Multiple broken promises waiting for BT broadband for 6 weeks

Oasis1

So I'll try to be as succinct as possible - would really appreciate any advice and avenues for complaint.

19th March - Place order for BT Infinity Broadband. Phone engineer appointment and broadband activation date confirmed by phone and e-mail for 30 March. I go ahead and book 30th March off work.
I then find out several days later through tracking order online that they have changed the appointment date to 6 April without notifying me. No email, no phone call to let us know.
3 April - I call BT to complain, and have to book the 6th April off work as well.
6 April - Phone engineer installs BT phoneline. Confirms broadband will be activated by midnight.
7 April - Broadband not activated. I call BT to complain. They look into issue. Various excuses given - corrupted reference number, system fault, account fault etc. They will chase with suppliers.
8 April - Another phonecall to chase. They chase suppliers. 'Bridging case made' 'Exception on account'.
10 April - Receive email confirming broadband activation date for 19 April.
20 April - Broadband not activated. Call BT to complain. Complaint escalated with a case manager supplied. New activation date confirmed for 26 April.
27 April - Broadband not activated. Receive voicemail from case manager confirming 28 April as activation date.
30 April - Broadband not activated. Phone BT to complain. Told another "bridge case/exception" on account. They chase suppliers. They confirm new activation date for 3 May.

After 6 weeks of waiting, 2 days of holiday used up, multiple broken promises, 10 phone calls speaking to around 15 different people for a total of nearly 4 hours, we are really fed up.

It's been a huge inconvenience given we need to work from home sometimes. My housemate recently broke her ankle and so being able to work from home has been especially paramount for her. It's got to a point where her employer is getting annoyed with her as she keeps giving new dates.

Feel really strung along with broken promises as we could have easily gone with another supplier in the 6 weeks we've been waiting for internet.

There is an open complaint with them which they will only deal with once we have broadband activated. So far they are wavering activation/installation fee of £69.99 and have covered us buying a dongle for £49.99. I don't feel this covers the inconvenience experienced at all.

What consumer body can I complain to as I don't feel BT are taking this seriously? What compensation can be reasonably expected?

Many thanks in advance and apologies for such a long rent. Advice much appreciated!

unholyangel

I wouldn't tell them you need the connection for business use or it may scupper any chance you have of relying on consumer rights.

As for what you can claim....a bill reduction for the dates you aren't receiving the service, perhaps compensation if you've lost out for additional days taken off (but not the original date) although you'd also be expected to try and mitigate that loss by booking the appointment for a time you would be in/perhaps getting a friend or family member to sit in instead, any reasonable actual losses basically.

theonlywayisup

As above. Any subsequent time you've taken off work aside the original date may be claimable.

However, I'm unclear from your post why you took the 30th March off as you say you found out 'a few says later' and that is postmarked 19th. Do you work not allow you to cancel dates booked or did you sit and wait for them on 30th and then find out they had moved the date?