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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 damaged 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 convinced the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

Had it fallen moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have created some disruption," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a upbeat "Stay 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 have chosen to focus on the anxiety and distress rather than celebrating a special memory."

Summer Travel Issues Surface

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

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or locked out their accommodation – when it existed – or left stranded at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor connects these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The expansion of rental platforms has led to a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property listings on their platforms and promise to fulfill wanderlust on a budget.

Consumer protections, however, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Legal Gaps

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms promote extra protections, but your contract is with the individual or company 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 notification about whether they are responsible for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host insisted the decision 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 concluded that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be providing 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 complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its health and safety policies.

Locked In

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 most of their only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they 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 lifted up a tool and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 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 compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but kept 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 key safe empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting in vain to get this reimbursed.

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

The platform reimbursed both customers after intervention. The company verified the host who had left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its questions. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Processes

Ratings do not always reveal the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a recent deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily organize reviews by the most recent or worst ratings 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 relied on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Legal Grey Area

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

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

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms effectively police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute continues is legal action," experts say. "But who against? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take legal action in their country."

They add: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are based overseas and have deep pockets."

Regulatory bodies say new customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases promoted or made on their platforms.

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

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