Trying to get DSL or Uverse for almost a month now - horrible customer service and incompetence

My husband and I have been trying for 3.5 weeks now to get internet and phone service installed. In speaking with 20 different AT&T customer service reps and countless hours on hold, being transferred, etc., we still don't have service or really a good estimated time as to when we will have either service.

We made our first request for service 3.5 weeks ago. Someone at AT&T said that they would schedule us for phone installation on Friday Oct. 5th, but DSL service was not available in our neighborhood. At this point my husband and I were going to try to find another provider since we didn't want dial-up. On Friday the 5th, AT&T never showed up to install the phone. We are a brand new construction home in a brand new neighborhood, so I believe that some people are having problems locating the property.

- When AT&T didn't show up, we called back, and the service rep we spoke with at that time said that they would reschedule (because they couldn't find the house the first time - (why they didn't call for directions, I'm not sure)). This same service rep also said that high-speed internet was, in fact, available, but we would have to wait until our phone line was installed in order to determine speed/pricing and then set up a separate installation date for internet.

- Later that day I called AT&T back to get clarification on some of the information they gave and the new rep said that because we were in a new neighborhood they would have to run lines in order for us to have DSL/Uverse internet. The phone should be fine.

- The next day I called to further discuss the internet issue and eventually ended up speaking to a rep (after talking to 5 different ones) who said that our neighborhood Didn't need any special lines installed, that the issue was that our house was never added to the 911 directory, and that's why AT&T was having a difficult time finding the home. I put in an address verification to have a technician sent out to verify what services were available. I was told that someone would me back in 24-48 hours. When that call never came, I called AT&T back

- After speaking with 4 more reps, I finally got a rep (Brad out of Pennsylvania) who seemed helpful, but even he had yet another story. I was told that an address verification was never put in (for the internet service), and that our phone installation would take a specialist since AT&T realized our neighborhood was run with all fiber optic lines for phone and internet. Our new phone installation date was scheduled for Monday Oct. 15th (today). Brad said he would call me last saturday or today to let me know the status of the internet address verification. (I've yet to hear from him).

- I called AT&T today to get an estimated time for the phone installation to ensure my husband would be home. The rep who I spoke to said that the installation may or may not happen today since MLAC hasn't released our request to a technician. She informed me that they are working on the boxes and wiring to the homes (yet another different story from what I've been hearing for the past 3 weeks). I didn't even ask her about the update on internet service because I couldn't handle the incompetence of yet another person who didn't know what on earth was going on.

The person I spoke with today said that the model homes in our neighborhood have service because they were set up under a business account and they receive a higher priority than home accounts. This is poor customer service, and it shouldn't take a month for a phone and internet company to figure out what steps are necessary to give a customer phone and internet service.

I just spoke with another person today who said that an address verification was put in on Oct. 1st (apparently brad was incorrect that it had not been put in the first time), but the lady couldn't find the results and after waiting 10 minutes for her to talk to the engineering dept (in addition to the 30 I had already been on hold) I had to hang up.

I'm wondering if SOMEONE ---ANYONE can help me with this problem. In short we just want phone and high-speed internet service at our house. We tried going with other service providers, but apparently AT&T has a monopoly and since we are in an AT&T area, the other providers don't give service. Our next step is to call the local news stations to get an investigation going and warn consumers and our future neighbors of the incompetence and lack of customer service that your company has provided - we will then go with a satellite internet company if this doesn't get resolved in a timely manner.

If there is a compentent customer service rep who reads these posts, please contact me if you need additional information to help me in this process.