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A century-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 massive 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 harmed the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

If it had fallen minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or fatally wounded

Emergency repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple feared 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 recognize this may have caused some disruption," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the pending case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the anxiety and distress instead of celebrating a unique memory."

Summer Vacation Problems Surface

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

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their accommodation – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property portfolios on their websites and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

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

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve 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 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 information about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to reimburse customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted the decision was the platform's.

After 10 weeks 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 suggested that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform finally issued a complete reimbursement 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 two-night stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were stuck inside the property for most of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a repair person, who was could not to help," she states. "Finally they 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 tool and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws 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 locked in, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a full refund to compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform said 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 owed 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 informed 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 intervening four months attempting unsuccessfully 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 can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no accountability. The additional disappointment is that the property in question is continues being advertised on the platform."

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

Rating Processes

Ratings do not always tell the complete picture. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "important." 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 responded that customers could readily organize 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 multiple times reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Grey Area

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

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms effectively police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute continues is lawsuits," 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

Regulatory bodies say recent customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases promoted or made on their platforms.

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

They continued: "Businesses 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."