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One century-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a holiday. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the massive 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 certain the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

If it had fallen minutes earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have created some disruption," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the pending case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to remember the worry and distress instead of celebrating a unique memory."

Summer Travel Issues Surface

Now that the peak travel period has ended, numerous holiday horror stories are emerging.

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

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

Customer safeguards, though, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Legal Gaps

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

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

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves spending twice that for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to reimburse customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host insisted the decision was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had dragged on long enough and summarily closed 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 positive story."

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

Trapped

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

"The host sent a repair person, who was could not to help," she says. "They eventually sent a locksmith who attempted for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he threw up to our window and we lifted up a tool and tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It turned out loose screws had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

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

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to make up for her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld 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 reserved for £70 when, upon attempting to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were overseas and could not help and advised him to locate somewhere else for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting unsuccessfully 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 says. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no accountability. The additional disappointment 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 delisted, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Processes

Ratings do not always tell the whole story. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "relevant." 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 sort reviews by the newest 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 taken down. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Uncertainty

The problem for travelers who do not get what they expected 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 payment for a disrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option 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 legal action in their country."

They add: "One might claim that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

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

A spokesperson says: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force strict new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's funds."

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