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One century-old oak tree crashed down on the initial 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 engulfed by branches that shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

Had it fallen minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

Emergency 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 book a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have created some disruption," stated the first of many similar automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Be well."

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

Summer Travel Problems Emerge

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

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their accommodation – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has prompted a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display global property portfolios on their websites and promise to satisfy wanderlust on a budget.

Customer safeguards, however, have not kept pace with their popularity.

Regulatory Gaps

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

Some platforms promote additional 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 sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves spending twice that for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to reimburse customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host claimed 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 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 commemorate 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 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 left trapped the property for the majority of their only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was unable to help," she says. "Finally they called a locksmith who attempted for several 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 levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It turned out loose screws had jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

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

Pocock asked for a full refund to compensate her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the replacement lock. The deposit was finally 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 trying to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners informed him they were abroad and could not help and suggested 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 unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can operate 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 questions. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Processes

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

The platform countered that customers could readily organize reviews by the most recent or lowest score so as to make their own decision on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been repeatedly 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 up to date.

Regulatory Grey Area

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

Major platforms commit to help find other accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms effectively police themselves, the only course of action 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 continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

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

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

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