Similar experience with a telco in my state. As soon as I called the state regulator about being strung along over a bait and switch, the telco bent over backwards to clear up the issue.
There was also the time I took an airline to small claims court after repeated customer service calls and a demand notice failed to get their attention; the airline's chief counsel called me up at work after they received the notice from the court. They still failed to resolve the problem and also didn't show up for the hearing, so it was a summary judgement in my favor with damages multiplied x3.
Tip if you do escalate to a court or state regulator: Keep copies of everything including postage receipts with tracking info and records of phone calls (screenshots of call logs, notes about each call, etc.)
I would bet that if one is unsavvy about it one gets paid out about as quickly as they pay vendors (which can be glacial) but that a demand letter to the general counsel with a judgement attached results in a check getting cut no later than the business day after the day the letter is opened.
There was also the time I took an airline to small claims court after repeated customer service calls and a demand notice failed to get their attention; the airline's chief counsel called me up at work after they received the notice from the court. They still failed to resolve the problem and also didn't show up for the hearing, so it was a summary judgement in my favor with damages multiplied x3.
Tip if you do escalate to a court or state regulator: Keep copies of everything including postage receipts with tracking info and records of phone calls (screenshots of call logs, notes about each call, etc.)