AT&T claims my In-Person payment (May 2020) was NEVER RECEIVED even though I sent verification to Claims dept.

I'm sorry to take so much space here, but I have a complex problem with a payment I made at end of May on my home telephone account, evidentally it was never applied to my account because it wasn't found, and I really need some further help. I paid the amount of 90.46 with cash at the local authorized payment center at the end of May this year, and as always, I saved the receipt. I contacted the Accounts payable dept. only after I learned-after having had my service suspended, that this payment hadn't ever come through to AT&T!  After contacting the Billing dept. and then (after a series of wrong connections) finally reaching the department for payment CLAIMS, I was told to send in the receipt to their fax number (supposed to be done that weekend but Ihad no access to a fax machine- don't own one) I verified that I had the right fax number. I submitted both the confirmation of transaction AND the reciept from the cash payment I made at ACE CASH EXPRESS, as well as the full account number. I had a delay with finding  using a fax  and bythe time I finally find one and did this, the CSR in Claims had CLOSED MY CASE - didn't tell me that there was a time limit on sending information of 4 days out- so I had to start a new claims case, then go back to the library and re-do faxing the information to the same number- almost a week later (6/17th) . The claims agent there did reconnect my service, but she never contacted me with the results of the investigation. I attempted to call back but again the various agents I was connected with WEREN'T the payment claims area- I was transferred several times- and it became too frustrating so I hung up. Timeline was 6/17th when the fax was submitted. The Claims department DID NOT RE-CONNECT WITH ME anytime to tell me the updated status, and I knew that the money HAD BEEN PAID, so I came to believe that the account was brought current. However, evidently the claims department investigation still found the payment missing.  THE MAIN THING IS - I was NOT INFORMED OF THIS, not until I called customer service about excess charges on my bill due last month that I was told NO, the account was still in arrears, and the payment had NOT BEEN FOUND. And I received a disconnection notice. I DON'T GET HOW, when verified my payment via the receipt and transaction number, they couldn't locate the funds!!

Meanwhile, it had now been 2 months since I first made the payment. I did call the 800# Customer Service center for payment center ACE Cash Express, twice, and was told they would investigate the issue, but when I did finally hear from them TODAY, they couldn't give me a refund because according to the research done by the Regional Manager, the bill had gone through correctly without issue.

So this issue is once again needing to be researched MORE CLOSELY by AT&T. THIS BILL WAS PAID 3 MONTHS AGO, I need for it either to be found and credited to my home phone account, since the evidence clearly indicated that I paid it, or to be given a waiver of this amount and the late fee it incurred on an upcoming bill, since the responsibility is for AT&T to locate this CORRECTLY PAID MONEY.  Also, there was an accountability of Claims department to give notification of the case's results from the inquiry - how else could I know that the payment was never found- but it was totally ignored. I have worked in a Call Center many years, and following up with customer after researching is CRUCIAL: even if it is strictly an INBOUND department/ CSR's cannot dial outbound,  the management staff still has the ability to contact customers on outgoing calls when necessary. It was essential to my case for that information to be given to me timely.

One last point: In June, I went to an AT&T retail store to make a payment there with cash- was told by the manager that due to the COronavirus now, cash payments aren't taken anymore. We discussed it  alittle further and he shared with me that recently the corporate managment had updated to a new payment system across the whole company, and this was causing A MAJOR DELAY with his store receiving their incoming funds. This conversation happened June, I'm not sure what week, possibly between the 2nd-3rd week of June. If there was a NEW PAYMENT SYSTEM installed prior to June '20, then maybe the payment I made at the end of May fell into the gap of transition from old system to new? Just a thought.

Please help me. My income has become very limited due to my job being non-essential and the amount of $90.46 is no small thing for me right now, I can't afford to make any payment only to have it LOST. I have just had my phone service disconnected because the past due amount was too large to afford, and since I'm  job hunting now, this is a real hardship.

Nina S. in Cleveland, OH     

P.S. I can give the specifics of my account if you require this, but I don't know if I should via a public forum.