Vehicle Discounts. HP/HPE Alumni

From former employees of HP and HPE. Not officially endorsed or supported. (Page updated Dec 20, 2025) Click to join our forums Question? Email us: info@hpalumni.org

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.

- 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 https://www.edmunds.com .

- When buying a used car, a dealership that sells new cars of the same brand has the technicians, test instrumentation, parts, and information necessary to evaluate a used car, perform recalls, and make other repairs. If a trade-in is in bad condition, they send it to the regional dealer auction. They generally have a reputation to protect within the community of enthusiasts for that brand.

- There are some new- and off-lease car offers from Beneplace -- an advertising company that promotes identical 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 https://www.hpalumni.org/discounts-beneplace

- 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.

- TrueCar uses the employee- and member-communication channels of 250 employers, credit unions, credit cards, warehouse stores, and non-profits to generate leads for local car dealers. (For example, https://hp.truecar.com )

Googling brings up consistent advice: Use it without logging in -- to avoid being bombarded with calls, texts, and emails by dealers who don't have the car you want. You get calls from multiple salespeople at the same dealership. Can't get the calls to stop. Prices quoted on the site are often not honored. Best comment: "Not for people looking to have a peaceful and stress-free car-buying experience."

Consumer Reports members get a version of TrueCar that is linked to CR's reliability and satisfaction ratings -- and provides CARFAX maintenance history reports on each listed used car.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-prices-used-car-inventory "Consumer Reports collects a fee from TrueCar for vehicles purchased from a TrueCar dealer." You can join Consumer Reports Digital for $10/month and cancel any time.

- 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/