I live on the East Coast yet play on Central and West Coast servers. Never had that much of an issue, but even if I did? You’ve had 14 years to transfer bit by bit or start rolling on other servers. You might have been a kid starting out but there was nothing holding you there after that - you or your friends. I actually did pay to transfer the majority of my characters to another server, but I did them one at a time as I could afford to. I also rerolled heavens only know how many others. Other people have done the same. Free transfers would have been lovely, but servers chosen are on the players - children choosing or as an adult. I’d say be glad the paid transfers are even an option now.
Either way, while sometimes staff can assist in a paid transfer mishap, they don’t do this kind of things, not fourteen years later of ‘buyers remorse’. You’ve had plenty of time and opportunity to fix it yourself.
Luckily though, even without an ETA? Mass transfers will be available at some point in the future. But you and your pals will have to pay for it. There isn’t any way around that save for just re-rolling.