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One century-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a holiday. Moments 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 certain the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

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

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

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

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened 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 instead of cherishing a special memory."

Summer Travel Problems Emerge

With the peak travel period has concluded, countless holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – when it existed – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor unites these ruined holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has prompted a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies showcase worldwide property listings on their websites and promise to satisfy wanderlust on a limited funds.

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

Legal Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, ended up paying 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 protection pledge to reimburse customers for serious problems, the company declared 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 declared the case had dragged on 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 suggested that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a positive story."

The platform finally issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after questions 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 left trapped the property for most of their single full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable to help," she states. "Finally they sent a locksmith who tried 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 lifted up a wrench and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It turned out unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

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

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to make up for her spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to cover 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 trapped outside the London flat he booked for £70 when, upon attempting to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners told him they were abroad and could not help and suggested him to find somewhere else for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months trying unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no responsibility. 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 left Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Systems

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

The platform responded that customers could easily sort reviews by the most recent or lowest score so as to make their own choice on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was current.

Regulatory Grey Area

The issue 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 crisis, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively self-regulate, 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 didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say new consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions advertised or made on their platforms.

A spokesperson states: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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