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One century-old oak tree toppled over on the initial day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the enormous tree smashed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered 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 killed."

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

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host winched the tree off the property, but the shaken couple feared the building might be unsafe 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 caused some inconvenience," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the pending case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the worry and trauma instead of celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Surface

Now that the summer season has concluded, countless travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their accommodation – when it existed – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Stories include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor connects these ruined holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The expansion of rental platforms has prompted a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property listings on their websites and promise to fulfill wanderlust on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, however, have not kept pace with their popularity.

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's willingness to help.

Some platforms advertise extra 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 too unsafe to return, ended up spending twice that for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program 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 10 weeks of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared 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 offering a refund either. She proposed that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a positive 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 book a flat for a weekend stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were stuck inside the property for the majority of their single full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "They eventually called a locksmith who tried for several hours to fix 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 tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

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

Pocock requested a full refund to make up for her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to cover the new lock. The deposit was eventually returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was due 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 lockbox empty. The owners told 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 following four months trying in vain to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he states. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no accountability. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is still being listed on the platform."

The platform refunded 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 dishonest accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Systems

Ratings do not always tell the complete picture. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to miss a recent deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

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

The same report claimed that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that availability was up to date.

Legal Uncertainty

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

Major platforms commit to help find alternative accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively police themselves, the only option 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 add: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are based overseas and have deep pockets."

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

A spokesperson states: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

They added: "Businesses selling services to domestic consumers must follow national law, and we have bolstered oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face substantial penalties if they do not."