Why can't I get my phone un-blacklisted?

More than a month ago I had ordered a new phone and Fedex lost it in transit. I was instructed to report it as lost or stolen. It was found shortly after so I called to let AT&T know and I had it activated in a store so they could do the right thing to get the IMEID off the list.

On 12/26 however, my phone started being blocked. I was able to go online and reactivate it, but I have to do that every day now and it only works for voice -- no data and text is inconsistent.

What do I have to do to get this fixed? I mean really fixed. Not just a promise, as I have had many of those as listed below.

Here's what I've had to deal with (I'm getting confused on which days some of the things happened but you get it):

• The first phone call I made was on 12/27. I was told it would be corrected within 24h and was given a case number.
• Nothing happened within 24h, so I called again on 12/28. Was told it would be 24h again.
• So I called again on 12/29. I was told again it would be fixed within 24h (so on 12/30) and the customer support person guaranteed they would personally be in touch today Saturday 1/3 just to follow up.
• It wasn't fixed within 24h so I called again, and the same goes for 12/31 and 1/1.
• Yesterday, 1/2 I got somebody who told me they can get someone to fix it within 2h. That and that they'd be in touch via phone and email after it was dealt with. I waited 24h and nothing.
• Today 1/3 I called in the morning and now it's slated for 1/5. Okay...trying to continue being patient.
• The phone started needing re-activated more than every 24h, so I called again. Supposedly I was handed to the *right* person this time.

I'm pleading to have someone hand me to the person who actually looks at this thing, because at this point, there is zero reason to believe that anyone has given me the correct information. 

The one surprising thing I learned today was that there is in fact no way for the person in the call center to talk to the person who handles the case. I probed the person on this fact a few times just to make sure I fully understood it and they were adamant that there is no way to communicate with them directly. They said that there is no phone number to reach these people at. Let me say that again so I don't confuse anyone: The people who handle the cases for the lost and stolen devices cannot be communicated with directly in any fashion.

So I found out today that phone communication between the call center and the lost and stolen case managers is not possible. (The dungeon the case managers work in must be pretty depressing.)

I have been told my options are:

• I can wait. I don't feel like this is going to resolve it though. Every day for 8 days it has been pushed back another day. I don't think anyone means to mess this up, but AT&T has messed this up, so it seems naive to wait. For what it's worth, I've been pretty patient and save for some frustration and skepticism have been polite (no name calling or anything). I'm here because I don't believe anymore that it's with the right person or team.
• I can go to the store and buy a new phone. I asked whether this would fix it, and was advised that yes, it probably will. This seems like the crazy town solution to the problem though. I can't believe it, but I'm actually a little tempted to do it. The time I've spent talking to them, not being able to use my phone, and having to stop and find wifi to re-activate my phone would have paid for half of that new phone.
• Quit AT&T. I've used AT&T Wireless since it was Cingular so I think I've been here for what 10 years now. Seems a shame to leave because this fell into some black hole.