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Software Snafu Slows Fleet Customers Source: Boston Herald Publication date: 2000-05-20

Fleet bank customers trying to use Macintosh versions of Quicken personal finance software have not found the process very quick at all.

Yesterday, it wasn't working.

Quicken 2000 user Andrew Wolfe of Wakefield is one former BankBoston customer who got repeated "error" messages this week when trying to use Intuit Inc.'s Quicken software with his new Fleet account.

"I called the Fleet number, and they told me all Mac users of Quicken were encountering this problem," Wolfe said. "They suggested I call back in a few days."

Fleet officials say an Intuit software glitch caused the problem for users of Quicken, which lets users pay bills, track personal finances, and access accounts on line. Fleet said about 18,000 Fleet customers rely on Intuit's Quicken or Microsoft Money. Some use Mac versions.

"While there may be Fleet customer impact, it's not due to a Fleet systems issue," spokesman Jim Schepker said. "It's entirely related to outside vendors."

Intuit, of Mountain View, Calif., acknowledges an Intuit software "snafu" prevented BankBoston customers using Mac versions of Quicken to shift over to Fleet. Intuit's Peg Gerdes said yesterday that the company had the problem figured out, and was readying a fix.

Still, such customers as Wolfe want to know why those snafus weren't worked out before the conversion of BankBoston accounts to Fleet accounts last weekend. Fleet officials say they did test the system, and it worked previously. Gerdes said Intuit has never come across such a glitch with past bank mergers.

"This is evidence that I'm collecting in deciding whether or not to stay with Fleet," Wolfe said. "I'm not somebody that wants to pull the plug just right away, but I am collecting the evidence. I think they ought to be held accountable."

http://realcities.yellowbrix.com/pages/realcities/Story.nsp?story_id=10720339&site=charlotte&ID=realcities&scategory=Computers%3AY2K

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), May 20, 2000