Bit of a long story but I'll try and keep it short. I decided early spring to come back to FIAT after 18 years or so (my first car was a 127 sport - orange with black spoilers, and a cracking little car). Took a test in the GP and decided it was for me. I was disappointed with the 1.3 90 diesel (frightening at junctions!) and couldn't justify the extra 2k for the 1.9, so I went for the 1.4 16v eleganza (I need 5 doors so sporting was a no go). I ordered this early June from CarSelect on the internet. I have had cars from these before and all has been OK (its owned by Lloyds bank). I got a decent price for my trade in and a £1k discount off list so all seemed good. Options I asked for were the exotica red paint (or 'pay more for no apparent reason' red) and ESP. I'd done my homework and seen ESP was an extra on the eleganza 1.4 16v but standard on the sporting 1.4 16v, whereas both the1.9's get it (why do they do this?).

However Carselect checked this with their supplying dealer(Jordan's in Hull apparently), who insisted that ESP was standard on my car, even though I got em to read the FIAT website, where its an option. So I waited for news on the delivery and given what I read on this forum, I still wasn't convinced ESP was standard. I got a call early september to say my car was in the dealers but wouldnt be released until they got a new steering rack, which would be a few weeks (7 as it turned out). I knew from this forum that this was a problem on the GP so was happy to wait (well not happy but..). However, and this is why I'm really naffed off, I asked if Carselect would get the dealer to go and check 'my car' in their yard and confirm that ESP was on it, rather than wait a few weeks to find it wasn't.

They rang back next day to say the dealer has looked at the car and it did have ESP. Great. So I sat back and waited. Till 23 october, when my shiny new GP arrived on the trailer. So off it comes, my part-ex goes on, then I suddenly think 'check the 'ESP'. Out comes the user manual, while the poor delivery man waits to go home. As you can guess, when I found out what dash light should come on for ESP, it wasn't there. I got the driver to ring the dealer service people who confirmed no light, no ESP. :bang: :bang:

Havin decided originally I wanted ESP, I wasn't gonna take a car without it, so I had to reject the car and back it went on the trailer (pictures above, think it looks great in Red though). To be frank, the response from Carselect was pretty awful. Not much my salesperson contact could do to be fair as they could not find any other GP's available with ESP without another factory order, but customer service then actually seemed to suggest this may now cost me more as the list price had now gone up!! Eventually got a more senior manager to ring us and he was a bit more apologetic and at least said it wasn't gonna cost me anymore.

So it was reordered (with ESP at no further cost to me) with delivery hopefully before XMAS (it looks like early Jan now though). Can't wait for it but the problems have taken the shine off a little, I am just hopin for a good car that cheers me back up. Last I heard, Carselect were blaming Jordans (which is my take on it, especially as they were supposed to have checked my car) and Jordans were blamin FIAT. I'm a bitted miffed though that not even had a thank you, given that I could have quite easy only realised no ESP after a few weeks of drivin, and they then would of had to take back a 'used car' and supply me a new one.The way I see it I've probably saved em thousands as the original car has been de-registered from me so can now be sold as new.

Right rant over!!

Yes you are correct it is a optional extra.For ESP your car must have ASR/MSR/HBA/HHC so if you dont have hill-holder function you dont have ESP

Chap in picture looks happy even though he just unloaded the car then reloaded it on the flat top or was he just smiling for the camera

He was probably just chuckling at the farce of it all.

My question is though, if you, as a FIAT tech, know the 1.4 16v eleganza doesn't have ESP as standard, and I did as a layman, why on earth didn't a large dealer know, especially when I questioned about it a number of times?

Salesmen mate

Because Jordans are cowboys!

i bought mine from carselect and they couldnt have been more helpful

jordans (the transport company) were also quite helpful, although

mine got delivered on the same type of trailor, and the stupid t**t of a driver pushed the car too far up on the ramp, which ended up rubbing on the rubber stoppers which left some black crap on my car, and there was also a scratch on my bumper, i insisted i wouldnt take it and while the delivery man was unhappy and getting angry, i stressed the fact that it wasnt noticable unless you knew about it, but when spending £11k + it should be mint condition, so from there they accepted the charges and i got a full bumper respray locally which was all paid for by jordans

carselect since then have also kept in contact and been very helpful still


sorry to here about yours though, i was almost in the same boat but we managed to sort it out locally rather than sending it back

Was it the same delivery guy?

the guy who delivered mine was fine, couldn't imagine him gettin angry, though suppose if the problem was the delivery drivers fault, like yours was, he may of got a bit uptight.

To be fair to Carselect, I have no problems with the people who handle the sale at all, to be honest I think they were as flabbergasted as me, as they had checked with the dealers so many times re the ESP. And of course they then got the flak on the phone when the car turned up without it!!

My past dealings with them have been OK too. I would use them again but it just seemed the customer service team initially had no idea how to deal with this. Don't suppose it happens too often though!

The big issue for me was that it sat at the dealers for 7 weeks and someone was supposed to have checked it when it got there. If they'd admitted it didn't have ESP then, a factory re-order would've only taken 8 weeks, so no problem for me. And the fact that I've saved the dealer a few K by not drivin the original one, but not even a thank you letter.

Latest news is that I may get it before Xmas, so fingers crossed:

Unlucky I do sympathise.

Thats annoying! Looks soo good there too!