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A century-old oak tree toppled over on the initial 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 damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

Had it come down moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host winched the tree off the property, but the shaken couple worried the building might be structurally unsound and chose to book a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have created some inconvenience," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the pending case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound 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 unique memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Emerge

Now that the peak travel period has ended, numerous travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or locked out their accommodation – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these ruined 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 showcase global property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

Consumer protections, however, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Legal Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French 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 serious problems, 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 announced the case had continued long enough and summarily closed it. The host concluded 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 complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its safety policies.

Locked In

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

"The host sent a repair person, who was could not 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 lifted up a wrench and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It was discovered unfastened bolts had jammed 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 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 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 locked out the London flat he booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the lockbox 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 attempting 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 intervention. The company confirmed the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had failed 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."

Review Processes

Ratings do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to miss a current flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily organize reviews by the most recent or lowest score 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 taken down. The platform responded that it relied on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Legal Uncertainty

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 promise to help find other accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms effectively police themselves, the only option 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 legal action in their country."

They continue: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are based overseas and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say recent consumer protection 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 implemented tough new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to protect people's funds."

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