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One 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a holiday. Minutes 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 broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

Had it come down moments earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

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

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have created some inconvenience," stated the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the pending case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the worry and trauma instead of celebrating a special memory."

Summer Travel Issues Surface

Now that the peak travel period has ended, countless travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – if it was real – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor connects these ruined holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has led to a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies showcase global property portfolios on their websites and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a limited funds.

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

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms advertise additional protections, but your agreement 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 sufficiently endangered to return, ended up spending 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 reimburse customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted the determination 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 providing a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "transform the event into a beautiful story."

The platform finally issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its safety policies.

Locked In

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

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they sent a locksmith who attempted for several hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he threw up to our window and we hoisted up a tool and tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

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

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to make up for her ruined trip and the anxiety. 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 booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners informed him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting unsuccessfully 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 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 listed 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 delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Systems

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

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

The same report stated that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not taken down. The platform responded that it relied on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was current.

Legal Uncertainty

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 other accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a tougher 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 course of action if the dispute isn't resolved is legal action," 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 add: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. 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 says: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have implemented tough new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

They continued: "Companies selling services to domestic consumers must follow local law, and we have strengthened oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face severe penalties if they do not."