BT Infinity - 3 orders, 10 wks, 30+ assistants an...

Question

First off, this is going to be a long post, but I have snapped and have lost the will to carry on now.  It is almost comical now and I'm intrigued in how much worse this can get.
I also have to caveat I work in IT service and support for a large multi-national.  If I dealt with with my customers the way BT deal with theirs, I'd be sacked and the companyy would be bust!
I have a BT phone line, which had a BT Business broadband ADSL service attached to it, provided and paid for by my employer.  For reasons I don't want to to go into, it was capped at 50GB/mth and 10mbps and I wanted more. I'd been patiently waiting for infinity fibre to be installed in my exhcange area, as I liked the combination of BT broadband, BT Wifi availability out and about and the added bonus was BTSport for free. This was finally all ready in March this year.
So this whole sorry mess started on March 23rd with me notifying my company to terminate the BT Business broadband and me filling in an online offer to buy BT Infinity Option1 against the phone line, paid my £6.95 delivery, £30 activation and also 12mths line rental in advance, which completed successfully and gave me the date for an engineer visit 2 wks hence to complete the install.  All good so far, if only I'd known how bad this would get I would have bailed out there and then......
Apr 7th  - The HH5 had arrived in the post, and I took a day off waiting on the engineer to arrive to do his thing.  I'd researched online for what to expect and I was tracking progress on the BT website.
Engineer didn't show up.
Rang BT order helpline that afternoon, spoke to an operator in the Sunderland call centre, who after much investigation, said the order had completed, but only as an ADSL service. The engineer had not been booked, because the order never transferred from BT Retail to BT Openreach, she didn't know why.  However, a few tests completed, she said all was well with the line, the area, the exchange etc, she couldn't understand why an engineer had been needed to come to my house, as it wasn't needed for an Option1 product and they only needed to visit the cabinet to do the changes.  So she would re-order the product again and expedite the install, as it was a BT cockup, but it was late (4:30pm on a Monday ?!?) so she would do it the following day and call me back to confirm.
Apr 8th - no call back, so I call and speak to a different person (still England Call centre) who could see notes on the account, but didn't understand what was happening, but no matter she could place the order..........except she couldn't, becase she was in the Offline Sales Team and I wanted the same deal I had online, so I needed to call back to the Online Sales team instead, she couldn't transfer me.   So I call another number, get through to someone who again doesn't know the history or story, but could place an order again.  He said he'd sort out all the charges so i didn't pay twice, agreed I didn't need another HH5, so would cancel sending this out and would arrange for an engineer to visit the cab and do the change on Apr17th.  This was as as quick as he could do it.  It didn't matter I said, as I was on holiday the next week anyway, so I would all be done when I returned.  Great!  I also establish I'm dealing with Infinity Order management team on 01793590111 and get a service Request number to quote.  Progress I think, as I find even if you dial the correct 0800 number from the website, it appears random where you actual get to.
Apr 17th - whilst on holiday, I checked the BT account website order tracking.   It shows HH5 dispatched, but undelivered.  It shows order complete,  but curiously shows Broadband product on account as ADSL Option1 10mpbs, 2GB cap, but in the useage page, shows BT Infinity Unlimited.   I'm not convinced this is correct.
Apr 20th - get home, card from Post showing undelivered parcel (another HH5), Broadband not working at all.
Apr 21st - Ring BT, get through to Indian tech team (?!?, thought I was ringing Inf Order Mgmt), try and explain situation, which is interpreted as broadband is broken.  Bless him, he tries for next 1.5hrs to sort it out and he does get service back at ADSL speeds again.  I tell him I ordered infinity though and he assures me that it will speed up over the next few days.  He will call me back next days to check.  I'm not convinced, on either the speed, the service or the callback.
