Complaint: very delayed BT order - engineers miss...

Question

Can anyone advise me on the best way to proceed on this issue below? Essentially we placed an order with BT nearly 6 weeks ago and after a series of missed appointments/ones where the central work had not been done for the line to be ready we still don't have a phone line let alone an internet connection.
Each time an engineer's appointment is missed or they turn up and can't do anything we have to wait weeks for another appointment. They also invariably log the appointment as "customer's property not ready" and "customer not present for appointment", when in fact central work was not ready and the engineer just did not show up.
Clearly we would have taken our business elsewhere long ago if we could, but as I understand it any other provider would have to contract BT to lay the line to our property anyway so switching would just delay our process further.
Any idea how to solve this or complain effectively? Does BT offer compensation for missed appointments and delayed services? 3 weeks without phone or internet is very inconvenient/expensive for us.
The irony is that with no phone line or internet it's very hard to investigate/contact BT/complain. I'm currently trying to use a BT openzone which keeps cutting out and losing this message.
Thanks for any help you can give.
Enquiry reference number: XXXXXX-XXXXXX
Order number AXXXXXXXXX.
Situation:  had engineer's appointment 0800-1300 23/10/2012 to install line at property. Engineer missed appointment, yet was logged as customer not present for appointment. We were present at flat all morning and no engineer came.
Background:
  -  order first placed 14/09/2012, XXXXXXXXX, agreement that line would be installed free of charge and internet connection ready 01/10/2012
  -  original appointment for 01/10/2012 1300-1800, missed by engineer and no contact from BT to apologise/acknowledge this.
  -  Chased missed appointment on phone and engineer came next day, but couldn't do connection as work at the exchange not complete.
  -  Engineer next came 09/10/2012 but couldn't get a connection from phone sockets. Traced a wire around flat to behind a shelf. Said he would return for another appointment if we moved the shelf first.
  -  Next appointment booked for 23/10/2012. Despite complaints about previous missed appointment and previous appointment where exchange work was not complete, was told could not get an earlier appointment.
  -  Engineer did not come for appointment on 23/10/2012. We had spent evening moving all furniture away from walls to allow access and flatmate not left the property all morning or afternoon.
  -  1600 on 23/10/2012 contacted BT about missed appointment and told that the engineer logged it as attended but customer not present at the address. Received a text saying "We're sorry you missed your appointment". Spoke with Shiva Pasasad in Order Management Department - Complained about missed appointment and the fact that we had been blamed, was apologised to that we were unhappy but told there was nothing that could be done and the next available appointment was 08/01/2012 (8weeks after order placed). Complained further and told that order would be put through to engineers faster, and that it should be done within the next 3-4 working days but that we could not have an exact date. Would receive no apology and could not contact the engineer department directly.
  -  Now awaiting another call within next 48hours to explain what will happen next.
  -  We are a flat of four young professionals and one 5th year student. One of the professionals is self-employed and requires an internet connection for his work. The medical needs internet for studies. Each appointment has required half a day or more off work at considerable inconvenience. Delays to our order (current 3 weeks since we were told we would have a phone liner and internet connection by the sales team on placing the order) have caused considerable inconvenience and cost.
Assessment: 
  -  Firstly, a failure by the sales team where we were told on placing the order that we would have an internet connection available on 01/10/2012, but later told by another team that we would have to separately order an internet connection after our phone line went active on 01/10/2012 so it would take longer.
  -  Secondly the engineer did not turn up to 01/10/2012 appointment. No apology was received nor compensation offered for the half day of work lost. Engineer came the next day at only hours' notice on 02/10/2012.
  -  When the engineer came on 02/10/2012 they could do nothing as they said central work either on the part of the BT accounts team or the exchange (this was not made clear) had not been done. Again loss of work time, considerable inconvenience, and further delay to us having a phone line or internet connection.
  -  After the appointment on 09/10/2012 the engineer had to leave before completing the job - could not get a follow up appointment for 14days afterwards, at which stage it was 5.5 weeks after placing the original order .
  -  Engineer did not come for appointment on 23/10/2012 - yet was logged that we were not present which was incorrect. On complaining of this to order management was told that we had not been present at the property which was incorrect and what we were complaining of. No apology for missed appointment given nor explanation.
  -  Next appointment not available to 08/11/2012. Order put through to a team, and told would hear back with 48hours.
Recommendation:
  -  First and foremost we would like a phone line and internet connection as soon as possible. We have now been waiting over 5.5 weeks.
  -  We would like it clarified on our file that we did not miss our appointment on 23/10/2012, the property was occupied all day, our doorbell works and our phones were switched on.
  -  We have been made to understand that we cannot go with another provider as they will need to get BT to lay a line for us anyway and that this will further delay our connection. Is this correct?
  -  We would like further explanation as to how these mistakes have occurred and an apology and compensation for work time lost, inconvenience and delay where appropriate.
Many thanks for a speedy resolution to this issue. An internet connection really is essential to us and we have been without one now for over  5.5 weeks since placing the order, which is 3weeks longer than we were originally led to believe by the sales team when we placed the order.

Answer 1

I was shocked to read HAZWYATT's complaint, because it mirrors my daughter's almost exactly. My daughter is disabled and has just been given an adapted bungalow for her needs. She needs a landline for the Careline emergency contact facility in her home. The BT phone line had been completely removed back to the box according to the salesperson who took her order to replace it. Like Hazwyatt she cannot use another supplier as BT must connect the line first. Cable is not available in her area either.  Her work was scheduled for Nov 22nd after waiting 4 weeks.  She was home. Afternoon engineer arrived to install phone, tv and BB but said could not do anything as work had not been done outside. Left without any return time or contact details. I rang Order Tracking for her ( she has no phone! - this sort of thing is difficult on a mobile) and was given another appointment for January 4th. However the operator said she would email BT Outreach for a reply on installation. Has promised to call back on Monday next - not holding my breath.
My shock about the comparison came because the engineer had logged the exact same report as customer not being in !     Also that Hazwyatt has been given futurer dates. I can also see all the other customer complaints of a similar nature. There does not seem to be anyone to contact.    Would TV' Watchdog' relish this?