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A 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a vacation. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the massive tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that shattered the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

If it had fallen minutes earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple feared the building might be unsafe and chose to book a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have caused some disruption," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened 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 focus on the anxiety and trauma instead of cherishing a special memory."

Summer Travel Problems Surface

With the summer season has ended, numerous travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside 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 common factor connects these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of rental platforms 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 caught up with their widespread use.

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters 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 advertise 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 Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up spending twice that 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 serious problems, 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 identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had dragged on long enough and abruptly ended it. The host concluded that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a beautiful story."

The platform eventually 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 book a flat for a two-night stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were left trapped the property for most of their only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host sent a repair person, who was unable to help," she states. "Finally they called a locksmith who tried for several hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he threw up to our window and we lifted up a tool and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It turned out unfastened bolts 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 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 withheld her €250 deposit to pay for 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 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 advised him to find somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months trying in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he states. "I don't understand how a business can operate this way with no responsibility. The extra 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 left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its questions. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Processes

Reviews do not always tell the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a recent deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily sort reviews by the newest or worst ratings 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 removed. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Grey Area

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

Major platforms commit to help find alternative accommodation in an crisis, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms essentially police themselves, 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 add: "One might claim that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say new customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions advertised or made on their platforms.

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

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