Real Mess with Total Broadband Package installatio...

Question

I ordered BT Total Broadband and Vision package in July 2012, including Home Install for the BT Vision, which I paid for.
The telephone engineer and Vision engineer appointments were arranged to take place on the same day - 20/8/12.
However, BT inexplicably cancelled this date via email, and re-scheduled the installations for 24/8.
Then BT cancelled the telephone engineer's appointment, saying it would not now be necessary as our line had been tested and was working (we were previously with Virgin.)
On 20/8/12 a Vision TV engineer suddenly turned up out of the blue, but obviously could not install the TV service, as our phone & broadband service were not due to go live until 24/8.
BT had apparently not conveyed this change of date to the Vision engineer. I told him of our revised date of 24/8, he said he would 'keep an eye on things' and I therefore assumed he would be returning on the date arranged by BT.
It is now 24/8.
I have installed the broadband myself, which is working fine, as is the wireless connection.
But that's the only thing that has gone smoothly.  I cannot receive any incoming calls at all (I can only make outgoing calls) and two of my three phone sockets have been completely dead since BT took over.
I managed to book a telephone engineer for tomorrow (25/8) to look at the lines; I obviously did need that telephone engineer's appointment after all, then.
And no Vision engineer has turned up to install the TV service as arranged, and as I paid for.
I rang the call centre in India who told me there was no record of a Vision Home Install appointment and that i would need to do this myself! I replied that I had booked one, it had been confirmed and I had even paid for it.
They then put me through to a person who I can only describe as a cocky 'gentleman' apparently in the UK with quite an attitude (I asked for his name and he gave a first name which I won't mention here) who apparently books engineers.
He told me that as my timeslot had now been missed and they had no way of knowing which the engineer had been assigned (and the engineer had not contacted me to let me know there was a problem) he could not give the engineer a b*****king and said in not so many words that it was basically my tough luck the engineer hadn't showed and I now would have to wait another week until 31/8/12 for the next available appointment to have my Vision service installed.
I have worked in CS and had I ever used such language to a customer (even in a non-confrontational way) I would have been fired on the spot.
This 'gentleman' refused give out the phone no. of engineers so that I could contact them direct.
I pointed out that I had taken a day off work for this installation and would now be forced to take another day off, so after this, how could I be confident that an engineer would actually turn up in a week's time? I then asked for email confirmation of the new appointment so that at least I would have somethnig to refer back to, but was told he could not send an email (somewhat strange for a world-class communication company?) but could send a text confirmation via mobile phone.
I have received this but still have no way of knowing if I'll be taking another day off work for nothing if the Vision engineer does not turn up - and I will still not have the TV service that I am paying for; nor indeed any TV service at all.
I asked for the content of our conversation to be put in writing - either via email or letter - but this was also refused.
I then asked for his superior's name to escalate a complaint and he gave me a (first) name which actually could have been either real or fictitious - I have no idea. I asked to be put through to him but was informed that it would take 48-72 hours to 'raise a form' to be able to do that!
This is totally unnacceptable;  BT has made it my problem that they have failed to keep any record of who this invisible Vision engineer was and I do not see why I should be the one bearing the brunt of this inefficiency.  It is not of my making, neither is it my fault that the installation work is outsourced and as I cannot arrange appointments myself directly, I have no control over the situation and have no choice but to rely on BT to do it correctly on my behalf. I really hope that this is not indicative of things to come, and the kind of service that I left Virgin for. If it is, I will be leaving BT as soon as my contract is up.
PLEASE, is there anything at all that the mods can do (or anyone in the UK that they can refer me to) to sort out this mess, gee things along so I don't have to wait another week when maybe even then no one will turn up to install my Vision service, and tell me how I can make someone actually take ownership of this fiasco? And any other relevant advice?
Most grateful for any help.

Answer 1

If you would like to contact one of the UK based BT Care Team who moderate this forum, they should be able to help you.
They can be contacted using this link BT Care Team
They normally respond by phone or e-mail, within three working days, however you should get an immediate confirmation, with a tracking number.
There are some useful help pages here, for BT Broadband customers only, on my personal website.
BT Broadband customers - help with broadband, WiFi, networking, e-mail and phones.