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A century-old oak tree toppled over on the initial day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the massive tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

Had it fallen moments 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 feared the building might be structurally unsound 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 inconvenience," stated the first of many similar automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Be well."

The host displayed 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 remember the anxiety and trauma rather than cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Emerge

With the summer season has ended, numerous holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has led to a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies showcase global property listings on their websites and guarantee to fulfill travel dreams on a limited funds.

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

Legal Gaps

All-inclusive 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 willingness to help.

Some platforms advertise additional protections, but your contract is with the person or business offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves paying twice that for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to reimburse customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After two and a half months of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced 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 suggested that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

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

Trapped

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 single full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was unable to help," she says. "They eventually sent a locksmith who tried 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 pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually 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 locked in, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to make up for her spoiled 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 new lock. The deposit was finally returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was owed the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was trapped outside 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 abroad 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 trying unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no accountability. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is continues being listed on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after intervention. The company confirmed the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had not responded to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Processes

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a recent flood of reviews warning that a listing is a scam 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 relied on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information 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 rather than the booking platform.

Major platforms commit to help find alternative accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only course of action if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," analysts say. "But against whom? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take court proceedings in their country."

They continue: "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 legal uncertainty. Both companies are based abroad and have deep pockets."

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

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

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