Its sagas like these, that are so common, that mean we all very much look forward to the telecom companies being brought to task under schemes such as
Under such a scheme, my landline provider at home (not BT) would have been liable for almost £3,000 of compensation for their non provision of useable landline service between February and October last year (which they still want paid for 
)
Such an incentive for companies like BT cannot come soon enough. Not to "carpetbag" compensation, but to save us all from the horror stories like the above, and the sheer frustration of having to try and deal with the gross incompetence of telecoms companies. Perhaps with a £3000 compensation bill looming, the might actually start considering providing the service they are contracted to.