Uncheck "Apply/Set for Past/Existing Transactions" prompt by default [edited] (6 Merged Votes)

timmyc123

A warning to Simplifi users. The payee/category rewriting engine can completely destroy your transaction history. Yesterday, I was doing my normal transaction clean up and hit enter after typing the first letter of a work, "C", into a payee field . Since the "Apply changes to all similar transactions" checkbox is checked BY DEFAULT, Simplifi went back through and updated THOUSANDS of my transactions to be payee "C". A rule was created that said any transaction, starting with "C", rename to "C". Turns out though, it wasn't just limited to transactions starting with C. Much of my transaction history (~75%) is now ruined and support says there is likely nothing they can do to undo the changes.

As you can imagine, I'm pretty [removed].

1) The rules engine should have a global off option in settings. I did not need or want this feature prior to my transaction history being ruined. I DEFINITELY don't want it now.
2) A new rule should NEVER automatically go back and change old transactions without an explicit prompt
3) Having the rewrite checkbox inline with the Payee name is incredibly disruptive to quick transaction cleanup
[rant redacted]

Wu-Tang Financials

Please change the default for payee changes to NOT apply to all similar transactions like category changes. Every time I make a singular payee change, I have to uncheck the default. I'd imagine more people make one off changes than changes intended to apply to all.

Coach Natalie

Hello @Wu-Tang Financials,

Thanks for posting this to the Community!

I have gone ahead and turned this into an Idea post so that other Users can vote on it. Please be sure to add your vote as well!

-Coach Natalie

Daze

When a payee name is entered or changed a popup box appears asking if I'd like to change all similar transitions to the name that was entered or changed. By default this box is checked. Years of muscle memory have me hitting tab or enter after I finish typing the payee name, and by doing so all transactions with similar looking names are changed as well. Currently there seems to be no way to avoid using the mouse to uncheck that checkbox or to have it unchecked by default. When one press of a button (tab or enter) can automatically change hundreds of transactions - the feature is not helpful! Please fix this.  

Coach Blake

Thanks for posting this to the Community!

I am so sorry for the aggravation. I know I would be extremely frustrated if this happened to me. I have gone ahead and turned this into an Idea post so that other Users can vote on it, and our Product Team can review it. Please be sure to add your vote as well! It gets my vote!

-Coach Blake

n2it

I completely agree with this. But even if the check box does not default checked, it would be easy enough to accidently do something like this.

I wonder if another solution would be to allow us select some / all to revert any transaction back to the the financial institution transaction payee (you know where is says "Appears on your [FINANCIAL INSTITUTION statement as") - since that info is readily available, why not make it useful for things like this as well as searching/filtering, for use in our own rules, or allow us to default/apply the financial institution payee to be the payee instead.

Coach Natalie

Hello @n2it,

Those are great suggestions!

I did find a couple of existing Idea posts surrounding some of the abilities that you mentioned in your comment, that would be great to have your vote on!

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/911/add-a-setting-to-revert-to-downloaded-payee-info-edited/p1?new=1

https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/1515/allow-search-in-original-payee-field#latest

-Coach Natalie

chrismoneytime

When modifying transaction category, 'also set for existing transactions' is checked by default. This is incredibly dangerous as this will set all past purchases to this category.

Can this be changed to 'unchecked' by default?

Coach Natalie

Hello @chrismoneytime,

Thanks for posting your suggestion to the Community!

I have gone ahead and turned this into an Idea post so that other Users can vote on it and our Product Team can review it. Please be sure to add your vote as well!

-Coach Natalie

Coach Natalie

Hello @chrismoneytime & All,

Great news -- it appears that the checkbox to apply a Transaction Rule to all existing transactions is now deselected by default!



Please let me know if anyone has any questions!

-Coach Natalie

Coach Natalie

Hello again All,

Sadly, upon researching this a bit further, I discovered that this option being deselected by default was not intended; the intended design at this time is to still have the checkbox selected by default. With that being said, a fix for this will be rolled out, and the checkbox will again be selected by default.

I apologize for the confusion and have re-opened this Idea post for additional voting!

-Coach Natalie

chrismoneytime

Well that is disappointing.

Charles044

The checkbox for the popup window New Category Rule should not be automatically checked for other existing transactions.  I should have to manually check it, then click view other transactions to select any others that agree with the change of category.  A payee can have multiple categories, and when you accidently hit create... they all change!  Leaving the checkbox unchecked would fix that.

volchic16

Please also allow rules to apply to a specific amount and < or > amounts.  Please also do not recommend this pop up each time I'm trying to categorize several things at once.  I would like the option to create the rule as needed or just let the pop-up show once, not each transaction I'm categorizing.

Coach Natalie

Hello @volchic16,

Thanks for posting!

Please be sure to add your vote here for the ability to create Rules using amounts and accounts: https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/2142/ability-to-create-transaction-rules-for-amounts-and-accounts-edited/p1?new=1

Also, you can disable the Rule suggestions by following the steps listed here: https://community.simplifimoney.com/discussion/comment/5680/#Comment_5680

I hope this helps!

-Coach Natalie

Forstine

This topic x1000. Having the box checked by default absolutely needs to change. 

The logic of having the box checked by default makes no sense: Usually, when I create a new rule, I am doing so consciously and I only need to do it once—ergo, I should have to check the box and will quickly do so.

Yet if I'm changing a category for a purchase from, say, Amazon, that category could be just about ANYTHING. Pet food, groceries, gifts, you name it. If I FORGET to uncheck the box, I may have just changed dozens of hundreds of categories, and I will have to manually change them back one by one. 

This costs hours and is a MAJOR detractor from using Simplifi.

Charles044

I totally agree with Forstine!!  The default setting should be an unchecked box!  It just happened to me - "forgot" to uncheck the box... now I have 98 entries to go back and try to remember/research which category that particular purchase is.  FRUSTRATING!  Not the first time it has happened, but this is by far the most I've had to redo.

Steve Grenon

I agree 1000%. I have wasted hours of time categorizing all my Amazon transaction just to have them all changed AGAIN because I was too quick to hit the enter key and the default is to change ALL transactions with the Amazon vendor to a specific category. If there is not a way changing this default checkbox, I will be forced to leave Simplifi for another budgeting program. At this point, if I'm going to recategorize again then I'm only going to do it if I can change the default or I will move to a different program.