I would like to find out more about a car rental company called Carjet. They are a broker, similar to Auto Europe. If anyone has experience with them, I would love to hear about it. We will be renting in Lisbon for about 10 days touring Portugal. Their prices are excellent.
Thanks very much.

We have used them in Lisbon before. They placed us with Budget. I also have a friend who regularly uses them in Lisbon and is very pleased with them.

I am also currently looking at car rentals and have done some comparing. With Carjet there is an excess. Check out http://www.economycarrentals.com. For my dates, their quote was slightly higher than Carjet but it is WITHOUT Excess. I used them in Cyprus last year and got a car from Sixt. We didn't pay one extra cent. Of course, if you want to go without the excess, then Carjet offers a better deal.

We also used Economy Car Rentals for Lisbon and were very pleased with them. They placed us with Sixt.
The OP only asked about Carjet.

Hi, munich_madl, I have what is probably a very dumb question. I have used carjet frequently in the past and have never had a problem. But I have no idea what you mean when you refer to "excess" -- can you explain?

Thanks, Laurie

Well, now I'm even more confused. I have been doing some checking and have learned that our credit card offers us a "collision damage waiver" for no cost on cars we rent in Portugal. I think I understand that what that means is that the credit card will pay for damage due to collision or theft. (Am I the only one who thinks that using the term "waiver" to describe that kind of coverage is confusing?)

Is "collision damage waiver" something different from "excess"?

Thanks for helping me understand the mysteries of rental car insurance -- Laurie

This is tricky and you have to pay attention. Collision Damage Waiver or CDW is also known as Damage Liability Waiver in some countries. Sometimes it is included in the price quoted to you, sometimes you have to pay for it at a daily rate. These days it seems they always include it in some form. It covers you in the event of an accident. Here is where you have to watch out. The car rental agency will say 'CDW included with an excess of (eg. €1000)'. That means in the event of an accident, if the cost of repairs is under €1000, you pay for it all. If above, you pay €1000 and the rest, they pay! You can reduce your excess to zero by paying a daily rate. So if you add it all up, a competitor offering a higher rental rate with no excess may turn out to be cheaper. Or you can take the chance. If I am renting in a country where I know driving is civilised, I would go without it but in places with narrow roads, I prefer to be fully covered. -Fran

So does excess mean the same thing as is commonly referred to as a deductible? I was confused by the term excess also when I tried to rent a car in Portugal.

Thanks, Fran, but I'm sorry, I am still confused. Our credit card company says that in order to get their coverage, which has no deductible (or excess?), we have to decline the CDW from the car rental company. Are you saying that we don't typically have the option to do that in European rentals? Or would this be something I would have to contact the company about directly?

Thanks, Laurie

Laurie, we always decline the CDW when we rent cars for the reason you state. You can do this in many countries in Europe (although I have heard things which make me believe there are exceptions in countries in which we have not yet tried to rent cars). In any event, we have done it in Portugal.

Thanks, Nikki for helping out. There are so many terms used in different countries and I think the deductible is the 'excess' I am referring to. The best is to double check with the credit card company if that is what they mean. I didn't know that credit card companies also offer this coverage. Which credit card do you possess? I have VISA - must go and read the fine print.

In the US, most if not all major credit cards offer insurance. You can call your credit card company to find out.

Thanks, will check it out.

Another confusing tidbit -- I have just received an email from Carjet telling me that the CDW is included in the rate they set. What's available for purchase is an amount to cover the excess. Now, what I don't know is what happens to the CDW provided by the credit card -- they require us to decline the CDW, but Carjet won't let us decline the CDW. Has anyone experienced this? I've tried calling the CC company but have not yet found out anything helpful.

Here are a few smidgins from the pdf that our broker sent us explaining the Visa benefits:

Effective 3/1/08.
Please note: This benefit is available on all Visa Standard Credit, Visa Rewards Credit, and Visa Premium Rewards cards.
Protect against collision and theft
Visa Standard Credit, Visa Rewards Credit, and Visa Premium Rewards cardholders receive Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver coverage for damage due to collision or theft.


How do I activate this benefit?
For the benefit to be in effect, you must:
• Initiate and complete the entire rental transaction with your eligible Visa card, and
• Decline the auto rental company’s collision damage waiver (CDW/LDW) option, or similar provision, if offered by the auto rental company.


Thanks, Laurie

One time we chose the CDW with VISA. After our car was damaged in a parking lot, we faced huge hassels. We had to pay for the damage in full when we rturned the car at Linate and then had a lot of work when we rturned home to try to get paid back. It was a real ordeal. They wanted us to present an estimate from a repair garage which was not possible when dropping it off at the airport(LIN.)They also asked for the receipts to be in English so we'll never use the VISA option again.

Well, I have just learned from Visa that you can't get their CDW unless you are able to decline the CDW from the car rental place. And I have heard from Carjet that I can't decline their CDW. But based on what HapyTrvlr's experience, that may not be such a terrible outcome.

So, then I guess we're back to an earlier question, which was whether we should just go and purchase the "excess" from the rental company, or in the alternative whether we should just rely on their CDW.

Nikki, do you remember which company in Portugal allowed you to decline the CDW? Or was it that you declined to purchase the excess? I am SO confused.

Thanks, everyone. Laurie

The first time, I think we rented through Europcar. I don't remember there being an issue about excess or CDW there. But my memory is not that clear.

The second time we went to Portugal I did look into Carjet. I think it was there that I got really confused about the "excess", not understanding it was the same as a deductible. I don't remember who we went with though, because my husband ended up doing it and the information is not saved in my e-mail.

Well, thanks anyway, Nikki. I have pretty much decided to go with economoy car rentals -- thanks Fran. Now, if I understand correctly, their rate includes both the CDW and the coverage for the excess. And the prices seem incredibly cheap. So I guess I'll cross my fingers and hope this is the right way to deal with the CDW and related issues. Laurie

Yes, with Economy, everything is included. It is on their front page. I rented with them in Cyprus (got a SIXT car) and was quite skeptical so I printed out everything about their insurance before I left - just in case. The lady at SIXT did not try to sell me any extra insurance like they normally do. I am also looking forward to a good experience in Portugal.

Laurie. The price for Economy includes all insurance. That means that the car is fully covered if you have an accident.
NOW. First of all the car rental company will try to get you to buy Excess insurance when you pick up the car, which you do not need.
Secondly. If you have damage the car rental company is going to charge your credit card. You will have to apply to Carjet for the reimbursement for the damage.
Remember. This excess insurance is not provided by the rental company. It is a perk provided by Carjet.
When you buy excess from your rental company and you have damage you report it and when you drop off the car you must supply them with certain documentation if it was an accident. If there were no other persons involved, you still must report it. And when you return the car, assuming you can still drive it, you just walk away. That is your credit card is not charged because the rental company provided coverage. And they collect from their insurance.
I hope I have explained it ok.