During a boring lunch hour I was surfing the FIAT website and was browsing the Brio catalogue, saw a new 1:43 Brava model I hadnt got, so armed with the part number I rang my local FIAT dealer, £79.99 he says, are you sure? I ask, Yes, they are sold in boxes of 24! So I rang the FIAT helpline, and they were no help. If I order a roofrack from the Brio catalogue will I have to buy a pallet full? If I order a shirt will I Have to buy one of every size? A total "The computer says no." Situation. Their final solution? ring all the dealers in the Uk until I find one that has ordered a box and ask them to sell then post one! Bonkers.

A cross between " Minimum order quantity " and "We can't be arsed "

Comes as no surprise at all.
Rgds.

Seen this before when ordering Alfa parts. They sell everything in fives. So if you want a set of pistons and liners for an Alfa 75, you have to buy 5. What do you do with the other one? Answer I got is you order four sets, then you effectively have one set "free". Yes. But what the Hell do I do with 16 pistons and liners bearing in mind I'm not a dealer?

Oddly, this situation only came up AFTER Fiat took over. Before then, parts came in the exact number you'd need...

so.... by 4 sets of 5 pistons....and you end you with the 4 you want! ic

There is a simple solution to this, but as I've pointed out before, it takes a decent, caring, good parts person who actually knows or cares how his 'job' works.
He rings Fiat and asks them to supply the part as a single unit.
I do this all the time. Some time ago Fiat began supplying parts packed in quantities, nuts, bolts, gaskets etc. If I need a single bolt for example, I contact Fiat and they supply as a unit rather than in quantities.
Works in Ireland, maybe the UK uses a different system.

Just on the Alfa pistons, I checked out of curiosity and they are supplied as a single unit, not in quantities.

Hi
how about ordering 5 pistons for a 20v coupe, or do they come in 4's
Tim

I agree with Kmacb, JCS in Kegworth Nottingham, are an INDEPENDENT Fiat dealers and they can get 1! (A place I would highly recommend for parts/service/ good free advice/sales and most importantly model cars! I have used them for years for Alfas and FIATS, Both real and 1:43!)I had the same problem with needing a bolt to secure the coil on a Punto a while back. As a Club do we not have any weight with these guys? Do they not WANT to sell stuff? I spent a following boring lunch hour writing to FIAT UK regarding this, just for a laugh really as I doubt they will be too bothered!

Recieved a postcard from FIAT saying "They Care" above the current range and that they were investigating my query! Watch this space!

14 days to reply!must be busy at fiat HQ.

In view of the number of new/used Fiats on the road, and the number of potential issues relating to sales/service/parts, I would imagine a complaint about a toy car would be fairly low down their list of priorities

Fair point, but all of my real FIATs are rusty and fall to bits, my toy ones are all shiny and run well when my 2 yr old whizzes em across the kitchen floor!!!!

WOW! My own complaints advisor, apologies, free model in the post! Am I dreaming? An exciting current range that is selling well AND good customer service? Nice one FIAT!

Now that is mad..........