Exchanging new phone, with a twist, and need only basic features

Edit: I've made my exchange, so this thread is obsolete now.

So, my old Motorla V3xx broke such that it would randomly drop calls due to some malfunction in the phone (rather than a service problem). This occurred a week or two after the warranty expired. Consequently, I needed a new phone. My sister recently got a blackberry (she likes texting) so we decided it was optimal financially for the family if I just bought a new phone with AT&T since my extra line would be much cheaper than buying a new phone and service with someone else (which is what I really wanted to do). So, we went to the AT&T store and the guy there recommended the Sony Ericsson Z750a for my needs, which my mother purchased for $127 (by check) after getting the new two year contract. He explained that if I was dissatisfied with it, I could return it within 30 days of purchase to an AT&T store and exchange it for something else I wanted. At this point, I then moved from West Virginia to New York City, where I currently reside.

So, it turns out that I don't like the phone that I have gotten, primarily because the sound is not loud enough and I cannot hear the people I am talking to very well. I have no desire or need for all the bells and whistles that are on phones nowadays (music, texting, camera, video, video recording, etc.), but I know those are standard issue to a greater or lesser extent now. The features I most need on a phone are:

Reception
Calls stay connected
Call clarity (on both ends)
Call volume (very important because I am a little hard of hearing especially when it is noisy, in spite of my relatively young age of 23)
Ringtone volume (again, hard of hearing)
Alarm clock (yes, really)
Sound made upon a call being dropped (as opposed to silence)

Beyond that, I really don't care too much, although having an ok display on the outside might be nice (I found the Sony Ericsson inadequate). The twist here, however, is that I have to return my Sony Ericsson phone within 30 days of purchase, the last day for exchange being Wednesday, September 10. Additionally, the guy at the AT&T shop explained that since my mother paid by check, he has no way of refunding money to me should the phone cost less that the $127 that were spent on the Sony Ericsson my mother bought.

So, the question is: what phone do I want?

I am willing to spend a little more on the phone ($50, maybe a little more), but I really just don't need something high end. That being said, I also don't want to lose money by getting an unnecessarily crappy phone when I have this $127 to spend toward an exchange. I have some things in mind (I've read some), but I feel that specifying those would possibly taint the suggestions I receive in that people would say "yes, get that" or "no, don't get that" as opposed to "this is the phone you want." I will say, however, that I am willing to get another Motorola V3xx, even though my old one broke; I suspect it broke because it had a particularly damaging fall at one point.

I think I have explained my problem as best as I can. If you have any questions or any suggestions, please post them here. Additionally, if this post is in the wrong place, I apologize and ask that it be moved to the proper location. Thank you for you help.

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