Vehicle Discounts. HP/HPE Alumni

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Vehicle offers for HP and HPE retirees and alumni

From former employees of HP and HPE. (Apr 23, 2023) Question? Email: info@hpalumni.org

Menu of all discount topics: Retiree Discount Menu Discussed on the HPAA Benefits Forum.

For decades, HP bought fleet cars directly from Ford (a major instrument system customer) and sold them to employees/retirees after a year or two. Now outsourced to a leasing company, which offers the vehicle only to the employee who drove it.

The internet has dramatically changed how vehicles are sold.

Here are two a very practical articles:
- "What really works: From research to financing to one simple email that will get dealers scrambling to give you their best price" on BusinessInsider.com
- "Internet vs. traditional car buying -- How to save time, money and stress" on Edmunds.com

- Most dealers list their new and used inventory online and have dedicated internet sales reps. You make an appointment to test-drive and buy a car offered at a fixed price -- without the traditional two-hour dance while the salesperson supposedly argues with the sales manager.

- You can research new and used cars available at all dealers in your area (and from many private sellers) online at Edmunds.com.

- There are some new- and off-lease car offers from Beneplace -- an advertising company that advertises identical "exclusive discounts" to employees and retirees of thousands of companies -- including HP and HPE -- using web pages and emails with the employer's name and logo. Unrelated to the employer's corporate purchasing. Thousands of employers promote this as a benefit -- with little or no cost, effort, or involvement. Beneplace Discounts

- Some credit unions work with local rental/leasing company resale outlets to offer cars to their members.

- AAA, AARP, Consumer Reports, Costco, credit unions, and other organizations offer new-car buying services. They put you in touch with a dealer who has, or can get, your desired car. Often, the dealer is located outside your immediate area, which may or may not be an issue for you. (For example, for the SF Bay area, the dealer may be in Gilroy or Modesto.) Working through an intermediary can complicate the process -- and the car-buying service's commission is factored into the price.

- GM owned EDS from 1984 to 1996. Current eligibility and sponsorship rules for GM retirees, former GM employees, widows and widowers of former GM employees, and GM Family Legacy Program: https://www.gmfamilyfirst.com/

See also: Menu of all discount topics: Retiree Discount Menu

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