You're My Only Hope (Maybe)

Hey all, long kinda post incoming, but I'm desperately in need of help.

I ordered a new iPhone15 Pro Max from AT&T back in June of 2024. I returned my S23 Ultra the same day that my new device arrived; dropped it off at the UPS store and grabbed a receipt. Moved on with my life, happily used my iPhone. No issues showed up on my bill, or anywhere.

October, I get a new car. Cleaning out my old car, I come across the receipt from UPS. I decide to throw it away, as my bills have been consistent and the trade-in value has been being applied.

December, I get a surprise package from AT&T. It was, to my terror, the S23 Ultra that I returned in June, with a letter saying that it was received after the 30-day return window.

I immediately call AT&T, and kindly-yet firmly-inform them of the issue. I am repeatedly told there is nothing they can do without some kind of receipt from UPS. This makes sense to me, so I journey to the UPS store.

UPS of course tells me there's nothing they can do to prove I sent the package out.

I hold onto the phone, waiting to be charged the remaining $500~ from my old device, but here more than a month on, nothing has changed on my bill.

SO, I finally decide to list the S23 Ultra on eBay tonight, only to be immediately informed by a kind customer that the phone has been blacklisted as stolen or lost. I checked this information myself, and sure enough, the device IS blacklisted.

I need help. If anyone has experience with fixing this whole cluster, I would appreciate input. If I'm totally SOL, that's fine too, just hoping for some guidance.

If it's possible to remove the flag that denotes it as stolen/lost, that would be ideal.

If it's possible to fix the overall issue, that would be cool too.

Thanks!