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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 enormous tree destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home 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. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

Had it come down moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple feared the building might be structurally unsound 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 inconvenience," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the worry and distress rather than celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Surface

Now that the peak travel period has concluded, numerous travel nightmare accounts 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, unsafe equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element connects these ruined holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has led to a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property portfolios on their websites and guarantee to satisfy wanderlust on a budget.

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

Regulatory Gaps

Package-deal customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares 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 promote additional protections, but your agreement is with the individual or company offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves spending double the amount for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted the determination was the platform's.

After two and a half months of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced 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 offering a refund either. She proposed that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "turn the event into a beautiful story."

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

Locked In

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 single 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 called a locksmith who attempted for multiple 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 tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It turned out unfastened bolts had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 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 complete reimbursement to compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the new lock. The deposit was finally returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was due 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 abroad and could not help and advised him to find alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting in vain to get this refunded.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The additional frustration is that the property in question is still being advertised on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after intervention. The company confirmed the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had failed to its questions. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Review Systems

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

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

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

Legal Uncertainty

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 alternative accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms essentially police themselves, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," experts say. "But against whom? 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 investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

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

A spokesperson states: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have implemented tough new fines for violations of consumer law to protect people's funds."

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."