Like you said, you may have physically damaged the tray (very possible and not fun) but if the SIM is just loose and not making a good connection then you may be able to add some layers of tape to the SIM card to make it more bulky and create a tighter fit… It might allow a better connection between the phone and your SIM card and allow your phone to constantly recognize and read your SIM card(s) properly. Just make sure not to put any tape over the part of the SIM card that need to connect to the phone.
It’s worth a try and could save you a lot of time as well as some money.