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One century-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the enormous tree destroyed 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 fatally wounded."

If it had fallen minutes earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple feared the building might be unsafe and decided to reserve a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have caused some disruption," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the pending 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 focus on the worry and distress rather than cherishing a special memory."

Peak Season Travel Problems Emerge

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

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their accommodation – if it was real – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has led to a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms display global property portfolios on their platforms and promise to fulfill travel dreams on a limited funds.

Customer safeguards, though, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Regulatory Loopholes

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

Some platforms promote additional protections, but your agreement is with the individual or business offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves 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 protection pledge to reimburse customers for serious problems, the company declared it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host claimed the determination 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 abruptly ended it. The host decided that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She proposed that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "transform the event into a beautiful story."

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

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve a flat for a two-night 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 failed.

"The host sent a repair person, who was could not to help," she states. "They eventually sent a locksmith who attempted for multiple 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 wrench 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 turned out loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

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

Pocock requested a full refund to compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the replacement 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 lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening 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 function this way with no accountability. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is still being advertised on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company confirmed the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had not responded to its questions. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Systems

Reviews 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 simple for users to overlook a recent deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily sort 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 repeatedly reported as scams were not removed. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Uncertainty

The issue for travelers who do not get what they expected is that their legal agreement 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 disrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since 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 add: "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 grey area. Both companies are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

Regulatory bodies say recent consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions advertised or made on their platforms.

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

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