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One century-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a vacation. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the enormous tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

Had it fallen moments earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

Emergency repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple feared the building might be structurally unsound and chose to book a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have created some disruption," stated the first of many similar automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree resting on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the worry and distress rather than celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Travel Problems Surface

Now that the summer season has concluded, countless holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their rental – when it existed – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor connects these ruined holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has led to a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

Customer safeguards, though, have not caught up with their popularity.

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms advertise additional protections, but your contract is with the person or company offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves spending twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for serious problems, the company declared it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host insisted the decision was the platform's.

After two and a half months of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced the case had dragged on long enough and abruptly ended it. The host decided that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be providing a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "turn the event into a beautiful story."

The platform eventually issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its health and safety policies.

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve a flat for a two-night stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were left trapped the property for most of their single full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they called a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he threw up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It turned out loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger if there had been an crisis while we were locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to make up for her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the new lock. The deposit was eventually returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was owed the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was locked out the London flat he booked for £70 when, upon attempting to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners informed him they were abroad and could not help and advised him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting in vain to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no accountability. The additional frustration is that the property in question is still being advertised on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company verified the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Processes

Ratings do not always tell the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current flood of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily organize reviews by the newest or lowest score so as to make their own decision on a property.

The same report stated that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was up to date.

Legal Grey Area

The issue for travelers who do not get what they expected is that their contract is with the accommodation provider rather than the booking platform.

Major platforms commit to help find other accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only course of action if the dispute continues is legal action," analysts say. "But who against? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take court proceedings in their country."

They continue: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are based overseas and have significant financial resources."

Regulatory bodies say recent consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases promoted or made on their platforms.

A representative states: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have implemented tough new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to protect people's money."

They added: "Businesses selling services to local consumers must comply with national law, and we have strengthened regulatory authorities' powers to make sure they face substantial penalties if they do not."