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A 100-year-old oak tree toppled over 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 crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

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

Emergency repairs took 24 hours after the host winched the tree off the property, but the shaken 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 understand this may have created some disruption," stated the first of many similar automated messages before closing the unresolved 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 resting on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the worry and trauma rather than cherishing a special memory."

Summer Vacation Issues Emerge

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

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

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

Consumer protections, however, have not caught up with their popularity.

Regulatory Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday disasters under consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's willingness to help.

Some platforms advertise extra protections, but your agreement is with the person or company providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up paying double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification about whether they are responsible for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company declared 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 continued 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 positive story."

The platform finally issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after inquiries 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 the majority 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. "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 tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It was discovered unfastened bolts 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 trapped, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund to make up for her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the decision of the host. The host not only refused, but kept 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 booked 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 suggested him to find somewhere else for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting in vain to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I can't comprehend 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 reimbursed both customers after intervention. The company confirmed the host who had left Philip out of his rental had failed to its questions. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Processes

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A previous 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 cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

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

The same report claimed that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not taken down. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Regulatory Grey Area

The issue 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 promise to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs greater 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 continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are based abroad and have deep pockets."

Government authorities say new consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised or made on their platforms.

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

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