Some series names duplicate with incorrect sort names

I haven’t been able to identify all of the affected series, but some series names keep duplicating and using incorrect sort names. It’s not hard to merge the duplicate series so all of the comics are listed under a single series, but I don’t understand why it’s happening to begin with, especially since it seems to affect the same series even when I’m not updating them.

The best place to start is with all of the Amazing Spider-Man series since every time I do an update, I end up with a second series for each even if I’m not adding or changing anything under that series. I have a few screenshots I can offer that demonstrate the nature of the problem.

Other miscellaneous series that seem to be affected.

I wish I could give you reproduction steps, but the best I can offer is the problem usually happens when I’m entering my weekly comics. All I’m doing is scanning the barcodes for each issue using the CLZ app on my iPhone and then I refresh the desktop software to see all of the new comics and then I do all of my editing on the desktop software, which then syncs back to the CLZ app. The strangest thing about this behavior is how it affects series that I don’t even touch, such as Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, which I haven’t bought in YEARS, so there’s no logical reason why that series ends up duplicating when I do a new update.

I know I’ve seen at least one other post that mentioned this issue, but I can’t find it now or I would link back to it.

I found several posts that reference the same issue.

It can happen due to an error in the past, it can have several ways it can happen, but when I look at your manage pick list, this should fix itself if you merge the double series, and get them to the one that has the RIGHT sort name. - and then it shouldn’t happen again.

  1. Click menu Edit > Manage Pick Lists.
  2. Click the “Series List”.
  3. Perform a small search with a word that you know is in both the series names.
  4. Hold the CTRL button and select both series.
    5. Right click and use “Merge to:” and select one of the series.

That should do the trick to have them in one folder again, and should fix it for the next issue you add for this series.

Just try it with your amazing spider-man vol 6, and merge those into 1 series entry, the one that will have “amazing spider-man, vol. 6” as sortname(!!).

Then add another issue of AMS vol. 6 and see if it creates another duplicate series. Shouldn’t happen.

Make sure to also do this on mobile - perhaps that is the problem, that you still have a bad one on mobile?

  1. Tap on the menu icon top left

  2. Tap “Manage Pick Lists”

  3. Tap “Series List”

  4. Perform a small search with a word that you know is in both the series folders. Or tap “return” if you don’t want to search.

  5. Tap the 3 dotted menu icon top right corner, select ‘Enter merge mode’

  6. Select the two series folders and tap “merge”

  7. Select the latest new name you got for that series as the one you want to merge the two series to. (this is important, because the latest name is the one you want for this series as we may have updated it).

That should do the trick to have them in one folder again, and should fix it for the next issue you add for this series.

Thanks for replying and I apologize if it wasn’t clear, but I merge these series once or twice a week and the problem continues happening when I enter a batch of new issues. Since I get my new comics every week, I have to merge after I enter new stuff. Also important to note is many of the series affected aren’t even being touched with anything new. For example, why would I see duplicates for Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 2 when I haven’t bought any issues in that series?

According to your instructions, I should only need to merge once and the problem should be solved. IT’S NOT. Since it affects the same series every time, I believe there is a legitimate issue that I can’t resolve by merging. Should I open a formal support ticket with you? I’m not entirely clear if posting issues here is the same as opening a support ticket the way I’ve done in the past.

Finally—am I the only user who is seeing this on a recurring basis?

Recurring basis? For those series? Yes. The only one I’m aware of.

According to your instructions, I should only need to merge once and the problem should be solved. IT’S NOT.

You need to try it with just volume 6, and do this on both the mobile and desktop side. After doing it, then sync.

Then just add one volume 6 on mobile, and sync, as a test, see if the problem stays away.

So, do the merging, on both sides, for just one series.
Then test to see if it stays one item in your list.

Please let’s try that first.

Oh, I didn’t realize it needed to be done on both desktop AND mobile. I assumed the changes I made in the pick list on the desktop automatically synced to my devices. Does this mean the series names need to be merged on:

  • desktop
  • iPhone
  • iPad

So I need to do a merge on EVERY device I use?

Hmmmm, I just checked my iPhone and I don’t see any duplicate series names here… obviously there isn’t anything to merge here, sooooooo–what next?

Sooooooooo try on iPad, iPhone, and desktop.

Do the merges now, IF they are available for you to merge. If not available, fine, continue.

Then sync on all devices.

Then try adding just 1 AMS vol. 6 on your PHONE, and sync. Then sync on desktop.

Now check all those manage pick lists again, just see if you now still have just one single series, or if it has done it again?

Update: I fixed all the series names on the desktop and the iPhone and iPad didn’t have any duplicates to fix. During the process of checking the pick lists, I had to sync the iPad at least once even though I hadn’t entered any new comics. Pretty sure it was just a sync to get the device "caught up because of corrections I had made on the desktop. I did see a large number of issues related to the various Amazing Spider-Man series as the iPad synced. I had to set everything down last night and didn’t have a chance to check the desktop until just now and when I checked the most recent entries and the problem happened again.

I’ll try to get all devices in the same exact sync state and then do your controlled test. I do agree it’s a logical next thing to do. Even though this is far from the worst bug ever, I only decided to report it because it’s now taking up more and more of my time to fix every week.

I can imagine it would be very annoying indeed.

I hope you can try the controlled test, exactly as in my message (lot less work than fixing “all of them” too!).

Let me know how you fair, and take screenshots along the way, they might be useful! (alright that’s a bit more work, but let’s get to the bottom of this!)

Thanks for helping with this AJ. Honestly–I really do believe there’s a bug somewhere, but I also understand the necessity of troubleshooting this as much as possible. I am setting aside some time to work on this over the weekend, so I hope to have my results posted for you when you guys return to work Monday morning.