part of an answer. I already put in a question to WA FD and told them that Quicken considers CSV files unreliable so Quicken will not import them. It looks like for now we have to manually enter transactions from our statement?

Kevin Fay

This is on the WaFD side, not Quicken I think.

As part of their "upgrade" WaFD has decided not to download .QFX files, either with mouseclicks or automatically. Apparently banks have to pay Quicken for the right to download .QFX files, WaFD made a business decision?

Quicken can't import .csv files - not because they don't want to, but because they can't (it won't work). If the rows & columns in the .csv file aren't arranged "just so" the payees, amounts etc. won't map to the required field. As it is, banks can format their .csv files at random, all you'd get is gibberish in your register.

@GregtheGeek above posed a link to a script that someone wrote to convert the .csv file into something Quicken can read. I've downloaded it, it works. It takes the .csv file and gives you a screen where you tell the tool which column means what; it converts to a file that Quicken will take.

Atlas4

Kevin Fay said:

@GregtheGeek above posed a link to a script that someone wrote to convert the .csv file into something Quicken can read. I've downloaded it, it works. It takes the .csv file and gives you a screen where you tell the tool which column means what; it converts to a file that Quicken will take.

That's good to know the scrip works.  Thanks.

Still, that's more work than it's worth or should be IMHO.  

I just changed to WaFd literally the week they pulled Quicken support.  I'm still in disbelief at my bad luck/judgement in that move.  

Guess I'm going to have to go with a real bank in 2022.  

allifer

I spoke to a WaFd rep today. She confirmed that WaFd has no plans to work with Quicken for personal accounts. I keep books for a dozen or so WaFd accounts using Quicken, so I'm very disappointed. I encourage anybody with a WaFd account to make your WaFd banker aware that you aren't happy and to pass that info up the chain of command. Guess I'll have to start moving accounts away from WaFd.

Quicken Paloma

Hello @allifer, 

Thank you for the feedback and insight knowledge. I will make sure to refer users to this post for clarification. Although, I am sorry to hear the decision made by your financial institution. 

Let us know if any other questions or concerns. 

-Quicken Paloma

Kevin Fay

A couple of things here.

First, don't complain to your banker. If you want to effectively complain, send an email to Cathy Cooper, WaFD's "Executive Vice President and Chief Consumer Banker" - her email address is cathy.cooper@wafd.com.

I did complain, got this reply:

"Thank you for your email regarding your need to use Quicken to manage your personal finances. We are working diligently to contract with Intuit to restore a functional connection to their proprietary file types later this month. I don’t have an exact date when connectivity will be restored, but we will email you shortly with next steps. While we do support CSV downloads, we quickly realized that Quicken’s file formats were not easy to work with (essentially locking out our clients). So, we have admitted our mistake and are working now to correct it. I apologize for the frustration this has caused you.

The fastest way to correct this issue is to turn on access to Quicken in the system where we provide access to Quickbooks, which is within our small business online platform. Once we get Intuit/Quicken to turn back on the direct integration, we will get you are registered as a user of this additional “Treasury Express” online banking platform, and then you will be able to open up Quicken and download your WaFd transaction history.

Please watch for an email in another week or so with details.

We appreciate your patronage."

Second, this looks like it's an Intuit problem. Intuit doesn't own Quicken any more, but still owns the file format so they can keep making money.

I got the reply a week ago; hopefully there will be a resolution shortly.