Apr 22rd - No callback, no speed improvement, still undetermined service status on webpage.  Call BT again, speak to another person in English call center (still rang same number as before!).  Go through whole story again, she agrees its not good, but they will fix it!  Says  only thing she can do is place another order!  I suggest it might be best to establish the root cause of why the previous 2 orders haven't worked and completed properly, plus I don't really need another HH5.  She agrees and transfers me to another department (not sure where/who/why).  No handover, so I have to start again with the explanation and we both agree a Service Investigation needs to be raised with BT Wholesale about why the orders are not completing.  I venture my hypothesis which is that it maybe something to do with the transfer from BT business to BT Retail....possibly.....maybe?  She say she will raise request and will call me back in 2 days with the answer. With a deep sigh, I agree and make a note to call BT in 2 days time!
Apr 24th - No call back, so i call them.  there hasn't been a response to the request from Wholesale yet.  2 working days haven't quite elapsed, so I'm told ring back tomorrow.  The callback appears to have been forgotten about.
Apr 25th - Finally,  repsonse from BT Wholesale is....... there is a tag on line which indicates it is a ADSL business line, this needs removing, we need a MAC code.  WTF?   I explain it is a BT to BT transfer and at no point at any time has anyone asked for a MAC code.  Operator agrees it is a bit silly, but will get the tag removed.  This will take another 3 working days - 5 actual days due to the week.  She will call me back and then we will need to order again.  
Apr 30th - No callback, so I call again, get passed from operator to operator, I'm assured the tag has been removed and thereis nothing to prevent the Infinity order progressing correctly this time.  I'm finally transferred to someone who can place the order.  I have to explain the entire story again to him and stop him abruptly when he starts explaining about the costs, activiation charges ect,    "I'VE ALREADY PAID THEM!".   He says he can match the original offer online, with a bit of adjustment, but I will have to recieve another HH5, as there is no way he can place an order without sending one out.  Reluctantly I agree.  He is delighted to tell me he has expidited the order and he can get it installed on May 6th!  Great, i say, only 9wks after I originally ordered it.  he didn't get the joke.
May 6th - HH5 number 3 arrives.  Watch order online complete.  BBand service unaffected, all looks good as Web page is now shoing consistently as I hve BT Infinity unlimited.  Great!   However,  speed is same as it was on ADSL.
May 7th - No change to BBand speed overnight, despite powering on/off HH5 etc.  Ring BT, try and explain situation and history.  They are having none of it.  All looks well and I need to wait 3 days for the speed to stabilise.  The point is lost on anyone that the speed hasn't changed. I can understand the stabilise period, but surely I shoudl have a speed bump with moving to infinity?!?  No joy, must call back in 2 days.
May 11th - I disconnect the HH5 and plug it directly into the test socket on the master socket. I plug my laptop into it with a wire, and run speedtest.btwholesale.net and also check dslchecker.  For good measure I also run the BT websites check your speed page.
1) speedtest page, shows everything is working perfectly, at the max line speed of 7.9mbps - ipprofile is 7.9mbps
2) DSLshecker shows I can get full Infinity at up to 40mbps from me local cabinet 19.
3) BT webpage shows that everything looks good fgrom exchange to house, but the speed is too slow for infinity, it indicates it is in issue in the house.
4) I believe that it is a BT issue, not mine - the order despite showing as complete - I don't think it is.
I ring BT tech support and get a script following person, who is happy to skip over the bits to get me to the test socket.  he runs all his tests and after about 45mins, says it is an exchange fault and needs to be escalated to level 2 (sounds mysterious!).  Someone will ring me back tomorrow in 2 days. 
May 13th - Someone did ring me back, but I wasn't able to take the call. I can't ring them though, only send them a text to setup a new time for them to ring me - seems a stupid system.
