MS Money - First Direct Statement downloads

[TurboukToo2]

Just had my first experience of the the new look FirstDirect online banking website. All nice and modern looking but they have removed the ability to export bank statements in MS Money format. Only CSV is now available which is a complete pain for me. I have complained and highlighted American Express kept MS Money format available after their site update - as yet no response.

So assuming I will be ignored does anyone know how to get CSV statements in into MS Money?

[UncleIan]

I'd guess you'll need to convert from csv to qif. I think if memory serves that's the Quicken/Money format. A very quick google suggests there are converters out there.

[Itsallaguess]

Just had my first experience of the the new look FirstDirect online banking website.

All nice and modern looking but they have removed the ability to export bank statements in MS Money format. Only CSV is now available which is a complete pain for me. I have complained and highlighted American Express kept MS Money format available after their site update - as yet no response.

So assuming I will be ignored does anyone know how to get CSV statements in into MS Money?

The moneymvps website has some useful guidance on this topic -

http://moneymvps.org/faq/article/27.aspx

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[pochisoldi]

Given the number of accounts I have and the various abominations of QIF and OFX implementations, on top of wanting consistent payee details, I have taken to downloading the QIF and OFX files and then running them through a set of perl scripts running on cygwin before loading them into Money.

This achieves the following technical fixes which occur on one or more downloads
Undo the messing with the account number field, Add the missing basic OFX headers
Stripping useless memo fields, and an extra space at the beginning of every payee name
Barclays - Fixing the cockup with the Barclays Blue rewards account number which makes Money think that the whole OFX file is corrupt
Some Credit cards (QIF) - swap the sign around otherwise credits appear as debits and vice versa
Various QIF files: Change the date format to DD/MM/YYYY instead of YYYY-MM-DD or DD/mmm/YYYY

On top of those fixes I "standardize" the text for payees so that Money has a fighting chance of automatically categorising items correctly when I'm too lazy to key in the info for myself.

I have done CSV to QIF conversions using the same set of scripts in the past (had to do that during the TSB meltdown where their QIF downloads were completely borked).

[gbjbaanb]

I complained to TSB when they barfed the qif exports.. they apologised (as expected), didn't fix it (as expected), and gave me £45 (surprised!)

[NotoriousCanary]

Just had my first experience of the the new look FirstDirect online banking website. All nice and modern looking but they have removed the ability to export bank statements in MS Money format. Only CSV is now available which is a complete pain for me. I have complained and highlighted American Express kept MS Money format available after their site update - as yet no response.

Just logged in to First Direct to download by monthly statement, and (after a long phone call with them) confirmed that the ability to download QIF statements has been deliberately removed from the new website.

They told me that there just wasn't the demand for this feature.

I pointed out that anybody who used any Personal Finance program would need the file in QIF format (thats Money, Quicken, Moneydance, GnuCash and I assume a bunch more applications).

I also pointed out that other banks that I use (Bank of Scotland, Nationwide, TSB) all provide QIF formatted statements for download, so it's not an unusual requirement.

First Direct said they would log a complaint and write to me, and see if anything could be done ("might be possible if there are lots of complaints"). But there is no way to get plugged into the process, so just as there was no notification when the service disappeared, there is not way of knowing if it might re-appear.

They also seemed a bit confused, believing that the PDF statement files offered the same or equivalent facility as QIF downloads, and they made it clear that the PDF formatted statements were a much higher priority.

I ** really really ** like First Direct, but I'm guessing that there will only be a few times where I will put up with manually processing the statements before the current account switching bribes (currently £175 for some banks that do support QIF downloads) starts to figure more prominently in my thoughts.

From my point of view, this is a bit of a mis-step from a bank I have found to be generally excellent over the last decade.

..NC

[TurboukToo2]

I agree it’s quite a mis-step.

They have yet to respond to which 3rd party conversion tool / website they approve of from data security perspective now they have forced me to have expose my data beyond my normal extract upload process.

