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A 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 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 convinced the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

If it had fallen moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

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

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

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the worry and trauma rather than cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Emerge

Now that the peak travel period has concluded, numerous holiday horror stories 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 unfamiliar cities when it did not. Stories include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has prompted a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display global property listings on their websites and guarantee to fulfill travel dreams on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, though, have not kept pace with their widespread use.

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms promote 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 Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up spending double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to reimburse customers for serious problems, 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 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 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 inquiries were raised about its safety policies.

Trapped

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve a flat for a weekend stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were stuck inside the property for the majority of their only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "They eventually called a locksmith who attempted for multiple hours to fix 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 banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It was discovered unfastened bolts 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 locked in, yet the host faulted 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 pay for the new 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 key safe empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no accountability. The extra frustration is that the property in question is continues being listed on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after involvement. The company verified the host who had left Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Systems

Ratings do not always tell 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 overlook a recent flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform countered that customers could easily organize reviews by the newest or lowest score so as to make their own decision on a property.

The same report stated that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Grey Area

The problem for travelers who do not get what they expected 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 compensation for a disrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both typically 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 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say recent customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms.

A spokesperson says: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have implemented strict new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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