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One century-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast 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 engulfed by branches that shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

Had it fallen minutes earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host winched 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 recognize this may have created some disruption," stated the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise and saw 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 celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Emerge

Now that the summer season has ended, numerous travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or locked out their accommodation – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has led to a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies showcase worldwide property listings on their platforms and guarantee to fulfill wanderlust on a budget.

Customer safeguards, however, have not kept pace with their widespread use.

Regulatory Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve 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 person or business offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves spending double the amount for a hotel. They still await 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 announced 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 celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a beautiful 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 book 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 security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, who was unable to help," she says. "They eventually 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 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 unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 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 asked for a full refund to make up for her ruined trip and the anxiety. 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 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 told him they were overseas and could not help and advised him to find somewhere else for the night. He spent 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 won't reply 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 additional frustration is that the property in question is continues being listed on the platform."

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

Review 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 flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily sort reviews by the newest or lowest score so as to make their own choice 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 abide by its rules and ensure that availability was up to date.

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 rather than the booking platform.

Major platforms promise to help find other accommodation in an crisis, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms essentially police themselves, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," experts say. "But against whom? 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 failed to investigate your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

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

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

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