May 14th - I ring BT again and get direct to a Level2 person in India.  She does more tests and decides it is an issue at the exchange, so she puts me on hold and rings a colleague.  Then conferences me in with a tech support person in Ireland, who tells me the infinity service was cancelled yesterday and downgraded to ADSL again. He can't tell me who, why or when (I make it clear it wasn't me!), but I need to place another order.  AARGGGGGHHHHHH.  I then spend 5 mins on the phone as BT argues with BT about what to do, untill I remind them I'm still on the phone and it might be better for them to sort it out and ring me back with an anwser. They agree.  Level2 form India rings me back and says it needs to be escalated and that it is late (845pm) so someone will ring me back tomorrow.
may 15th - Tech support from India ring me at 1105 this morning to tell me I need to place another order to get infinity, conference me with an op in Easy Assist team to do this and then leave.  I decide enough is enough and rant down the phone.  Lesley from Easy Assist apologises, understands, but all she can do is place an order.  She goes off to consult with her manager, placing me on hold.  She comes back with someone from the Early Life team and transfers me to them, saying she will deal with it now.  I then get an explanation about problems with Active assets, circuit issues, exchange problems etc, which are all preventing the order completing, but it is OK, someone is dealing with it, it will be done tomorrow..............and then I can place a new order!  She can't place an order today, as it would conflict with what is happening and she can't actually help, as she only deals with orders once they have been placed!   
So 3 failed orders (root causes varied, undetermined, unknown), 10wks and counting and still no Infinity.  BT WTF are you playing at!
I saved the best for last - today I was told this case is currently with the "Complaints Team" and I was given a ref number. They are going to ring me tomorrow to sort out the issue and place the order.  I asked when they will call - apparently they don't fix times (other departments in BT do though). I asked if I can ring them - they don't give out their number apparently.  I asked if there is a name of someone to complain to - they don't give out names apparently.
So BT you've completely cocked this up, you persistently mis-direct, lie, transfer calls, won't take ownership, won't/don't call back, won't give out direct dial numbers, have ludicrous systems, bamboozle your customers with techno speak which is some cases is mi-placed, in others is plain rubbish....and you have complaints system which can't be contacted, has no name and works in mystery!
I've read that there are a team of moderators on here who can take personal ownership and sort out issues such as mine.  I'm on a personal mission to make this work. I'd sorely like to deal with a single individual to deal with this to its completion now.

Answer 1

So - I get a txt msg this afternoon at 1630, saying my BT Infinity Install is confirmed for 27th May 1300-1800, however we will get in touch with you on 20/05 with the earliest appointment. Call 0800 800 150 if I have further queries.
I've checked on the MyBT webpage and it shows that an order has been raised for BT infinity option 1, install is 27th May, appears it is for an engineer visit now.
I've rung the number, and spoken to someone in the Indian Call centre from Order Management team, who has confirmed this and read out the notes that they had tried to ring me on my mobile @ 13:46 but no reply, so had proceeded with an order as they had my permission.
No missed phone call, no voicemail left on my mobile.
Apparently all the issues have been dealt with, the order has been confirmed, they are expediting the order and they will ring me back on 20th May to book an earlier time. Quite why they can't book an earlier time now I don't understand and he couldn't explain.
Obviously I'm sceptical, as I've heard all this before (all sorted, everything is going to work etc etc), so I ask how they know and can guarantee it is all OK this time compared to the last 3 times. Apparently they know it will work this time as the order is confirmed and an engineer will be booked to do the work in the exchange. This begs the question that no engineer has ever done anything on the previous 3 occasions.
I asked if the engineer needs to come to my house. Apparently he does to fit the fibre to my house ?!? I tried to explain for BT infinity option 1, I was sure it was just a fibre to the cabinet and that nothing changes in the house, but he was insistent that a fibre will be connected to my house. I again checked, as the original order had an engineer visit booked, but subsequently BT changed their mind and said a self install was all that was needed for the last 2 orders. Frankly I'm still **bleep** confused and I don't think they know what is going on.
Also, there appears to have been some kind of reduction made to the costs, but the way it was explained seems very odd and doesn't make any sense.
I don't feel any more confident this time than last 3 and I guess I wait until 20th May to see what happens then.
P.S - it would appear they haven't ordered another HH5 this time! No sign of it on the order form.