Transactions: Poor Naming/Categorization

[Damon]

Hi Folks,

We're going to do some more investigative work to improve the transaction renaming and categorization process. In order to do so, I need help from our community in making this better & invite people to contact us (https://wwws.mint.com/contact.event) with these issues. Please file under: Bug Transactions.

Here's what we need:
1. email address of your account
2. the date of the transaction.
3. the category/name that we assigned to the transaction.
4. what the original name of the transaction was (you can get this by hovering your mouse over the transaction).
5. If categorization, we will also need what the category *should* have been.
6. The name of the bank/url of bank (just for tracking purposes)

We will also be doing the same for no category transactions, such as when the transaction name is simply a series of numbers that came across from your bank.

[muddyfeet]

Hi I brought this up as a bug recently, but the problem I noticed was more like this:

When I want to rename a category and choose the checkbox "Always rename..." it only renames all the ones on that page, if I go to page two I have to do the re-naming over again.

I guess it is also not following the command if it is not renaming the future transactions coming in too.

Anyway, look forward to helping if I can. thx for wking on this. m.

[MLS]

A quick work around to the renaming/categorizing on different pages is to click the search magnifying glass next to the name and then select them all to rename/categorize. At least that's my work-around.

I have more of an auto categorization issue with some of my transactions. I've corrected them, so I'm pulling from memory from the beginning of the week. But they are recurring problems.

My Issues
1. email address of your account

matthew.l.scott@gmail.com

2. the date of the transaction.

FEB 8th, 2008

3. the category/name that we assigned to the transaction.

Category: Doctor

4. what the original name of the transaction was (you can get this by hovering your mouse over the transaction).

Name was fine

5. If categorization, we will also need what the category *should* have been.

Category should have been Mortgage/Rent

6. The name of the bank/url of bank (just for tracking purposes)

http://www.becu.org

[BE2007]

I just sent a “contact us” message on this issue. I’m posting part of that message here.

There are three automation features with bugs as I see it:

#1. Automatic Categorization of Transactions upon clicking “Your Accounts > Update”
#2. Create a Rule: Always categorize [Merchant] as [Category] from now on
#3. Create a Rule: Always rename [Highlighted Text from Name on Statement] as [Mint Name]

CAVEAT: I’m not a software programmer, so I’m uncertain how interrelated these three features actually are in terms of the Mint backend.

What happened was that when I first joined Mint, I clearly saw that feature #1 only got the job done right some of the time. Next, I took full advantage of #2 and #3, believing these automation features were really cool. I immediately witnessed the bugs mentioned above with both the #2 and #3 features.

Another complication I created for myself was that I started creating #2 and #3 rules, and then changed my mind.

EXAMPLE:
1. I created a rule to rename all “21000 SOUTHBANK” as Giant Food.
2. I realize a different “21000 SOUTHBANK” is a Hair Cuttery in the same shopping plaza.
3. I go back, one-by-one, and rename all Giant Food and Hair Cuttery to the original “21000 SOUTHBANK”

RESULT: Chaos. Anything coming in now as “21000 SOUTHBANK” will be renamed with no rhyme nor reason.

Strangely enough, many of my other transactions with rule sets come through correctly and stay correctly named/categorized.

SUGGESTION: As an emergency feature, it would be very helpful if Mint users could globally nullify every rule they ever created. If this "globally nullification" of naming/categorizing rules is possible, it may be a short-term workaround until better methods are implemented.

[ChaOConnor]

I posted using the bug tool, but will put here as well:

1. email address of your account - chaoconnor@gmail.com
2. the date of the transaction. - All (may 1, apr 30, etc.)
3. the category/name that we assigned to the transaction. - No Category
4. what the original name of the transaction was (you can get this by hovering your mouse over the transaction). - Bldg 2093
5. If categorization, we will also need what the category *should* have been. - Depends
6. The name of the bank/url of bank (just for tracking purposes) - USAA

Problem is, Mint calls all Bldg *WHATEVER* just "Bldg", but for any purchase made on a military installation is shown by Bldg Number. Basically I want an option in Mint to NOT rename ANYTHING. I want the actually names from my bank statement and all my Mint worries will go away. Thank you!

[nerdicus]

This was my first and biggest complaint with mint, and already forced me to consider other services. And I've only been using it a few months.

A simple solution, in my opinion would be to either accept the banks merchant category, or expense category (with BoA anyways) as it seems to accurately categorize transactions itself or strip the 23 digit transaction code, and keep all the other information, allowing us to setup rules without the other problems previously mentioned concerning rule errors.

For example, a transaction of mine from BoA:

-----
CHECKCARD 0320 MR. ZIP #534 OOLTEWAH TN **********************

Merchant Category: Gasoline
Expense Category: Automobiles and Vehicles
Merchant Category Code: 5542
-----

This allows enough detail to establish a rule, without keeping the actual transaction ID and forcing new rules everytime.

Otherwise, you might as well just leave the whole transaction information the way it comes from the bank and stop trying. The bank accurately catagorized this merchant, why can't mint!?

[aquiggle]

I have several bills that I pay through my Bank of America account. Some are utility bills, while others are doctor bills, etc. If I try to set up rules based on the name, they all get changed, regardless of the full name. Since this problem messes with my trends, I have removed the rule, and have been manually classifiying them as they come in.

1.aimee.quiggle@gmail.com
2. March 20
3. Bills/Utilities
4.BILL PAYER (PC) A09245713 DYNCRLBRTR (Shows simply as Bill Payer Pc)
5. Doctor
6. Bank of America.

I also have this problem w/ Costco vs. Costco Gas (these will vary based on location of purchase)
COSTCO Name = PURCHASE xxxxxxxxxxxx4262101 ON 04/19 AT COSTCO WHSE #0074 WOODINVILLE WA
COSTCO Gas Name = PURCHASE xxxxxxxxxxxx4262101 ON 04/19 AT COSTCO GAS #00747 WOODINVILLE WA

[tattuw]

What happened was that when I first joined Mint, I clearly saw that feature #1 only got the job done right some of the time. Next, I took full advantage of #2 and #3, believing these automation features were really cool. I immediately witnessed the bugs mentioned above with both the #2 and #3 features.

Another complication I created for myself was that I started creating #2 and #3 rules, and then changed my mind.

EXAMPLE:
1. I created a rule to rename all “21000 SOUTHBANK” as Giant Food.
2. I realize a different “21000 SOUTHBANK” is a Hair Cuttery in the same shopping plaza.
3. I go back, one-by-one, and rename all Giant Food and Hair Cuttery to the original “21000 SOUTHBANK”

RESULT: Chaos. Anything coming in now as “21000 SOUTHBANK” will be renamed with no rhyme nor reason.

Ab-circle-pro (http://productreviewsby.me/ab-circle-pro/)