[AF62]

Still seeing the download as Quicken, MS Money, etc when I log into First Direct?

[TurboukToo2]

...not everyone has been migrated to the new website yet I have, but wife hasn’t....sounds like you are the same. I have been able to take some file samples from my wife’s to ensure the conversion from CSV to QIF 3rd party solution I choose looks right.

[gadg17]

If you have Excel, this tool should work. It's only a few clicks extra compared with loading directly from firstdirect. Found it after an evening's searching last week.
xl2qif.chez-alice.fr/xl2qif_en.php
It's just an old macro which loads your .csv file, remembers your settings from last time and converts and then imports to MS Money with a single click.

Working with Excel 2007 and earlier
NOT working with Excel 2013
Not tested with Excel 2010.
The website mentions there is also a version for Open Office but haven't tried that.

[AF62]

...not everyone has been migrated to the new website yet I have, but wife hasn’t....sounds like you are the same. I have been able to take some file samples from my wife’s to ensure the conversion from CSV to QIF 3rd party solution I choose looks right.

I was 'upgraded' to First Direct's new website today - Good grief it is beyond awful and looks like it was designed by a five year old.

I spent the afternoon moving direct debits and standing orders in preparation to waive them goodbye.

[cheeky19]

If you have Excel, this tool should work. It's only a few clicks extra compared with loading directly from firstdirect. Found it after an evening's searching last week.
xl2qif.chez-alice.fr/xl2qif_en.php
It's just an old macro which loads your .csv file, remembers your settings from last time and converts and then imports to MS Money with a single click.

Working with Excel 2007 and earlier
NOT working with Excel 2013
Not tested with Excel 2010.
The website mentions there is also a version for Open Office but haven't tried that.

Not working with Excel 2010 sadly

[cheeky19]

Time to take to social media perhaps - there are a lot of complaints about the new website in general it seems.

Also have just tried emailing joseph.gordon@firstdirect.com - CEO... see if that gets a response or bounces.

[AF62]

Also have just tried emailing joseph.gordon@firstdirect.com - CEO... see if that gets a response or bounces.

So did I and this was the response from Joe Gordon -

"Please be assured that we are collating all the feedback and will be delivering changes every week to get this right. We are working on the first of these now and will deliver next week and every subsequent week as we improve this further for customers.

QIF is something we are looking at getting as a fast follower on the back of feedback to see if we can do this easily , I cannot promise anything but I am listening and we are looking to solve if possible."

So it is possible QIF may come back, but I am not sure I will be holding my breath.

As I pointed out to him, it would have been trivial for the relevant team to run a report listing customers who had used the QIF download facility in the recent past, and either written to that group to tell them what was going on or hold off moving them to the new website until QIF download was in place.

[TurboukToo2]

Have also sent a mail to the CEO....and still awaiting their recommendation of a First Direct "trusted'' 3rd party conversion tool.

Add-in works for me on Excel 2016

[AF62]

Have also sent a mail to the CEO....and still awaiting their recommendation of a First Direct "trusted'' 3rd party conversion tool.

Be careful if anyone looks at this one - https://icreateofx.com/

When I downloaded it to try it I was instantly warned it contained a trojan - Win32/Fuery.C!cl. The developer claimed it was a false flag by Windows Defender; I wasn't prepared to take the risk.

[stephentwist]

I too have written thus:
Dear Mr Gordon,
Reasons for becoming an early First Direct customer included:
1. Online access
2. Ease of access, including data download
3. Customer inclusion

FD's new web appears to have taken away these advantages for me. In particular, removal of the facility to download data in QIF format precludes digital data downloads for my VAT returns.

I understand from online forums that this was an arbitrary decision by First Direct without customer consultation; and that the remedy involves exposing my First Direct online data to third party conversion tools.

Please advise me of the third party conversion tool that FD prefer, recommend and certify. Should this information not be available I will have no other option but to migrate my accounts from First Direct to another bank.

