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

The vacation home in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

Had it fallen moments earlier we would have been critically hurt or fatally wounded

Urgent repairs took a full day 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 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 identical automated messages before concluding the pending case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the anxiety and trauma rather than celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Issues Surface

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

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their rental – if it was real – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Stories include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element unites these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has led to a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

Customer safeguards, though, have not caught up with their popularity.

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday disasters under consumer travel regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms promote extra protections, but your contract is with the individual or company providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves spending double the amount for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to reimburse customers for serious problems, the company stated 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 announced the case had continued 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 suggested that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform eventually issued a complete reimbursement 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 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 security lock on the front door failed.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, 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 purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a tool and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

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

Pocock asked for a full refund to compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the discretion 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 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 lockbox empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner won't reply to them there's little they can do," he says. "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 reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company confirmed the host who had left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its inquiries. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Systems

Reviews do not always tell the whole story. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to miss a current flood of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily organize 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 taken down. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Regulatory Grey Area

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

Major platforms promise to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively police themselves, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," experts 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are based overseas and have deep pockets."

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

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

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