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A century-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the enormous tree destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

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

Had it come down minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or fatally wounded

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

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have created some inconvenience," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the worry and distress rather than cherishing a special memory."

Peak Season Travel Problems Emerge

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

Unfortunate travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Stories include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element connects these ruined holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The growth 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 wanderlust on a limited funds.

Customer safeguards, however, have not kept pace with their widespread use.

Legal Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, ended up paying twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had continued 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 proposed 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 health and safety policies.

Trapped

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve a flat for a weekend stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were left trapped the property for the majority of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, who was unable to help," she states. "Finally they called a locksmith who attempted for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a tool and tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It was discovered unfastened bolts had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

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

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to compensate her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the new lock. The deposit was finally returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was owed the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was trapped outside the London flat he reserved for £70 when, upon attempting to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners told him they were overseas 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 following four months trying in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he states. "I can't comprehend how a business can operate this way with no responsibility. The extra frustration is that the property in question is still being listed on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after intervention. The company confirmed the host who had locked 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 Systems

Reviews do not always tell the complete picture. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to miss a recent flood of reviews cautioning 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 choice on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Uncertainty

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

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

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute continues is lawsuits," 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 didn't manage to investigate your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are based overseas and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say recent consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised or made on their platforms.

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

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