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A 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the massive tree destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that broke 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."

If it had come down minutes earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have caused some disruption," stated the first of many identical automated messages before closing the pending case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and observed 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 special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Emerge

Now that the summer season has ended, countless travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their accommodation – when it existed – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar 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 declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms display worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and promise to fulfill travel dreams on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, 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 reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms advertise extra protections, but your agreement is with the individual or business providing 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 paying 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 refund 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 two and a half months of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared 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 proposed that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a beautiful story."

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

Trapped

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve 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 safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent 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 wrench and tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It was discovered loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

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

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to compensate her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the new 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 booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and advised him to locate somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months trying in vain to get this refunded.

"The platform has essentially 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 operate this way with no accountability. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is continues being advertised on the platform."

The platform reimbursed 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 "the right fit."

Rating Systems

Ratings do not always reveal the complete picture. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to miss a current flood of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

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

The same report stated 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 availability was up to date.

Legal Grey Area

The issue 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 interrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms essentially self-regulate, 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 legal action in their country."

They add: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

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

A representative states: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force strict new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to protect people's funds."

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