Also have just tried emailing joseph.gordon@firstdirect.com - CEO... see if that gets a response or bounces.

So did I and this was the response from Joe Gordon -

"Please be assured that we are collating all the feedback and will be delivering changes every week to get this right. We are working on the first of these now and will deliver next week and every subsequent week as we improve this further for customers.

QIF is something we are looking at getting as a fast follower on the back of feedback to see if we can do this easily , I cannot promise anything but I am listening and we are looking to solve if possible."

So it is possible QIF may come back, but I am not sure I will be holding my breath.

As I pointed out to him, it would have been trivial for the relevant team to run a report listing customers who had used the QIF download facility in the recent past, and either written to that group to tell them what was going on or hold off moving them to the new website until QIF download was in place.

[stephentwist]

I received the identical reply to my email to Mr Gordon, suggesting that Mr Gordon may perhaps be an automated reply service based on word identification. In the meantime I am removing my credit card transactions from First Direct.

I too have written thus:
Dear Mr Gordon,
Reasons for becoming an early First Direct customer included:
1. Online access
2. Ease of access, including data download
3. Customer inclusion

FD's new web appears to have taken away these advantages for me. In particular, removal of the facility to download data in QIF format precludes digital data downloads for my VAT returns.

I understand from online forums that this was an arbitrary decision by First Direct without customer consultation; and that the remedy involves exposing my First Direct online data to third party conversion tools.

Please advise me of the third party conversion tool that FD prefer, recommend and certify. Should this information not be available I will have no other option but to migrate my accounts from First Direct to another bank.

Also have just tried emailing joseph.gordon@firstdirect.com - CEO... see if that gets a response or bounces.

So did I and this was the response from Joe Gordon -

"Please be assured that we are collating all the feedback and will be delivering changes every week to get this right. We are working on the first of these now and will deliver next week and every subsequent week as we improve this further for customers.

QIF is something we are looking at getting as a fast follower on the back of feedback to see if we can do this easily , I cannot promise anything but I am listening and we are looking to solve if possible."

So it is possible QIF may come back, but I am not sure I will be holding my breath.

As I pointed out to him, it would have been trivial for the relevant team to run a report listing customers who had used the QIF download facility in the recent past, and either written to that group to tell them what was going on or hold off moving them to the new website until QIF download was in place.

I too have written thus:
Dear Mr Gordon,
Reasons for becoming an early First Direct customer included:
1. Online access
2. Ease of access, including data download
3. Customer inclusion

FD's new web appears to have taken away these advantages for me. In particular, removal of the facility to download data in QIF format precludes digital data downloads for my VAT returns.

I understand from online forums that this was an arbitrary decision by First Direct without customer consultation; and that the remedy involves exposing my First Direct online data to third party conversion tools.

Please advise me of the third party conversion tool that FD prefer, recommend and certify. Should this information not be available I will have no other option but to migrate my accounts from First Direct to another bank.

Also have just tried emailing joseph.gordon@firstdirect.com - CEO... see if that gets a response or bounces.

So did I and this was the response from Joe Gordon -

"Please be assured that we are collating all the feedback and will be delivering changes every week to get this right. We are working on the first of these now and will deliver next week and every subsequent week as we improve this further for customers.

QIF is something we are looking at getting as a fast follower on the back of feedback to see if we can do this easily , I cannot promise anything but I am listening and we are looking to solve if possible."

So it is possible QIF may come back, but I am not sure I will be holding my breath.

As I pointed out to him, it would have been trivial for the relevant team to run a report listing customers who had used the QIF download facility in the recent past, and either written to that group to tell them what was going on or hold off moving them to the new website until QIF download was in place.

[TurboukToo2]

... identical reply here too...

[Alysscarlet]

I can't believe how awful the new FD online banking is. They have done away with credit and debit columns!

Looking at Trustpilot there are a lot of people unhappy with the new interface:

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.firstdirect.com