Jay Fergusonjay@deepcreekvacations.com301-501-0420
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When You Don’t Get the Air Miles You’re Owed

Don Sincell is a fourth-generation newspaper editor in western Maryland. Putting out the paper costs a lot of money, but Don links his business credit card to his airline miles account, which earns him a nice travel perk.

That is, until his airline miles disappeared.

Read Don’s original letter to the ABC News Fixer below, and see how The Fixer helped get his miles back. And check out The Fixer’s tips for earning free travel with credit cards.

Do YOU have a consumer problem? Maybe The Fixer can help! Submit your problems at ABCNews.com/fixer.


Dear ABC News Fixer:

I’m a frequent flyer with American Airlines, and have a business and personal credit card feeding miles into my account.

About nine months ago, I noticed the miles generated by my primary business card were not going into my account. With a couple of phone calls, I learned the problem was not with American Airlines, but with the card issuer.

I have called Barclaycard repeatedly to try to straighten this out. Each time, I am assured that the lost miles — earned from September 2015 through June 2016 — will be restored, but they never are. The total is about 90,000 miles, representing $90,000 spent on that card.

I am at the end of my rope. I have spoken with supervisor after supervisor, to absolutely no avail. I would so appreciate any and all help.

-Don Sincell Mountain Lake Park, Md.

Do you have a consumer problem? The ABC News Fixer may be able to help. Click here to submit your problem online. Letters are edited for length and clarity.


Dear Don:

You told the ABC News Fixer that you’re earning all those miles through business expenses for the community newspaper you run: The Republican of Garrett County, Md.

The paper has been in your family since your great-grandfather became editor and publisher in 1890 (the paper was founded in 1877 by Capt. James Hayden, a huge fan of Abraham Lincoln – thus the name “The Republican”).

As the paper’s fourth editor after your great-grandfather, grandfather and father, you’re counted on to cover every aspect of your community – but you said you also find time to be a volunteer firefighter, ski patroller, town council member and a trombone player in the community band.

We can only imagine how badly you must need a vacation.

And those missing miles are worth about three cross-country round trips.

The Fixer had a little better luck nudging this toward resolution.

By the time you wrote your letter, you had managed to get this business credit card connected to your American Airlines account. But even though the customer service representatives told you they could see the missing miles in their computer system, the miles stayed in a black hole.

We contacted Barclaycard and asked them to investigate. Within a few days, they had restored your 94,198 points and posted them to your account. They’re also giving you 20,000 more miles for your troubles.

And they figured out the mystery. Your old business and personal cards, issued by a different bank, originally earned miles on US Airways. US Airways merged with American Airlines in 2015, and you and other cardholders got new AA-branded credit cards. And you got a new issuing bank – Barclaycard.

It seems that somehow in that transition, an error occurred in the data field containing your name.

This wasn’t apparent to the customer service people you spoke to, so while they were promising it would get fixed, they weren’t able to request the right steps to fix it. (And if all this gives you a headache, you’re not alone.)

At any rate, they found it, they fixed it, and you’re good to take another couple trips.

Don Sincell is a fourth-generation newspaper editor in western Maryland. Putting out the paper costs a lot of money, but Don links his business credit card to his airline miles account, which earns him a nice travel perk.

That is, until his airline miles disappeared.

Read Don’s original letter to the ABC News Fixer below, and see how The Fixer helped get his miles back. And check out The Fixer’s tips for earning free travel with credit cards.

Do YOU have a consumer problem? Maybe The Fixer can help! Submit your problems at ABCNews.com/fixer.


Dear ABC News Fixer:

I’m a frequent flyer with American Airlines, and have a business and personal credit card feeding miles into my account.

About nine months ago, I noticed the miles generated by my primary business card were not going into my account. With a couple of phone calls, I learned the problem was not with American Airlines, but with the card issuer.

I have called Barclaycard repeatedly to try to straighten this out. Each time, I am assured that the lost miles — earned from September 2015 through June 2016 — will be restored, but they never are. The total is about 90,000 miles, representing $90,000 spent on that card.

I am at the end of my rope. I have spoken with supervisor after supervisor, to absolutely no avail. I would so appreciate any and all help.

-Don Sincell Mountain Lake Park, Md.

Do you have a consumer problem? The ABC News Fixer may be able to help. Click here to submit your problem online. Letters are edited for length and clarity.


Dear Don:

You told the ABC News Fixer that you’re earning all those miles through business expenses for the community newspaper you run: The Republican of Garrett County, Md.

