Ipad mini lightning cables won't fit in port anymore

This is the second ipad mini that I've been through this with. I can see by searching that I'm not the only person this has happened to, but nobody has a fix. Yes I tried cleaning the port and trying a different cable. Neither of these worked. These things apparently develop a port defect with use because its been fine for the 3 months I've had it. I'm outside of warranty as I bought this refurbed from a walmart seller. Any suggestions?