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One 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 enormous tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

If it had 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 traumatized couple worried the building might be structurally unsound and decided to book a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have created some inconvenience," stated the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "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 responded to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to focus on the anxiety and distress instead of celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Problems Emerge

Now that the summer season has concluded, numerous travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or locked out their accommodation – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The growth of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms showcase global property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to fulfill wanderlust on a limited funds.

Customer safeguards, however, 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 book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's willingness to help.

Some platforms advertise extra protections, but your agreement is with the individual or business offering 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 still await information about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host insisted the decision was the platform's.

After two and a half months of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had continued long enough and abruptly ended it. The host decided 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 positive story."

The platform eventually issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its health and 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 most of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable to help," she says. "They eventually called a locksmith who attempted for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a tool and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It turned out unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger if there had been an crisis while we were trapped, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to compensate her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the new lock. The deposit was eventually returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was due the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was locked out the London flat he reserved 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 advised him to find alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months trying unsuccessfully 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 states. "I can't comprehend 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 refunded 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 dishonest accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Processes

Ratings do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current flood of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform countered that customers could easily organize 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 taken down. The platform answered that it relied 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 not the booking platform.

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

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only option if the dispute continues is lawsuits," experts say. "But against whom? 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 investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are based abroad and have significant financial resources."

Regulatory bodies say recent customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "exercise 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 strict new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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