Update to the story. I received charges for e+ upgrades for the one leg of the trip that was intentionally upgraded by the agent the first time around. I called in to see what was going on, and the agent I spoke with couldn't figure out why the charge happened. She kept saying I did it, because there was no documentation stating that I was upgraded as a customer service courtesy.

I'm a retail manager, and my life is customer service. I always keep my cool because I've been on the receiving end so much. In this case, the agent was being so nonchalant I got pretty heated. This was my fifth call to United about changes they made to my reservation.

Eventually, she did refund the charges and place us back in e+. She acted like I was an idiot, and she was just doing it to shut me up. I think I will be avoiding United at all costs in the future. I wish I could just cancel the whole thing and book with another airline.