Persistence paid off. Finally got the $1700.
Found someone in Tech Support (Amy) who analyzed the call or something, picked my brain for 2 hours over call details. Heard she put in a very strong recommendation on my behalf, higher- ups probably decided to pick on someone else.
Moral of the story, don't give up til you find an angel. There are a few of them out there, strategically placed among the riffraff.