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A century-old oak tree toppled over on the initial day of a vacation. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the enormous tree destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

Had it come down minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host winched 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 recognize this may have created some disruption," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before closing the pending case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise 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 rather than celebrating a unique memory."

Summer Travel Issues Surface

Now that the peak travel period has concluded, numerous holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or locked out their accommodation – when it existed – or left stranded at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has prompted a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to fulfill wanderlust on a budget.

Consumer protections, however, have not kept pace with their popularity.

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's willingness to help.

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

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up spending twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive 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 declared it was up to the host to agree 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 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 celebrate their survival and "transform the event into a positive story."

The platform eventually issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its 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 security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable to help," she states. "They eventually called a locksmith who tried for several hours to access 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 pliers. 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 unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at serious risk if there had been an emergency while we were locked in, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a full refund to compensate her spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, 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 attempting to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were abroad and could not help and suggested him to find 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 reimbursed.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can operate this way with no accountability. The additional disappointment is that the property in question is continues being advertised on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after involvement. The company confirmed the host who had left 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 "the right fit."

Review Systems

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to miss a recent deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily sort reviews by the newest 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 taken down. The platform responded that it relied on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that booking information was current.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The issue for travelers who do not get what they paid for is that their legal agreement is with the accommodation provider rather than the booking platform.

Major platforms promise to help find alternative accommodation in an crisis, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option if the dispute continues is lawsuits," analysts 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are based overseas and have deep pockets."

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

A representative says: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have implemented strict new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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