The paper has been in your family since your great-grandfather became editor and publisher in 1890 (the paper was founded in 1877 by Capt. James Hayden, a huge fan of Abraham Lincoln – thus the name “The Republican”).

As the paper’s fourth editor after your great-grandfather, grandfather and father, you’re counted on to cover every aspect of your community – but you said you also find time to be a volunteer firefighter, ski patroller, town council member and a trombone player in the community band.

We can only imagine how badly you must need a vacation.

And those missing miles are worth about three cross-country round trips.

The Fixer had a little better luck nudging this toward resolution.

By the time you wrote your letter, you had managed to get this business credit card connected to your American Airlines account. But even though the customer service representatives told you they could see the missing miles in their computer system, the miles stayed in a black hole.

We contacted Barclaycard and asked them to investigate. Within a few days, they had restored your 94,198 points and posted them to your account. They’re also giving you 20,000 more miles for your troubles.

And they figured out the mystery. Your old business and personal cards, issued by a different bank, originally earned miles on US Airways. US Airways merged with American Airlines in 2015, and you and other cardholders got new AA-branded credit cards. And you got a new issuing bank – Barclaycard.

It seems that somehow in that transition, an error occurred in the data field containing your name.

This wasn’t apparent to the customer service people you spoke to, so while they were promising it would get fixed, they weren’t able to request the right steps to fix it. (And if all this gives you a headache, you’re not alone.)

At any rate, they found it, they fixed it, and you’re good to take another couple trips.

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Jay Ferguson

Who I Am My name is Jay Ferguson, and I am a lifelong resident of the Deep Creek Lake area. I am also co-owner of the real estate side of Taylor Made. I have been in the real estate business for 21+ years now and I LOVE what I do! I have to say, my career really took off when I co-founded the real estate side of Taylor Made in 2014. Its been an amazing experience, building a real estate company from the ground up and achieving so much so quickly! In August 2016, we purchased Long & Foster Real Estate Deep Creek, where I had started my career in 2000. In 2018, we on-boarded virtually every agent from Coldwell Banker Deep Creek Realty as they closed up shop and the real estate family grew even more! We now have over 40 sales agents and have expanded to West Virginia and Pennsylvania, as well. Taylor Made is the #1 vacation rental company at Deep Creek with over 475 vacation rental homes, and over one hundred thousand yearly visitors. Its amazing what we have accomplished using the principles of honesty, teamwork and customer service! Personally, my wife Jessica and I enjoy traveling and especially spending time in the outdoors, hiking and exploring the many diverse areas that Garrett County is naturally blessed with. We have raised two wonderful children here, Kayleah (22) and Noah (13). In the summer, we love spending time on the water with friends & family and enjoying the lake life! We are both active in our church, our community & local school activities, and we fill our schedule with plenty of volunteer efforts. I currently serve on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity. I am proud to say that I was named Deep Creek Time’s Favorite ‘Community Champion’ in 2019. I was also named Garrett County Realtor of the Year in 2018-19, as well. I really enjoy promoting my hometown. I am very proud of the resort area that has developed over my lifetime and look forward to growing the area even more! Deep Creek Lake has been described as ‘The Lake Tahoe of the east', and I think that speaks volumes about the potential to own property here! Deep Creek Lake isn't really a town or city by itself; it's comprised of three towns: Oakland, Swanton & McHenry, Maryland. I am very passionate about my hometown and am impressed with how many people know about it as we travel around the country. Deep Creek Lake is an amazing place to visit and even better place to live! During the pandemic in 2020, our market exploded and more and more people left their primary residence in the city to live here permanently. With distance learning in schools and tele-commuting becoming the ‘norm’, many more people were drawn to the area to ‘live where they love to play’. Why You Want Me Working for You: In addition to being an owner, I am consistently one of the top-producing agents in the entire area and the Associate Broker of record for Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales. I have 21+ years of experience and I am a problem solver. There aren’t many situations that I have not encountered and I have a strategy for almost every scenario that you may encounter. I have extensively trained in all areas of real estate & emerging technologies, and also have trained as an appraiser, as well as served as a full-time Broker. I have a strong knowledge of the industry, as well as many trusted local contacts & affiliations that allow me to perform at a very high level and deliver results. I have a great deal of respect for my peers in this industry and have strong working relationships that I would love to put to work for you. Call me to discuss your situation - I know I can be of great service to you & others you care about! Honesty. Integrity. Results.