AT&T review: Landline bills for account I closed months ago — before it was even supposed to begin

In late February 2026 I called AT&T to have a landline account I'd had for decades closed but only effective about March 25, 2026, the last day of that already paid for cycle. I had recently gotten a cellphone, but because I was about to turn 79 in March and was having lots of calls on my cellphone from Kaiser about appointments, I foolishly called AT&T back up the next day or so (still in February where my old landline account should still be active until March) and said I wanted to keep the old landline account I'd always had. I was on hold many times while someone form the Phillipines, I think, was seeing what she could do. Ultimately she said I couldn't keep the old number (even though it was still active for a few days) and gave me a new one. She said nothing about there being new fees and this new landloine account/number was not supposed to become active until March 3 when the old landline number was supposed to end. But the next day or two I got an email or some notice that there would be a new installation fee over $60. So I decided I didn't want the new number after all and I called, still in late February, and the lady after lots of holds and checking said that the account, the new landline number, was closed. However started getting bills for the new number every month, increasing into hundreds of dollars for a number/account I had never ever used and had cancelled days before it was even scheduled to begin (March 3, when the old landline number was supposed to end). I thought they would simply disconnect on their end, but in fact the last bill threatened that if i