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A century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the massive tree destroyed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

If it had 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 unsafe and chose to reserve a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We recognize this may have caused some disruption," stated the first of many identical automated messages before closing the pending case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Be well."

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

Peak Season Travel Problems Surface

With the peak travel period has ended, countless holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has led to a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies showcase worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to fulfill wanderlust 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 reliant on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms promote additional protections, but your contract is with the individual or business offering the accommodation.

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

After two and a half months of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had continued long enough and summarily closed it. The host decided that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a beautiful story."

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

Trapped

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

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she states. "Finally they sent a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a wrench and tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It was discovered unfastened bolts had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at serious risk if there had been an emergency while we were locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to compensate her spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the replacement 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 overseas and could not help and suggested him to find alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months trying in vain to get this reimbursed.

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

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

Review Processes

Reviews do not always reveal the complete picture. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily sort reviews by the most recent or worst ratings so as to make their own decision on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was up to date.

Legal Uncertainty

The issue for travelers who do not get what they paid for is that their legal agreement is with the accommodation provider not the booking platform.

Major platforms promise to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute isn't resolved 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

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

A representative says: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have implemented strict new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

They continued: "Companies selling services to domestic consumers must follow local law, and we have bolstered regulatory authorities' powers to make sure they face severe penalties if they do not."